Hey Donna,
Go to yahoo and search for Holt Collier. On the second page there is a site titled yahoo!groups: Hinds messages 192-221 of 647. scroll down until you reach Col. Howell Hinds and Holt Collier. The articles are numbered 1 thru 4.Holt was 14 when he ran away to join the Confederacy. He was a slave at the time. The master and his son were leaving for the war and wouldn't allow young Holt to go,for fear that he might get killed. Holt is more famous for the "teddy bear" episode later in life. Anyway, i was always under the impression that slaves were not allowed to enlist. His story is an excepton.