JAMES M.
OAKLEY
12th New York Militia
1st Lieutenant
Coram
James M. Oakley. Photo from the Queensborough Public
Library.
James M. Oakley
12th New York State Militia
1st Lieutenant
Coram
James M. Oakley was born on June 19, 1838, in New York
City, one of three sons born to James and Francis Oakley.
When the
younger James was only seven years old, his father died.
His mother, Francis, later married Richard W. Smith of
Coram. The 1850 census lists her as Smith's wife, living
in Coram with her sons also.
The Smith home
and hotel dated back to the late 1600's. British soldiers
used it during the Revolutionary War. According to local
tradition, Smith's mother, Lucille, served President
Washington at the hotel during his tour of Long Island in
1790.
James was
greatly influenced by his stepfather, Richard. In
addition to running the family farm and hotel, he was
elected Suffolk County Sheriff and was later elected to
the New York State Assembly.
This
civic-minded upbringing influenced James, at the age of
twenty-two, to enlist when the Civil War broke out. He
enlisted with the 12th New York State Militia. The period
of enlistment was then only three months, as many people
felt that the war would be of short duration. Described
by friends as good looking, talented and universally
popular, Oakley was elected First Lieutenant. He was
mustered out on January 24, 1862, at the end of his three
months.
Not one to stay
idle, Oakley re-enlisted ten months later, on November 1,
1862. He joined other local men in Company F of the 159th
New York Volunteer Infantry. His military file, however,
does not show that he spent any time with the 159th, and
his name was stricken from the muster rolls. Apparently,
Oakley was released because he was too ill to continue
active duty.
Nevertheless,
Oakley continued his work with the war effort when he
joined the Provost Marshal's office for the First
Congressional District of New York. The primary function
of the Provost Marshal was to apprehend deserters and
rioters. When in camp, the Provost Marshal was
responsible for maintaining discipline and order in the
camp. Oakley was stationed at Jamaica, the main induction
center, where they received recruits from the newly
enacted draft law.
After the war
ended, Oakley remained in Jamaica. On February 4, 1869,
he married Hester Durand, also from Jamaica. They did not
have any children, but James poured himself into his
work.
Despite working
for the war effort, Oakley did not support Lincoln's
re-election. A life-long Republican, Oakley voted for
General McClellan, who was running as a Democrat against
Lincoln in 1864. From that time on, Oakley was an active
member of the Democratic Party. In 1870, he followed in
the footsteps of his stepfather, Richard W. Smith, and
successfully ran for State Assembly. He was re-elected
four more times. In 1876, Oakley was chosen as a delegate
to the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. While
there, he helped his friend, Governor Samuel Tilden of
New York, secure the Democratic presidential nomination.
In 1877, Oakley
was nominated for the New York State Senate, defeating
James Otis of Suffolk. His next attempt was a run for the
United States Congress, but he lost by 2,000 votes.
Oakley soon
ended his career as a legislator. He became very involved
in the world of Wall Street, which made him quite
wealthy. When the New York, Woodhaven and Rockaway
Railroad Company was organized in 1877, he became one of
its directors. He was elected president of the company in
1881, and was given credit for the huge success of the
railroad. In a surprising move, however, Oakley sold his
interest in the railroad in 1886 to Austin Corbin of the
Long Island Railroad for $600,000.
Unfortunately,
Oakley never lived to enjoy the fruits of his hard work.
On March 28, 1887, at the age of forty-nine, James Oakley
died of pneumonia. Only a few months later, his railroad
became part of the Long Island Railroad.
