Untitled From Commemorative Biographical Record of the Counties of Rock, Green, Grant, Iowa and Lafayette, Wisconsin, publ. 1901- page 466-467

WILLIAM S. HOLMES, a retired farmer residing in Platteville, Grant county, and a valiant ex-soldier of the United States volunteer army, was born in Sugar Grove, Penn.; March 23, 1839, a son of P. A. and Rosanna (BULSOM) HOLMES, the former a native of the State of New York, and the latter of the Keystone State.

P. A. HOLMES brought his wife and child to Grant county, Wis., in 1840, and settled on a farm near Platteville, where he died in 1874, leaving his widow with ten children. The widow is a present living in Georgetown, Grant county, at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Mary E. GRAHAM. Of the family of ten children, William S., is the eldest; James W., born in Grant county, Wis., was a soldier for two years in Company F, 3d Wis. V.I., in the Civil war, was wounded at Cedar Mountain, was honorably discharged and settled in Missouri, where he died, leaving no family; Martha M. is the deceased wife of John HENDERSON, of Missouri; Emmett was a soldier in the 20th Wis. V.I., was wounded at Prairie Grove, and there died; Mary E., is the wife of James L., GRAHAM, of Georgetown; Joseph W. is married and lives in Wilsonville, Neb., but has no children; John C. is a farmer at Sanborn, Iowa, and has a family of eleven children; Abigail E., deceased wife of Robert QUINGLEY, left no family; Robert is a resident of Dubuque, Iowa; Susan, widow of Marshall COOPER, also resides in Dubuque with her children.

As he was the eldest of the family, William S. HOLMES received but a limited education when young, and worked on the farm until he enlisted in 1861, in Company F, 3d Wis. V.I., which he took part in numerous battles, including Maryland Heights, Antietam, Gettysburg, Chancellorsville and Beverly Ford, and was with Gen. Pope in his retreat across the Potomac; was also at Winchester, served under Gen. Hooker, and likewise was with Gen. Sherman on his celebrated march through Georgia. His military career ended at Averysboro, N.C., where he was shot through the leg by a minie ball, from the effects of which wound he was confined in hospital for four months on David's Island, New York Harbor, and there received an honorable discharge,, and returned to Grant county.

In July 1873, Mr. HOLMES married Miss Selena J. PIDDINGTON for his first wife. He then purchased the old home place on which he lived until 1896, when he retired to Platteville and erected for himself an elegant dwelling. In May, 1897, Mrs. Selena HOLMES passed away, leaving him with one daughter Elizabeth, now the wife of Charles ROUSE, of Grant county, and the mother of one child, Ethel. In March, 1898, Mr. HOLMES chose for his second wife, Mrs. Elizabeth HOADLEY, a sister of his first wife. Mrs. Elizabeth HOLMES was born near Manchester, England, in 1843, and is a daughter of Matthew and Elizabeth PIDDINGTON, who came to America in 1849, and settled on a farm in Grant county, on which they passed the remainder of their lives. At their death they left two daughters - Mrs. HOLMES and Mrs. Sarah HINDMAN, of Harrison, Grant county. By her first husband Mrs. HOLMES became the mother of two children, namely: George W. HOADLEY, who resides near the Block House, in Grant county, and is the father of two children, Guy W., and Cynthia E.; and Gertrude HOADLEY, at the age of sixteen years, was graduated from the State Normal school, at Platteville, and is now a popular teacher in the public schools of the county. In politics Mr. HOLMES is a Republican, but has never been an officer seeker nor an office holder. He and wife have made many friends since they came to reside in Platteville, and their life would be one of unalloyed enjoyment, but for the fact that Mr. HOLMES at times suffers greatly from the serious wound he received in his gallant defense of his nation's flag.




This biography generously submitted by Carol Holmbeck