Page 588

JOHN S. BRADFORD holds the important Federal office of United States Commissioner and is one of the most honored citizens of Springfield. In earlier life, as Lieutenant of Springfield Cadets and as an officer in two wars, he won a distinguished military record and has also distinguished himself in public life in important civic offices. He was born June 9, 1815, in Philadelphia, Pa. His father was a native of Delaware and died in Philadelphia in 1816. Our subject learned the trade of a book-binder in his native city and in 1835, being a youth of a venturesome daring disposition, he decided to see something of the country and started on a pedestrian tour of the City of Mexico. He made his way to Pittsburg and went from there by boat to Cincinnati and from there to Dayton, Ohio, and finally arrived at Richmond, Ind. There he abandoned his purpose of visiting the land of the Aztecs as he had an opportunity to work at his trade, and while in that city was induced to join a corps of United States engineers who were constructing a wagon road known as the "National Road", which was being built at the expense of the Government. That was in the year 1837 and the law authorizing the construction of the road had been enacted by the Democrats contrary to one of the cardinal tenets of the party at the time, which was decidedly against all internal improvements at public expense. President Jackson, however, favored the idea of such a road as being a military necessity and it was continued from Cumberland, Md., to Vandalia, then the capital of Illinois, at which point the engineers disbanded, the capital being in transit then to Springfield.

In December, 1840, Mr. Bradford came to this city and in the spring of 1841 he bought the interest of Mr. Burchell in the book bindery of Burchell & Johnson and became one of the firm of Johnson & Bradford. Soon after coming to Springfield he became a member of the Springfield Cadets, of which he was appointed Lieutenant, and through his connection with the military organizations of Illinois he finally was enabled to set foot on Mexican soil. During the Mormon troubles the cadets were ordered to Nauvoo by Gov. Ford in 1845 and did good service there. In 1846 Mr. Bradford enlisted in Company A, Fourth Illinois Infantry, commanded by Col. E. D. Baker, and was commissioned Quartermaster of his regiment by Gov. Ford, and as such he accompanied it to Mexico. After his arrival in that country he was made Commissary of the United States Army. He was present at the bombardment and capture of Vera Cruz, was at the battle of Cerro Gordo, and in other battles, returning with his regiment to Springfield in 1847.

January 1, 1849, our subject joined the vast army of people that was pushing its way on to California in search of gold. He went by the way of the Isthmus of Panama, and after a voyage of eighty-seven days on the Pacific Ocean arrived in San Francisco, May 20, 1849. He made Benicia his headquarters and became a man of prominence there. When the military commander of the department of the Pacific ordered a government to be formed for a new Sate he was elected to represent a district extending north to Oregon, east to the Sacramento River, and south to the Bay of San Francisco. The Legislature organized the State and divided it into counties without every having passed through a territorial probation. Mr. Bradford was re-elected as a member of the Legislature in 1850, his district having been reconstructed to include five counties. In 1851 our subject retraced his steps homeward, his family having remained in Springfield, and his business relations with Mr. Johnson having continued. He became an active figure in public life. In 1857 he served as Superintendent of Public Instruction in Sangamon County and he was one of the Commissioners to divide the county into townships and name them. He was conspicuous in the administration of the public affairs of Springfield, which he served as Treasurer, Alderman, and Mayor at various times.

When the war of the Union broke out our subject's former military life brought him into prominence among the soldiery of Illinois and he was commissioned by Gov. Yates as Commissary, with rank of Lieutenant-Colonel, his commission, which bore the date of April 16, 1861, being the first ever issued by Gov. Yates in connection with the War of the Rebellion. He managed the affairs of his office very efficiently and was very zealous in the discharge of his duties. As Commissary he prepared quarters for the first soldiers rendezvoused by the State and called their camping ground Camp Yates.

In 1869 our subject severed his connection with Mr. Johnson and opened a book store which he sold in 1873. He then removed to Aberdeen, Miss., and after a stay there of two years returned to Springfield. In 1876 he became Crier for the Court and subsequently was appointed United States Commissioner, a position he still holds. He is one of the staunchest members of the Democratic party in this section of the country and is a prominent member of the Masonic order and a Knight Templar.

Mr. Bradford was married July 15, 1841, to Miss Adeline M. Semple, the wedding ceremony that made them one being celebrated at Brandenburg, Ky. A pleasant wedded life has been vouchsafed by them and has been blessed by the birth of seven children. Mrs. Bradford is a sister of the Hon. James Semple, who was formerly Charge de Affaires to New Granada, South America, and was subsequently United States Senator from Illinois and one of the Judges of the Supreme Court of the State. Mr. Bradford is one of the leading members of St. Paul's Episcopal Church, in which he is Senior or Parish Warden. He is a man of exceptionally fine character, who is foremost in every good work calculated to elevate the moral or social status of the community and his generosity and benevolence are too well known to need comment here.