On August 12, 1862, he enlisted from Blair county and was mustered into service at Harrisburg on August 14, as a private in Company H, One Hundred and Twenty-Fifth Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry. On August 16, the regiment was organized at Camp Curtin, Harrisburg, for nine months service, with field officers as follows: Colonel, Jacob Higgins; lieutenant-colonel, Jacob Szink; major, John J. Lawrence. Having received its arms and accoutrements the regiment moved on the evening of August 16th to Washington, D. C., where it reported to General Casey and was assigned to a provisional brigade of which Colonel Higgins was placed in command. On the 18th the regiment moved to Hunter's Chapel, and from there to Fort Bernard, Virginia, where it engaged in drill and fatigue duty on the fortifications. It took part in the battle of Brandy Station on August 20th, and on the 6th of September recrossed the Potomac to Rockville, and was assigned to the First Brigade, Second Division, Twelfth Corps, Army of the Potomac. It participated in the battle at Antietam, September 17, 1862, after which it was posted at Maryland Heights and Pleasant Valley until the 1st of November, when it again crossed the Potomac and took a stand at London Heights, they having been transferred to the Second Brigade, First Division, Twelfth Corps. It performed duty in the vicinity of Harper's Ferry until the 10th of December, when it marched to join the main army in the movement against Fredericksburg. The troops passed Leesburg and Fairfax Court House, and arrived at Dumfries on the 16th, in time to hear of the disaster of the engagement at Fredericksburg. From this point the command countermarched to Fairfax Court House and later took part in Burnside's famous "mud march" to Stafford Court House, where the time was spent in drill, review, heavy guard and picket duty. On the 24th of March, 1863, the regiment was transferred to the Second Brigade, Second Division, Twelfth Corps, proceeded to Acequia Creek Landing, and afterward participated in the bloody battle of Chancellorsville, May 1st to 4th, besides numerous skirmishes. After bearing a faithful part in all the operations of his regiment Mr. Bailey was honorably discharged and mustered out of service at Philadelphia on the 16th of May, 1863, his term of enlistment having then expired.
On the 2d of September, 1864, Mr. Bailey re-enlisted at Johnstown to serve for one year or during the war, and was mustered into service as private in Captain Webster B. Lowman's Company D, Fifth Pennsylvania Heavy Artillery, or the Two Hundred and Fourth Regiment of the Pennsylvania line. Soon after organization the regiment was ordered to Washington and assigned to duty in the forts north of the city. Afterward it was sent out to convoy construction trains engaged in opening the Manassas Gap railroad, in order to establish a line of supply for Sheridan's army, which then was operating in the Shenandoah Valley. The First Battalion under command of Major Howard Morton was suddenly attacked at Salem, Virginia, at noon on the 8th of October, by a superior force of Mosby's men, the latter consisting of cavalry and artillery, and was compelled to fall back to Rectortown, where the other battalions under Colonel Browne were stationed. Here the battle was renewed and became exceedingly hot. Mosby held a strong position on a hill, from which he sent in a terrible fire from his batteries, but one battalion of Union troops with a detachment of sharpshooters made a detour and came up in his rear, forcing the enemy to retreat and take a new position three miles distant. On the next day the Fifth was ordered to move on with the trains to White
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