Rev. John P. Holtsinger was born in the year 1813, in Washington county, Tennessee. His father was an honest and industrious man, and a good citizen. His mother was a most worthy Christian lady, and very early and carefully imparted to her son the religious instructions peculiar to the Presbyterian Church, of which she was a consistent member.

By his father he was early taught, both by precept and example, industry, economy, and strict honesty; by his mother he was carefully taught the elementary principles of our holy religion. These combined formed the elements of his character in after life. Before he had reached the years of his majority, he made a public profession of religion, at a meeting held at what was then called McKee's School house, in Washington county, not far from his father's residence, and united with the Cumberland Presbyterian Church. Unlike many others who enter the Church, he immediately entered upon all the duties he conceived to be binding on all Church members. Soon after he united with the Church, he became deeply impressed that it was his duty to preach the gospel. Under these impressions, he cast about him for some one to instruct him in relation to a work of such magnitude, and at once he thought of his faithful mother, to whom he made known his feelings, who commended him to God and directed him to obey his impressions.

He very soon after presented himself to the Knoxville Presbytery of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, in session, at Madisonville, Monroe county, Tennessee, and was received a candidate for the ministry.

On his return home from Presbytery, he made his arrangements, and entered Washington College, then presided over by Rev. Mr. McLin. Here he continued, making rapid progress in his studies, until the year 1837, when he was licensed as a probationer to preach the gospel.

Soon after his licensure, by the Presbytery, he was most happily united in marriage with Miss Nacky Roberts, who proved to be to him, in all after life, a true and faithful helpmeet, and yet lives to mourn her loss. They raised three children, two sons and a daughter. The oldest son is an eminent minister of the gospel of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, in Ohio. The second son was lost during the late war. The third is a daughter of fine promise, and quite accomplished.

In the year 1838 Bro. Holtsinger was set apart to the whole work of the ministry by the laying on of the hands of the Presbytery.

As a minister he was zealous, earnest, industrious, and eminently successful in his work. He was not only possessed of fine intellectual powers, but he was a well developed specimen of our humanity, of great muscular powers, which well suited him to the task he had to perform in his ministry.

Soon after he entered the ministry, the Knoxville Presbytery was divided and the Hiwassee Presbytery was formed, cutting off all the older ministers from the Knoxville Presbytery. At this time the writer cannot remember that there was a single Cumberland Presbyterian church house in what is now the Knoxville Presbytery. There were a few organizations of the body widely scattered over the country. At this time all the churches combined, in the Knoxville Presbytery, did not contribute to the support of the ministry enough to constitute what would now be a salary for one man.

To supply these young and feeble churches and plant others, was no ordinary task for a few poor young men to undertake, yet Bro. Holtsinger stepped forward, and cheerfully entered upon the work, with a zeal and courage almost unparalleled. His voice could be heard all along the line of work, cheering and stirring all into action. In a word he was a live man. He was often heard to say that it cost him from one to two hundred dollars a year to be a preacher--meaning that his salary was short that much, which had to be supplied out of his private means.

He would often work hard on his farm two parts of the day, then saddle his horse, and from two to five miles he would ride to assist in holding protracted meetings.

During the late war he took sides with the Government, and in the year 1862, went through to Kentucky, making his way on foot alone, through the mountains. On reaching the Federal army he volunteered, as a private, in the First Tennessee Cavalry.

Soon after he entered the army, he was appointed chaplain to his regiment, in which capacity he served until the close of the war. Perhaps no chaplain ever won for himself brighter honors, or bore away with him more respect than Rev. J. P. Holtsinger, which is plainly indicated by the following extract, from a letter written by Col. James P. Brownlow.

The Colonel says: "It was my good fortune during the war to have his most intimate friendship, and to his sound advice and bold example I shall ever feel, to a great degree, indebted for the success of our regiment. As you are well aware, he was always on active duty in the field, and never took advantage of his position to shirk the dangers and hardships of the humblest soldier; he was devotedly attached to the cause of his country, an aggressive opponent of his enemies, but with the cessation of hostilities his brotherly love rose superior to party spirit, and he was ever glad to cast the mantle of charity over his erring countrymen."

As a ministry of the gospel he was eminently successful. His preaching was mostly practical, pointed, and impressive, often accompanied with powerful and stirring appeals to the unconverted.

Punctuality was one of the distinguishing elements of his practical life. He would travel through heat and cold, rain or storm, to reach his appointments in due time. He was a member of Knoxville Presbytery for nearly forty years, and during that long period, he was seldom absent from one of its semi-annual meetings. He was present at all the annual meetings of the East Tennessee Synod except during the war, so far as the writer can remember.

When appointed a delegate to the General Assembly, he was almost sure to go, far or near, often using some of his own means as expense money.

He was a bold and fearless advocate of whatever he believed to be right. He was a warm friend to the temperance cause, often lecturing and preaching on the subject, with most convincing effect.

He never thought his work was done until he had visited all the sick of his bounds, and talked and prayed with them.

