Rodney Rufus Crowley (November 12, 1836 – 1913) was an American lawyer and politician from

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

. He was a New York Inspector of State Prisons from 1876 to 1877.

Life

He was born on November 12, 1836, in

Mount Holly, Vermont Mount Holly is a town in Rutland County, Vermont, United States. It includes the hamlets of Belmont, Healdville, Hortonville, and Tarbellville. The population was 1,385 at the 2020 census. Geography According to the United States Census Burea ...

, to Parmelia and Rufus Crowley. The family moved in 1841 to

Yorkshire, New York Yorkshire is a Administrative divisions of New York#Town, town in Cattaraugus County, New York, Cattaraugus County, New York (state), New York, United States. The population was 3,840 at the 2020 census. The town is located on the northern edge a ...

, and in 1848 to

Randolph, New York Randolph is a town in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. The population was 2,470 at the 2020 census. The town was named after Randolph, Vermont. The town of Randolph contains a former village called Randolph. The town also contains ...

. He was

admitted to the bar An admission to practice law is acquired when a lawyer receives a license to practice law. In jurisdictions with two types of lawyer, as with barristers and solicitors, barristers must gain admission to the bar whereas for solicitors there are dist ...

in 1861. He was a Justice of the Peace in Randolph in 1861, 1866 and 1872. He fought in the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

. He enrolled first on August 17, 1861, as a

private Private or privates may refer to: Music * "In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorded ...

, and finished the war as a

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

. He was wounded in the

Battle of Seven Pines The Battle of Seven Pines, also known as the Battle of Fair Oaks or Fair Oaks Station, took place on May 31 and June 1, 1862, in Henrico County, Virginia as part of the Peninsula Campaign of the American Civil War. The Union's Army of the Po ...

and in the

Battle of Gettysburg The Battle of Gettysburg () was a three-day battle in the American Civil War, which was fought between the Union and Confederate armies between July 1 and July 3, 1863, in and around Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The battle, won by the Union, ...

, and discharged for disability on November 6, 1863. On September 3, 1861, he married Jane Hobert Mussey (b. 1835), and their children were Frederick Bowen Crowley (b. 1865) and Mary G. Crowley (b. 1872). In 1867, he was appointed a Commissioner to inquire into and ascertain what damages had been done to the lands embraced in the

Cattaraugus Reservation Cattaraugus Reservation is an Indian reservation of the federally recognized Seneca Nation of Indians, formerly part of the Iroquois Confederacy located in New York. As of the 2000 census, the Indian reservation had a total population of 2,412. Its ...

Allegany Indian Reservation Allegany Reservation () is a Seneca Nation of Indians reservation in Cattaraugus County, New York, U.S. In the 2000 census, 58 percent of the population within the reservation boundaries were Native Americans. Some 42% were European Americans; the ...

and

Oil Springs Reservation Oil Springs Reservation or Oil Spring Reservation is an Indian reservation of the federally recognized Seneca Nation that is located in southwestern New York, United States. As of the 2010 census, the Indian reservation had one resident; in 2005 n ...

by trespassers, and submitted his report to the

New York State Senate The New York State Senate is the upper house of the New York State Legislature, while the New York State Assembly is its lower house. Established in 1777 by the Constitution of New York, its members are elected to two-year terms with no term l ...

in 1868. He was

Supervisor A supervisor, or lead, (also known as foreman, boss, overseer, facilitator, monitor, area coordinator, line-manager or sometimes gaffer) is the job title of a lower-level management position and role that is primarily based on authority over la ...

of the Town of Randolph in 1868 and 1869. From 1869 to 1871, he was Collector of Internal Revenue for the 31st District of New York. He was a Trustee of the Village of Randolph in 1874. In

1875 Events January * January 1 – The Midland Railway of England abolishes the Second Class passenger category, leaving First Class and Third Class. Other British railway companies follow Midland's lead during the rest of the year (Third C ...

, he was elected on the Democratic ticket an Inspector of State Prisons, and was in office from January 1876 to February 1877. The office was abolished by a constitutional amendment in 1876, and the three last Inspectors of State Prisons -

George Wagener George Wagener was an American politician from New York. Life From 1831 to 1849, he lived on the Bluff Point, the peninsula between the two northern branches of Keuka Lake in Jerusalem, New York. He was Supervisor of the Town of Jerusalem in 184 ...

, Crowley and Robert H. Anderson - left office upon the appointment of Louis D. Pilsbury as

Superintendent of State Prisons The Inspector of State Prisons was a statewide elective office created by the New York State Constitution of 1846. At the 1847 New York state election, three Inspectors were elected and then, upon taking office, so classified that henceforth every ...

. On October 14, 1893, he was appointed Deputy

New York State Superintendent of Banks The New York State Banking Department was created by the New York Legislature on April 15, 1851, with a chief officer to be known as the Superintendent. The New York State Banking Department was the oldest bank regulatory agency in the United State ...

taking over the duties of William F. Creed. He died in 1913 in Randolph, New York and may have been buried in Randolph Rural Cemetery.

References

External links

''Journal of the New York State Senate''
(1868)
Military history, with portrait photo ives burial place St. Patrick's Cemetery in Randolph-> {{DEFAULTSORT:Crowley, Rodney R 1836 births 1913 deaths People from Mount Holly, Vermont People from Cattaraugus County, New York New York state prison inspectors Union army officers People of New York (state) in the American Civil War