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Joseph Holt

Secretary of War

Joseph Holt, Secretary of War.

Positions

  • Secretary of War

Biography

Joseph Holt was an American lawyer, soldier, and politician. As a leading member of the Buchanan administration, he succeeded in convincing Buchanan to oppose the secession of the South. He returned to Kentucky and successfully battled the secessionist element thereby helping to keep Kentucky in the Union. President Abraham Lincoln appointed him the Judge Advocate General of the United States Army.

From Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).

More

From Senate roll call votes, Wikidata, Wikipedia and Office of Government Ethics records.

Cite or embed this page

Capitol Receipts, “Joseph Holt: Secretary of War,” https://www.capitolreceipts.com/appointee/wQ1366195/joseph-holt (accessed 2026-10-13).