He was kind and charitable to the poor; benevolent almost to a fault, giving his means to the enterprises of the Church more than he could well spare.

He was a man of strong will, his purpose once formed no ordinary circumstances could move him from it. What his hand found to do, he did it with his might. Indeed, it might be said of him, he fell a martyr to his zeal for the cause of the Church, and that he fell at his post.

On the 15th of August, while introducing the sacrament of the supper, in his church, in Greenville, he was stricken down by paralysis. By the prompt and skillful efforts of Dr. Taylor, who was in the church at the time, he was soon restored to consciousness, and rose up and addressed the congregation. From this time he gradually declined, though every effort was made that medical skill could employ. He had the medical attention of Drs. Taylor, Smith, and Broyles, all eminent physicians, but death had marked him as his prize, and would not be turned from his purpose, and on the 21st day of October, 1875, Rev. John P. Holtsinger was taken from our midst by death. Here we turn back, we have followed him to the "River," we can do no more, but stand upon the shore and wonder at this mysterious Providence of an All-wise God.

From the first attack of the disease, his speech was much impaired, and finally almost entirely failed him; a few days previous to his death, he was visited by the writer, was found calmly, patiently awaiting the summons of death. At his time he manifested much anxiety to talk but could not, yet gave the clearest evidence of his readiness and willingness to meet death.

In the death of Rev. John P. Holtsinger the Cumberland Presbyterian Church has sustained an almost irreparable loss; the county a good citizen; the wife a good husband, and the children a kind and loving father. But it becometh us all to bow in quiet submission to the will of our heavenly Father, knowing that he doeth all things well. "Help, Lord; for the godly man ceaseth; for the faithful fail from among the children of men."
[Source: The Cumberland Presbyterian, December 16, 1875, page 2]

1847
J. P. Holtsinger
Minister - Knoxville Presbytery - Synod of East Tennessee
Commissioner to General Assembly, May 18-25, 1847, in Lebanon, Ohio.
Served on the General Assembly Committee on the Records of Columbia Synod.
[Source: Minutes of the General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 1847, pages 1 & 3]

1851
J. P. Holtsinger
Minister - Knoxville Presbytery - Synod of East Tennessee
Commissioner to General Assembly, May 20-27, 1851, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Served on the General Assembly Committee on the Records of Green River Synod.
[Source: Minutes of the General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 1851, pages 5 & 8]

1854
J. P. Holsinger [sic: Holtsinger], Greenville, Tenn.
Minister - Knoxville Presbytery - Synod of East Tennessee
[Source: Minutes of the General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 1854, page 89]

1857
J. P. Holtsinger
Minister - Knoxville Presbytery - Synod of East Tennessee
Commissioner to General Assembly, May 21-27, 1857, in Lexington, Missouri.
[Source: Minutes of the General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 1857, page 5]

1866
J. P. Holtsinger
Minister - Knoxville Presbytery - Synod of East Tennessee
Commissioner to General Assembly, May 17-26, 1866, in Owensboro, Kentucky.
Served on the General Assembly Committee on Sunday Schools and Parental Training.
[Source: Minutes of the General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 1866, pages 5 & 8]

1868
J. P. Holtsinger, Greeneville, Tenn.
Minister - Knoxville Presbytery - Synod of East Tennessee
[Source: Minutes of the General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 1868, page 103]

1869
S. P. [sic: J. P.] Holtsinger, Greenville, Tennessee
Minister - Knoxville Presbytery - Synod of East Tennessee
John P. Holtsinger - Commissioner to General Assembly, May 20-27, 1869, in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
[Source: Minutes of the General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 1869, pages 4 & 82]

1870
J. P. Holtsinger, Greenville, Tennessee
Minister - Knoxville Presbytery - Synod of East Tennessee
[Source: Minutes of the General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 1870, page 77]

1871
J. P. Holtsinger, Greenville, Tenn.
Minister - Knoxville Presbytery - Synod of East Tennessee
Commissioner to General Assembly, May 18-27, 1871, in Nashville, Tennessee.
Served on the General Assembly Committee on the Records of Green River Synod.
[Source: Minutes of the General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 1871, pages 4, 8 & 77]

1872
Holtsinger, J. P., Greeneville, Tenn.
Minister - Knoxville Presbytery - Synod of East Tennessee
[Source: Minutes of the General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 1872, page 122]

1873
Holtsinger, J. P., Greeneville, Tenn.
Minister - Knoxville Presbytery - Synod of East Tennessee
[Source: Minutes of the General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 1873, page 98]

1874
Holtsinger, J. P., Greeneville, Tenn.
Minister - Knoxville Presbytery - Synod of East Tennessee
[Source: Minutes of the General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 1874, page 98]

1875
Holtsinger, J. P., Greeneville, Tenn.
Minister - Knoxville Presbytery - Synod of East Tennessee
[Source: Minutes of the General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 1875, page 79]

1876
Deceased Ministers
Rev. J. P. Holtsinger, Knoxville Presbytery
[Source: Minutes of the General Assembly of the Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 1876, page 27]