Pike-Lamar County GaArchives News.....Bar of Honor Presented to Mrs. John Holmes May 6 1920
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Lynn Cunningham http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00011.html#0002535 January 3, 2005, 7:06 pm

The Barnesville News-Gazette
The Barnesville News-Gazette
May 6, 1920

Bar of Honor Presented to Mrs. John Holmes

An interesting event in connection with Memorial Day was the presentation of 
the Bar of Honor to Mrs. Matilda Harden Holmes of Barnesville, Ga.

This gift was made by the Southern Confederate Memorial Association, through 
Mrs. McD. Wilson of Atlanta, who is the President General of the Association.

This Bar of Honor is presented to each living mother of a living Confederate 
soldier in recognition of the most sacred gift that ever could be made by a 
patriotic woman.

Mrs. Holmes is the twenty-fifth mother in the United States to receive this 
token of appreciation from the people who shared her love and sacrifice of the 
sixties.

Three sons were given by Mrs. Holmes to the southern cause, all of whom 
returned and lived to old age, honored and useful citizens of Pike County. They 
were W.H. Holmes, W.P. Holmes and J.F. Holmes.

The first of these died a few years ago. When the Bar of Honor was awarded two 
of these sons were living, but before it could be presented W.P. Holmes passed 
to his reward. The last named lives to care for his mother who is ninety-seven 
years old. She was born in Jones county, Ga., in 1823, and came as a bride to 
Barnesville when there were only three dwelling houses in the village. Her long 
life has been spent in this community and the love, confidence and admiration 
of friends and neighbors have attended her through each passing year.

She lived through five wars, bearing her part as only a loyal, patriotic 
American woman can. To the Great War she gave one grandson and four great 
grandsons.

Three daughters were born to her, Misses Georgia and Virginia Holmes and Mrs. 
Isabel Reynolds, the mother of Mr. Walter Reynolds of the Atlanta Constitution.

She was too feeble to attend the exercises at the Auditorium, where the 
announcement of the honor to be conferred upon her was made by Mrs. J.M. 
Anderson, vice-president of the Willie Hunt Smith chapter of the United 
Daughters of the Confederacy. Therefore, the gold bar pin, bearing the proper 
inscription was pinned on her, with quiet explanation and ceremony in her own 
home by Mrs. Smith, the president of the chapter.

The people of Barnesville are glad that this distinguished recognition has been 
made of the service given to her country by this mother of Israel.

(From copy obtained at Old Jail Museum and Archives, Barnesville, Georgia. 
Compiled by Shanna English.)

Additional Comments:
Note: At Greenwood Cemetery, Lamar (formerly Pike) County, Georgia:
Holmes, Matilda Harden, b. 13 Jan 1824, d. 16 Sept 1921

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