Biographical/historical information

Major General Charles Justin Bailey was a career officer in the United States Army whose service included senior command during World War I. He was born on June 21, 1859, in Tamaqua, Pennsylvania. Bailey entered the United States Military Academy at West Point and graduated in 1880, receiving a commission in the artillery branch of the U.S. Army.

Bailey's early military career included assignments in artillery units, coastal defense, instructional roles, and staff positions. Over the following decades, he advanced through progressively higher ranks and command responsibilities. In 1913, he was promoted to brigadier general. Following the United States' entry into World War I, he was promoted to major general in the National Army in August 1917.

During World War I, Bailey was assigned command of the 81st Infantry Division, a National Army division organized at Camp Jackson, South Carolina. The division was composed primarily of draftees and officers from southeastern states. The 81st Infantry Division deployed to France as part of the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF), arriving in August 1918 under Bailey's command.

While in France, the 81st Infantry Division conducted training and performed front-line and support duties during the final months of the war. The division remained overseas following the Armistice of November 11, 1918, and participated in postwar occupation, administrative, and demobilization activities. Bailey continued in command of the division in France until May 29, 1919, when he returned to the United States.

Following World War I, Bailey held additional senior commands within the U.S. Army, including leadership of coast artillery districts and corps areas. He retired from active military service on December 1, 1922, with the rank of major general.

Major General Bailey died on September 21, 1946, in Jamestown, New York, and was buried at Lake View Cemetery in that city.

The 81st Infantry Division was activated in 1917 as part of the expansion of the U.S. Army for World War I. After training at Camp Jackson, the division deployed to France in 1918 and served with the American Expeditionary Forces through the end of the war and into 1919. The division's service included training, limited combat operations, and post-Armistice duties prior to its inactivation following the return of its personnel to the United States.

Scope and arrangement

The collection consists of a single scrapbook compiled by Major General Charles Justin Bailey during his service in France with the 81st Infantry Division, American Expeditionary Forces, between 1918 and 1919. The album documents Bailey's World War I service and related military activities through a variety of visual and textual materials.

Materials include postcards depicting towns and provinces in France and Germany; a small number of letters; and photographs documenting military personnel, locations, and activities. Photographic subjects include scenes from France, behind-the-lines views of the 81st Infantry Division, training and camp life, and earlier images associated with Camp Jackson, Columbia, South Carolina. Identified individuals represented in the photographs include officers of the 81st Infantry Division, senior military leadership, and visiting dignitaries, including General John J. Pershing and the King and Queen of Belgium.

The album also contains newspaper clippings, printed ephemera, and eight large color fold-out maps, which illustrate geographic areas associated with World War I military operations in Europe.

The materials are arranged in their original order within the album as compiled by Bailey.

Administrative information

Custodial History

May 31, 2024, (unprocessed), cubic feet; Album compiled by Major General Charles J. Bailey, commander of the 81st Infantry Division, American Expeditionary Forces, fighting in France during 1918 and 1919. The album contains postcards of French and German towns and provinces; a few letters; photographs of France and the 81st Division including behind the lines scenes, Camp Jackson in Columbia, South Carolina, and identified officers and dignitaries (including the King and Queen of Belgium, and General John J. Pershing); clippings and ephemera; and eight large color fold-out maps. Purchased from Broadfoot Publishing Company.

Source of acquisition

Purchased from Broadfoot Publishing Company

Processing information

Processed by Patrick Cash, January 2026

Copyright notice

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Metadata Rights Declaration

This record is made available under an Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International Creative Commons license.

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