Upon their urging him again to comply with their proposition, he rose from the table, expressed how much his feelings were hurt to think they had not a better opinion of him and took his leave. The proposal disgusted him so much that he left the service for a while and kept a school on Long Island. The bold stand he always took on all questions involving principle created for him warm friends and enemies.

INTERVIEW WITH CALVIN MEAD, Nov. 19, 1846 I belonged to Captain Honeywell's volunteer horse and Cornelius Oakley, a small, light but very brave man was with us often.

INTERVIEW WITH HANNAH MILLER OF WHITE PLAINS, OCTOBER 3, 1846 Cornelius Oakley was concealed by Widow Day several days. Couldn't swim and crossed Harlem River on a raft. While laboring hard to get across, a "Shite poke"[X] alighted and sat on the raft. He said--"If ever a man was in dis-tress and prayed, I did then."

INTERVIEW WITH MISS SARAH OAKLEY AT MR. NATHANIEL VALENTINE'S AT TUCKAHOE, OCTOBER 20, 1850 I don't know whether the guides had commissions; there is none among my father's papers. It was at General Wash-ington's Headquarters that my father dined when they urged him to go below as a spy. About a year ago (in 1850) we went to the Quaker burying ground in Purchase Street where we identified the grave of our father. After we had discov-

[X] A small green heron.

INTRODUCTION xv

ered and fixed upon it, Mr. James Carpenter who lives near by, and was present at the interment, joined us, and his recol-lection of the spot corresponded with ours exactly, so that in all probability we have ascertained the right grave. We then had a plain stone prepared and put up, such as the Quakers allow. It contains simply the name of Cornelius Oakley, the time of his death and his age and nothing more.