John, I'm not aware of any specific incidents like the one you describe. Thieves and outlaws plagued travelers on all the backroads during the war and after the war...until soldiers returned and started hunting down the road agents and thugs that roamed south Mississippi and order was returned.

They may have called themselves "Home Guards", but they were not official bodies sanctioned by the state or local governments. Many so called "home guards" were bushwhackers and outlaws; mostly deserters and conscript dodgers. I do not think this was a group of old men, young boys and invalids who usually served as "Home Guards" and were sanctioned by local governments. That to me would explain why a soldier would attempt to fight these animals to protect his family. Sadly, it sounds like he survived the war to be killed by criminals at home.

I am, however, a little confused about how he was in the 6th Miss and "joined at Gainesville". I did not know that there was a company of men from Hancock County in the 6th Miss. I had only heard of the men of the 3rd Miss. I see a D. Holder in Co. G 3rd Miss. on the Soldiers and Sailors System. Could that be him?

Do you know why he or his family were in Pass Christian or Harrison County vs. Jones County (if that was his pre-war home)? I wonder why a group of men from Jones county or the 6th Miss. in particular were even on the coast after the surrender.

Were they paroled and sent by boat to Mobile or New Orleans? I have not heard of that before. Most men went by foot or caught rides to their home.

Something does not connect on this story. If he was in fact the man in the 3rd Miss. and did join at Gainsville in 1862, why didn't he join near his "pre-war home? I wonder also why he would have reenlisted at Gainseville since the regiment was not at Gainesville in 1863. The 3rd almost cetainly was not there and the 6th absolutely was not there.

To clear up the legend, I suggest you pull all of his official records from the Miss. Archives. See link on this webpage to order copies. Also look to see if his widow requested a pension. There may be information in his file describing the circumstances of his death.