James O. Braley’s father died before his fifth birthday and he seems to have been sent to live with his father’s relatives. In 1850, at age 15, he was living in Chestertown in the home of John and Harriet Braley. Seven years later he married Julia Mead and they had one child. Sadly, Julia died the month following her son’s birth. James lived with his father-in-law for a while, helping to operate the family farm. A few years later, In January 1862, he married Melvina Taylor and seven months after their marriage he enlisted, with his brother Daniel, for service in the Civil War. James enlisted on the 13th of August 1862 at Newcomb, Essex Co. NY. He was mustered into service as a private in Co. E, 118th NY Infantry. Both he and his brother, who served in the same company and regiment, were mentioned in a fellow soldier’s letter home. William Wood, when writing to his parents about friends and neighbors from home, wrote that while they were camped in Washington performing guard duty most of the men in the regiment became sick. William specifically mentioned in a letter dated 24 Sept. 1863 that both James and Daniel were sick in the hospital at Fortress Monroe. It wasn’t until 1864 that the regiment became actively engaged in the fighting, but from May to October of that year, they were engaged continuously and James saw many of his friends and neighbors die. He was mustered out of service 13 June 1865 at Richmond, Virginia.

At the close of the war, he returned to his family in Newcomb, NY. A few years later, James and Melvina had their first child together, a daughter. The family continued to reside in Newcomb where in 1870 James was a retired dry goods merchant. The following year they had a second child who would not survive until his fourth birthday. In 1880 the family was still living in Newcomb, Essex Co., NY where James applied for an Invalid pension. About 1890, when their daughter married, James and Melvina moved to Long Lake, Hamilton Co., NY. He was most likely a member of William Wood Post, No 570, Grand Army of the Republic. James died in the summer of 1896 at Long Lake and was buried in the Long Lake Cemetery. The month following his death, Melvina applied for a widow’s pension. She continued to reside in Long Lake, supplementing her widow’s pension by working as a dressmaker until her death in 1902. Melvina was buried with her husband in Long Lake Cemetery.