, holmes' closest friend in the army, his true model, if you, will was no longer hollowell but henry abbott, who was actually a year younger than holmes. abbott's ideological convictions were 180 degrees contrary to those of hollowell and initially to those of holmes himself. abbott was a democrat, almost a copperhead, who was contemptuous of abolitionists, blacks, republicans, and abraham lincoln. yet holmes struck up a friendship with abbott that turned into admiration for abbott's extraordinary courage and cool professionalism under fire. abbott was a superb soldier, the best one in an outstanding regiment, whose death commanding the regiment at the age of 22 in the battle of the wilderness profoundly affected holmes. according to louis minand, and i think he's right, the example of abbott convinced holmes that nobility of character consists in doing one's job with indifference to ends, and, to rate the professionalism of a soldier higher than the may or may notes of any particular cause, or to return to holmes' own words, the highest value is that which leads a soldier to throw away his

, holmes' closest friend in the army, his true model, if you, will was no longer hollowell but henry abbott, who was actually a year younger than holmes. abbott's ideological convictions were 180 degrees contrary to those of hollowell and initially to those of holmes himself. abbott was a democrat, almost a copperhead, who was contemptuous of abolitionists, blacks, republicans, and abraham lincoln. yet holmes struck up a friendship with abbott that turned into admiration for abbott's extraordinary courage and cool professionalism under fire. abbott was a superb soldier, the best one in an outstanding regiment, whose death commanding the regiment at the age of 22 in the battle of the wilderness profoundly affected holmes. according to louis minand, and i think he's right, the example of abbott convinced holmes that nobility of character consists in doing one's job with indifference to ends, and, to rate the professionalism of a soldier higher than the may or may notes of any particular cause, or to return to holmes' own words, the highest value is that which leads a soldier to throw away his