Wadley was born in 1813, in
Brentwood, New Hampshire, to Dole and Sarah Colcord Wadley. His father had changed the spelling of the family name from
Wadleigh to
Wadley, hence his branch of the family is the only one with the spelling as such. In 1840, he married Rebecca Barnard Everingham, daughter of John Everingham and Sarah Weber Barnard, with whom he had nine children: William Oconius (born 1841), Sarah Lois (1844), John Dole (1846), Mary Millen (1848), Rebecca Everingham (1850), an unnamed daughter (1852), Loring Reynolds (1853), George Dole (1857) and John Everingham (1860). John Dole and the unnamed daughter died in infancy. In 1852, he was installed as superintendent of the
Western and Atlantic Railroad, but returned to the Central of Georgia Railway in that role the following year. Wadley was appointed as colonel in the
Adjutant General's department of the Confederate Army between November 1862 and May 1863. His duties were to supervise and direct the transportation of the Confederacy on all of its railroads. The
Confederate States Congress did not officially recognize his appointment and his commission was terminated. He occupied the role from 1866 until his death. == Death ==