The Covington leader. (Covington, Tenn.) 18??-current, 1917-06-28
SOLDIER HAS REMARKABLE
ESCAPE FROM DEATH

Major v. H. Holmes, of Trenton,
Tenn, who is a candidate for the
Democratic nomination for chancellor
in this chaneery division, was in Tip
ton county last week in the interest
Of his candidacy. The primary will
be held July 28, 1917. Major Holmes
is well known Democrat and leading
lawyer of the Trenton bar. He is Q
native Tennessean and has practiced
law at Trenton for a number of years.
Major Holmes served with distinction
in the United States army in the
Spanish-American war, and also COM
manded a battalion in the First Ten
nessee regiment on the Mexican bOr-
der last fall He is we'll known to a
number of Upton county boys who
served in the Second regiment of the
Tennessee national guard from 1903
to 1906, as Maj. Holmes at that time
commanded Trenton company.
While serving as private in the
United States army in. the Philippines
on the night of July 81, 1898, during
the Spanish-Ameriean war, Major
Holmes was very severely wounded, a
Mauser bullet striking him in the
breast and passing entirely through
his body For months he suffered
from his wound and finally it was
necessary to remove a part of his
breast bone and Several ribs.
The circumstances surrounding his
being wounded have been related by
his friends, as Major Holmes is too
modest to talk about the matter HIM
self, although he is very courteous and
affable, unless persistently questioned.
On the night Of July 81, 1898, the
United States army was operating in
the suburbs Of Manila-that city had
not yet been captured by the Ameri-
can troops. Major Holmes, while in
the act Of reloading his rife, was
struck in the breast by Mauser bull
let which passed entirely through his
body. He managed to crawl to some
old abandoned breastworks. After ly-
ing there several hours, some United
States soldiers discovered him, but,
after looking at his wound, decided
that he was mortally wounded and
told him they could do nothing for
him. Finally some other United States
soldiers appearing, he was moved to
the field hospital early in the morning
of August 1. The surgeons there
were busy with other wounded and
after a cursory look at Holmes decid-
ed his case was hopeless and paid no
further attention to him.
Late in the afternoon, Holmes,
whose wound was still bleeding freely,
called one of the surgeons and asked
him to dress the wound. The surgeon
examined his wound and said: "Young
man, hate to inform you of the fact,
but it is useless to do anything for
you, for you are certainly going to
die" Major Holmes, who was only II
years old, told the officer that he Gust
would not die, and the surgeon was
so impressed with the courage and de-
termination of the youthful soldier
that he dressed his wound and gave
him the best attention possible under
the circumstances; and, after months
of suffering, Major Holmes recovered. |
The Philippine campaign taught the |
United States a lesson in regard to
hospital service for the army, as the
United States troops had very inferior
field hospital facilities, and the made
quate number Of surgeons was COM
PEELED to devote themselves to trying |
to save the wounded who evidently |
had a chance to recover, and thus the
badly and apparently MORALLY wound
ed could not be given the attention
they deserved. The efforts Of the
United States government now to Sc
cure the necessary funds to thorough
ly equip Red Cross nurses for service
in field hospitals is proof of the fact
that our wounded soldiers in the Ger
man-American war will be given
every medical attention and care.