Civil War Medal of Honor Recipient. He served as a Captain in the Union Army. He was awarded the Medal of Honor as a First Sergeant in Company H, 2d Minnesota Infantry for action on February 15, 1863 at Nolensville, Tennessee. His citation reads "Was one of a detachment of 16 men who heroically defended a wagon train against the attack of 125 cavalry, repulsed the attack, and saved the train."

Bio by: Don Morfe

Lovilo N. Holmes (October 10, 1830 – May 7, 1914) was a Union Army soldier during the American Civil War and a recipient of the Medal of Honor. Born in Farmersville, New York, he later settled in Minnesota, where he is closely associated through his military service and burial.He served as First Sergeant (and later rose to Captain) in Company H of the 2nd Minnesota Volunteer Infantry Regiment, a unit largely recruited from the Mankato area in southern Minnesota.His Medal of Honor was awarded for extraordinary bravery on February 15, 1863, near Nolensville, Tennessee. Leading a small foraging detachment of 16 men (known as the "Corn Crib Party"), Holmes and his comrades were surprised by an attack from approximately 125 Confederate cavalry while loading corn into wagons at a farmstead.Outnumbered and taking cover in a small corn crib and behind wagons, the group repulsed the assault through determined fire, saving the wagon train and its supplies. The official citation reads: "Was one of a detachment of 16 men who heroically defended a wagon train against the attack of 125 cavalry, repulsed the attack and saved the train."Due to administrative delays common in early Medal of Honor awards, Holmes and seven other members of the party received their medals on September 11, 1897—over 30 years after the action.The engagement was praised by superiors, with reports reaching as high as President Lincoln, and one officer gifting Holmes an ivory-handled revolver in recognition.After the war, Holmes lived in Mankato, Minnesota, where he died in 1914. He is buried in Glenwood Cemetery in Mankato, Blue Earth County.His story highlights the contributions of Minnesota troops in the Western Theater of the Civil War, particularly in campaigns around Tennessee. Company H's actions at Nolensville remain a point of local pride in Blue Earth County history.