Condit was born on April 22, 1821.[1] On October 5, 1848, he married Sarah A. Veazie. They had three children before her death on September 21, 1876.[2] Condit later married Abby M. Barker on May 20, 1878.
During the American Civil War, Condit was a captain with the 25th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment of the Union Army. Events he participated in include the siege of Vicksburg. Condit's brother, Ambrose, accompanied the regiment as a sutler. During this time, Ambrose's health began to fail, forcing him to leave. Eventually, he died on September 27, 1863. He had been Postmaster and Register of Deeds of Sparta, Wisconsin, where James was a hotel proprietor.