One of the staunchest, most widely beloved men of the district passed on to his reward Friday afternoon at 3:50 p. m., when James R. Hailey, former post master at Coal Grove died at the Marting hospital. He underwent an operation five days ago as physicians made a hopeless gesture to save his life.

        Mr. Hailey was born at Greenup, Ky., on April 7, 1843 but spent the greater part of his life in Coal Grove. He was post master there 27 years, retiring from office in 1922. He was a Civil War veteran, enlisting in 1861 and serving through out the period of strife. He was flag bearer for his regiment and one of the greatest moments of his life came at a reunion of the Fifth West Virginia regiments some years ago, when the flag he formerly carried into battle was displayed at the session. A tall, heroic, figure, Mr. Hailey was known throughout the county and his death comes as a shock.

        Funeral arrangements are in charge of Bingaman and Jones but have not been completed. Particulars will be given in Sunday’s Tribune.

Ironton Register, 27 December 1930, Saturday, Page 8.

       Funeral services will be held Monday afternoon at 2:00 o’clock at the Memorial M. E. church of Coal Grove for Captain James T. Hailey, 87, who died Friday afternoon at 3:50 at his home in Coal Grove. The services will be in charge of the pastor, Rev. J. E. Windsor, Rev. Shipton, a lifelong friend, and Rev. H. B. Vail of this city, who will represent the G. A. R. The funeral service will be in charge of the Masonic lodge of which Captain Hailey was a member and burial will be in Woodland cemetery under the direction of Bingaman and Jones. The body will be at the home until the hour of the funeral.

        Captain Hailey is survived by his widow, one son, Paul Hailey of Coal Grove, three grandchildren, John of New Orleans, Margaret Bingham of Indianapolis, and Hope Hailey of Ironton. The following half sisters and brother also survive: Mrs. Donna Sizemore, Greenup; Mrs. Hannah Gibson, Cincinnati; Miss Alberta Hailey, Ironton, and Curtis Hailey, Dusty Lane, Ky.

        Captain James T. Hailey, the subject of this sketch, first saw the light on April 7, 1843 at Greenup, Kentucky.

        The year Ashland, Kentucky, was platted and lot owners began to build residences in that city. Captain Hailey’s father moved there. Captain Hailey’s early education was obtained in the common schools at Greenup and Ashland, Kentucky; he also attended for two years a Presbyterian college, which was located on the ground where now stands the Central school building, during the last year at the college, A. H. Tomlinson was his teacher, and Prof. Tomlinson afterwards became one of the Colonels of the 5th West Virginia Vol. Infantry.

        In 1861, at the early age of eighteen years, young Hailey enlisted in the 5th West Virginia, and his devotion to duty and soldierly instincts and bearing early won him promotion, and on July 21, 1861, he was appointed 7th Corporal of his company and later sergeant. He was the color bearer of the regiment for two years, and bravely carried the banner in all of the battles of the Civil War, in which his regiment took part, and among them are the following:

        Cross Keys, Second Bull Run, McDonald, Cedar Mountain, Chantilly, Bunker Hill, Hall Town, Berryville, Winchester, Cedar Creek, Fisher Hill, Stephenson Depot, Opequah, Moorefield, Virginia, Cloud Mountain, Kernstown and others among which was General Hunter’s disastrous campaign against Lynchburg. While he was carrying the flag of his country, six holes were shot in the banner, and at Second Bull Run the staff was hit; he saw men fall in great numbers around him, but he did not fear death, his greatest fear being disfigurement, but he came out of the war without this handicap.

        He, however, did not escape being wounded, for at the battle of Kernstown in 1864, he received a gun shot wound below the right knee, the charge going entirely through his leg.

        Before the battle of Winchester, he was made Orderly Sergeant, and so was compelled to turn the flag over to two comrades, both of whom were later wounded; when he saw the flag fall, in the thickest of the fray he picked it up, and as the Union Forces were driving the rebels before them, be came across another flag belonging to a Pennsylvania regiment, and so he carried both banners to the place where the armies camped; this was at the battle of Winchester.

        He was associated very intimately with the late General Enochs, who stated at one time to the writer of this sketch that “Jim Hailey was the bravest man I ever saw.”

        When Gen. Enochs saw Sergeant Hailey carrying both banners, he shouted: “Look here,--here is old Jim with two flags; I will recommend you for a commission as soon as possible.” Gen. Enochs, as in all things, made his word good, and Sergeant Hailey received his commission as Lieutenant within a week.

        At this time the 5th West Virginia had become so depleted and reduced in numbers that it was consolidated with the 9th West Virginia Infantry and henceforth was known as the 1st West Virginia Veteran Infantry.

        Captain Hailey was a typical soldier of the Civil War; he did measure consequences not weight results; he did not inquire the rate of pay nor the amount of pension he might receive; his country was attacked and he knew it, and that was all he wanted to know; with that knowledge he shouldered his musket and marched with but one purpose, and determined on but one result, and that was the salvation and protection of the country and government under which he lived.

        Since the war he has been an upright, exemplary citizen; he has never been a candidate for the suffrages of the people, but for 37 years was faithful to Uncle Sam and the patrons of the office as postmaster of his home village, Coal Grove. He was out of the office four years, because his politics was not quite pleasing to President Grover Cleveland. After the war and for many years he was engaged in various forms of general employment.

        Such is the short and simple story of one of God’s noble men.

Ironton Tribune, 28 December 1930, Sunday, Page 3.