Biography of Charles Brady (1841–1927)
Charles Brady was born in 1841 on the fertile lands of Orange Prairie in Kickapoo Township, Peoria County, Illinois. His parents, John and Ellen Brady, were among the early Irish immigrants who sought better lives in America during the difficult decades before the Great Famine. Growing up amid a community of hard-working Irish Catholic settlers, Charles learned the farming skills and faith traditions that would define his life.
At the age of 21, Charles enlisted in Company G, 67th Illinois Infantry Regiment during the early days of the American Civil War. His unit served primarily at Camp Douglas in Chicago, guarding Confederate prisoners of war — a vital but often overlooked duty that kept him away from the frontlines but deeply involved in the Union war effort.
Returning home after a brief service, Charles married Melissa Ann Dunbar on February 16, 1864, in Peoria County. They built a life together on the family farm at Orange Prairie, raising several children. Over the decades, Charles became a respected farmer, cultivating about 80 acres of rich Illinois soil and contributing to the growth of the Irish Catholic community centered around St. Patrick’s Church.
Charles Brady remained a Democrat and active citizen in local politics, although he never sought public office himself. His quiet leadership helped maintain the tight-knit spirit of Orange Prairie’s farming community through the end of the 19th century and into the dawn of the 20th.
Charles passed away in 1927 at a venerable age, after seeing vast changes sweep across America. He is buried at Oak Hill Cemetery in Peoria, Illinois — a resting place for many of the region’s founding families. Charles’s legacy lives on in the rich soils he farmed, the strong community he helped build, and the descendants who carry his blood and story forward.
There also appears to be a son born out of wedlock found from a PCGS source:
Son: Brady Ralph Waldo Emerson 1872-Apr-16 Father: M Brady, Charles Michael
Location: 27 Orange Prairie, Kickapoo Twp., Peoria, Ill. Peoria, Peoria Co., IL (Hancock
St.)
Mother: Pratt, Cunthia Maria
Timeline of Major Life Events
1841 Born in Orange Prairie, Peoria County, Illinois
1862 Enlisted in Company F, 77th Illinois Infantry Regiment
1862 Mustered out after Civil War service
1864 Married Melissa Ann Dunbar in Peoria County
1870s–1890s Farming and raising a family in Orange Prairie
1927 Died; Buried in Oak Hill Cemetery, Peoria County
Sources Cited
• 1850 and 1860 United States Federal Censuses, Kickapoo Township, Peoria County, Illinois.
• Peoria County Marriage Records, 1867, Peoria County Clerk’s Office, Book C.
• Illinois Civil War Muster and Descriptive Rolls Database, Illinois State Archives.
• 1873 Atlas Map of Peoria County, Illinois.
• Peoria County Genealogical Society.
Charles Brady (1841–1898) – Genealogical Research Archive Additional Information
I. MAP INFORMATION
Resource: 1873 Peoria County Atlas (Kickapoo Township and Orange Prairie Section)
• Area Located: Orange Prairie (near Kickapoo Township) in Peoria County, Illinois.
• Brady Family: Early settlers listed in township records.
• Historical Atlas Reference: Atlas Map of Peoria County, Illinois (1873).
II. Service
• Service: Charles Brady served in Company G, 67th Illinois Infantry during the American Civil War.
III. GRAVESITE INFORMATION
Burial: Oak Hill, Peoria County, Illinois
• Listing Found: On FindAGrave.com (memorial # 96196257).
IV. BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY
Basic Life Facts:
• Born: 1841, Orange Prairie, Kickapoo Township, Peoria County, Illinois.
• Parents: John Brady and Ellen, Irish immigrants arriving by late 1830s.
• Military Service: Enlisted 1862 in Company G, 67th Illinois Infantry.
• Marriage: 16 Feb 1864, to Melissa Ann Dunbar, Peoria County.
• Occupation: Farmer, raising several children.
• Death: 1927; Buried in Oak Hill Cemetery, Peoria County, Illinois.
Expanded Biography:
• John Brady (his father) was among early settlers who helped build St. Patrick's Catholic Church nearby.
• Charles Brady maintained an 80-acre prosperous farm.
• Active participant in local Democratic Party functions but never sought elected office.
• Known as part of the strong Irish Catholic farming community that defined Orange Prairie.
V. SOURCES USED FOR ADDITIONAL
1. 1850 and 1860 United States Federal Censuses — Kickapoo Township, Peoria County, Illinois.
2. Peoria County Marriage Records, 1864 — Peoria County Clerk’s Office, Book C.
3. Illinois Civil War Muster and Descriptive Rolls Database — Illinois State Archives.
4. 1873 Atlas Map of Peoria County, Illinois — Historical Atlas.
5. Peoria County Cemetery Records — Springdale Cemetery, Peoria, IL.
6. History of Peoria County, Illinois (1880s) — Local pioneer biographies.
7. PEORIA COUNTY LATE ENTRY BIRTHS RECORDED 1850-1877 Courtesy of JOHN J.BULGER, County Clerk (1899-1981)
Charles Brady's Pension:
Field Information
Name Charles Brady
Enlistment Date 2 Jun 1862
Enlistment Rank Private
Muster Date 13 Jun 1862
Muster Place Illinois
Muster Company G
Service Notes: Mustered in Chicago, guarded Confederate POWs, discharged after 100 days.
1. 67th Illinois Infantry Records
• Service: 67th Illinois Infantry was a 100-day regiment, organized in June 1862 and mustered out October 1862.
• Charles Brady served from June 2, 1862 to around October 6, 1862.
• Primary duty: Guarding Confederate prisoners at Camp Douglas, Chicago.
• Meaning: He did not fight in major battles, but served important duty guarding POWs.
Source: Adjutant General’s Report of the State of Illinois, 1862
No battle injuries likely, but he still qualified for veteran benefits later.
2. Marriage to Melissa Ann Dunbar – February 16, 1864
• Peoria County Marriage Records, Book C.
3. Grave at Oak Hill Cemetery
• Charles M. Brady
• Birth: 1841
• Death: 1927
• Burial: Oak Hill Cemetery, Peoria, Illinois
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/96196257
Family: (https://ancestors.familysearch.org/en/2Z35-H8K/charles-brady-1841-1927)
Charles Brady
1841–1927
Melissa Ann Dunbar
1843–1934
Marriage: 16 February 1864
Edward Brady
1866–1867
Ella Mae Brady
1868–1964
Christina Brady
1870–1954
Ollie Virginia Brady
1872–1955
Mayme Ida Brady
1874–1962
Lena Brady
1876–1877
Thomas F Brady
1877–1961
Albert Brady
1879–1935
Anna Melissa Brady
1880–1930
George W Brady
1882–1971
Addie M. Brady
1884–1959
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