John Edwin Holmes (December 28, 1809 – May 8, 1863) was an American lawyer, minister, and politician. He was the 1st Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin and a Union Army officer in the American Civil War. He was captured by Confederate forces during the Battle of Brentwood and died of disease.

Quick Facts 1st Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin, Governor ...

John Edwin Holmes
1st Lieutenant Governor of Wisconsin
In office June 7, 1848 – January 7, 1850
Governor	Nelson Dewey
Preceded by	Position Established
Succeeded by	Samuel W. Beall
Member of the Wisconsin State Assembly from the Jefferson 2nd district
In office January 1, 1853 – January 1, 1854
Preceded by	A. H. Van Norstrand
Succeeded by	David L. Morrison
Member of the Council of the Wisconsin Territory for Dodge and Jefferson counties
In office January 4, 1847 – March 13, 1848
Preceded by	John Catlin for Dane, Dodge, Green, Jefferson, and Sauk
Succeeded by	Position Abolished
Personal details
Born	John Edwin Holmes (1807-12-28)December 28, 1807 Glastonbury, Connecticut, U.S.
Died	May 8, 1863(1863-05-08) (aged 53) Annapolis, Maryland, U.S.
Resting place	Greenwood Cemetery Jefferson, Wisconsin
Political party	Republican Democratic (before 1856)
Spouses	Ruth A. Hawley (m. 1836–1863)
Children	Edwin F. Holmes three other sons
Parents	Solomon Holmes (father) Ann McKee Holmes (mother)
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Branch/service	United States Army Union Army
Years of service	1862–1863
Rank	Quartermaster
Unit	22nd Reg. Wis. Vol. Infantry
Battles/wars	American Civil War Battle of Brentwood

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Born in Glastonbury, Connecticut, Holmes moved with his parents to New York when he was four; and both parents died when he was eight. He then lived with his grandfather until he was twelve. He moved to Hamilton, in Madison County, and studied while working to support himself, and was able to teach in a common school. He attended an academy and prepared himself and was ordained a Universalist minister in 1833.^[1] He preached for a short time in Michigan and Ohio. He soon began to study law in Illinois and was admitted to the bar in Illinois. He joined the Democratic Party and moved to the Wisconsin Territory, settling in what is now Jefferson, Wisconsin, to practice law.

Holmes served on the Council of the Wisconsin Territory—the upper house of the territorial legislature—representing Jefferson and Dodge Counties through the final years before statehood. When Wisconsin became a State, in 1848, Mr. Holmes was chosen as the first lieutenant governor of the state, and served in that capacity for 1848 and 1849 under governor Nelson Dewey. He was not a candidate for re-election in 1849. But in 1852 he was elected to the Wisconsin State Assembly for the 1853 session, surviving an election challenge from Benjamin F. Adams.^[2]

After the outbreak of the Civil War, Holmes volunteered for service with the Union Army and, in August 1862, he became a Quartermaster for the 22nd Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment. He remained with the regiment until March 25, 1863, when he was taken prisoner along with many of his regiment at the Battle of Brentwood. He was sent to Libby Prison where he became seriously ill. He was returned to the Union in a prisoner exchange on May 5, 1863.

Two days after his release, Holmes was sent to Annapolis, Maryland, where he died the next day on May 8, 1863. His remains were brought to Jefferson, and were interred with Masonic rites at Greenwood Cemetery Jefferson, Jefferson County, Wisconsin.^[3]

Son of Solomon and Ann (McKee) Holmes, Holmes married Miss Ruth A. Hawley, of Milan, Ohio, in 1836 and they had four sons.^[4]