J. P. Bailey, a well known carpenter and contractor of Danville and an honest veteran of the Civil war, is a native of this county, his birth having occurred February 8, 1842, seven miles southeast of Georgetown on the horseshoe bend of the Little Vermilion river. His father, James S. Bailey, was born in Chillicothe, Ross county, Ohio, and on reaching manhood was married in Newport, Indiana, to Miss Orena West, a native of Vermilion [sic] county, that state, who died on the 3d of November, 1853. He continued to reside in Newport until 1867, when he removed to Sangamon county, Illinois, where his death occurred December 25, 1873, his remains being interred in Blunk cemetery, fifteen miles southeast of Springfield. By trade he was a cooper. In religious faith he was a Presbyterian, was also connected with the Masonic lodge and was a stanch supporter of the Republican party. His brother, William Bailey, was a prominent old settler of Vermilion [sic] county, Indiana, where he served as sheriff and county clerk at an early day.
Our subject is one of a family of three children, but his brother is deceased. His sister, Mary, is the wife of William H. Gowdy, of Covington, Indiana. Mr. Bailey began his education in the Billings school at the crossroads near his home prior to the election of President Pierce, the "temple of learning;" being a log structure furnished with slab seats, and the school was conducted on the subscription plan. After the removal of the family to Perrysville, Indiana, he attended the public schools at that place and made his home there until after the outbreak of the Civil war. Since the death of his mother, when he was eleven years of age, he has been dependent upon his own resources for a livelihood, working on a farm the first summer. The following winter he carried the mail from Perrysville to Georgetown and Danville, Illinois, and the next summer drove a three-mule team on the canal from Perrysville to Toledo, Ohio. During the next winter he drove the state for Teller Brothers from Covington to Armiesburg, Indiana, and on giving up that position he began learning the mill-wright's trade in the construction of the old Williams mill at Hillsboro, Indiana. Later he was employed on the Smith & Jones mill in Fountain county, that state; the Kirkpatrick mill at Perrysville and woollen mill at that place. He helped to build the old North street church in Danville in 1857, and assisted in the erection of the seminary at Perrysville in 1859, besides a great many mills throughout the country.
During the dark days of the Rebellion however, Mr. Bailey laid aside all personal interests and offered his services to his country, enlisting at Perrysville, Indiana, September 9, 1861, in Company D, Thirtieth Indiana Volunteer Infantry under Captain Weldon and Colonel I. Bass, of Fort Wayne. His regiment was mustered in at Indianapolis and assigned to the Army of the Cumberland. They participated in quite a number of skirmishes in Tennessee and their first important engagement was the battle of Shiloh in 1862. In 1864 the command was transferred to the Army of the Tennessee and was with Sherman on his Atlanta campaign until the surrender of that city, after which they returned to Nashville under the command of General Thomas. They next went to Huntsville, Alabama, and from there started to Richmond to relieve the Army of the Potomac, but in the spring of 1865 were transferred to New Orleans and from there went to Victoria, Texas, where Mr. Bailey was mustered out on the 25th of November, 1865. He was wounded in the left side by a minie ball during the second day;s fight at Nashville, December 16, 1864.
Returning home Mr. Bailey resumed work at the millwright's trade, which he continued to follow until 1890, since which time he has devoted his attention to carpentering and contracting with good success and is to-day one of the leading business men of Danville, where he has made his home since 1879. He has erected a great many of the elevators in this county besides other buildings and has always faithfully fulfilled his part of every contract.
On the 25th of March, 1863, in Newport, Indiana, Mr. Bailey married Miss Frances A. Seay, who was born in Georgetown, Illinois, April 26, 1846, a daughter of Thomas A. Seay. As a child she made her home with Elisha Rainey, of Georgetown, but was later adopted by Dr. Perkins, of Eugene, Indiana. After a short married life of fourteen years she died April 12, 1879, leaving four children, namely: Minnie, the wife of William Buckley, of St. Louis, Missouri; John G., a candy manufacturer of that city; William H., who married Lena Miller and resides in Danville, where he assists his father in business; and Maud, wife of Jerome Maloy, of Perth Amboy, New Jersey.
Mr. Bailey was again married, February 16, 1886, his second union being with Miss Annie E. Oliver, who was born eight miles north of Danville, in Vermilion county, April 6, 1860, a daughter of Burkard and Melvina (Kritzer) Oliver. Her father was a native of Bourbon county, and her mother of Rainesville, Indiana, but they were married in Danville, Illinois. The father was a farmer by occupation, a Democrat in politics and a member of the Christian church. He died on the 2d of May, 1894, but his wife is still living and now makes her home with our subject. In their family were sixteen children, of whom twelve are still living.
Mr. Bailey is a prominent member of several civic societies, including the Grand Army of the Republic, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Modern Woodmen of America, the Royal Neighbors and the Mutual Protection League. Politically he is identified with the Republican party and has taken a very influential and prominent part in public affairs, having served as deputy sheriff at Dexter, Missouri, and as city marshal, councilman and mayor of Dexter. He is pre-eminently public-spirited and progressive and as faithfully discharges his duties of citizenship in times of peace as when he followed the old flag to victory on southern battle-fields.