Mollie Arline Kirkland Bailey facts for kids

Mollie Arline Kirkland Bailey (born around 1841, died 1918) was a famous American businesswoman. People also called her "Aunt Mollie" or the "Circus Queen of the Southwest." She was a talented circus performer and even a spy during the American Civil War.

Mollie Bailey's Early Life

Mollie Arline Kirkland was born near Mobile, Alabama, around 1841. Her parents were William and Mary Arline Kirkland. Even as a child, Mollie loved to perform. She would put on plays with her brothers and sisters. She was also a bit of a tomboy. Her parents sent her to a special school for young ladies near Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

Mollie Bailey's Amazing Career

Starting a Circus Life

When Mollie was a teenager, she met James Augustus "Gus" Bailey. Gus played the cornet and came from a circus family. Mollie's parents did not like the idea of her marrying someone from the circus. So, in March 1858, Mollie and Gus ran away to get married. Her parents were so upset that they did not leave her any money or property.

Mollie, Gus, and Mollie's sister Fanny and her husband Alfred started performing. They called themselves the Bailey Family Troupe. They performed in Alabama, Arkansas, and Mississippi. This was until the American Civil War began.

A Spy for the Confederacy

When the Civil War started, Gus joined the Confederate States Army. He became a bandmaster for Hood's Texas Brigade. Mollie wanted to help too. She became a nurse for Confederate soldiers. She also secretly worked as a spy! She would dress up as an old woman selling cookies. This helped her gather information for generals like John Bell Hood and Jubal Anderson Early. To do this, she left her daughter Dixie with friends in Virginia. In 1864, she returned to performing with Gus and Alfred in a group called Hood's Minstrels.

The Famous Circus Queen

Near the end of the Civil War, Gus wrote a popular marching song called The Old Gray Mare. It became the official song for the Texas Brigade. Later, in 1928, it was even used as a theme song for the Democratic convention.

After the war, Mollie and Gus performed on showboats. They called their group the Bailey Concert Company. In 1879, they officially started their own circus. Gus became sick early on, so Mollie took charge of the show. It became known as the Mollie A. Bailey Show.

Mollie had a kind heart. She made sure that all war veterans, both Confederate and Union, could get into her shows for free. Children who did not have much money also got free admission.

The circus started as a small one-ring show. But it became very popular! At its best, it had 31 wagons and over 200 animals. Mollie's children and her second husband, Blackie Bailey, also performed. The Mollie A. Bailey Show was a family-friendly circus. It was known for being honest and fair. It mostly toured small towns. Even Governor James Stephen Hogg gave Mollie a special gift. It was a wild boar's tooth mounted in gold with her name on it.

Mollie retired from performing in 1917 after her daughter Birda passed away. However, she still managed the circus from afar using telegraphy.

Mollie Bailey's Family Life

Mollie was married twice. Her first husband was James Augustus "Gus" Bailey (who passed away in 1900). Her second husband was A. H. Hardesty, also known as Blackie Bailey (who passed away in 1937). She had nine children with Gus. Some of her known children were sons James Eugene, Brad, A. K., and Willie. Her daughters included Dixie, Minnie, and Birda.

Mollie tried many times to make up with her father, William. But he never accepted her.

Mollie Bailey's Legacy

Mollie Bailey passed away in Houston, Texas, in 1918. She was buried in Hollywood Cemetery in Houston. The Texas Historical Commission later placed a special plaque to honor her. The circus closed within two years of her passing because it no longer had her amazing leadership. Today, Mollie Bailey still has family living in the United States.