Born on February 4, 1811, in Williamston, Martin County, North Carolina,[1] Biggs attended the common schools and pursued classical studies, then read law in 1831.

[3] He was a member of a commission to codify North Carolina laws in 1851 along with Bartholomew F. Moore and Romulous M.

[3][4] He was elected as a Democrat to the United States Senate and served from March 4, 1855, until May 5, 1858, when he resigned to accept a federal judicial post.

[3] During the American Civil War, Biggs took refuge at Dalkeith near the unincorporated community of Arcola,[5] Warren County, North Carolina, where he wrote his autobiography.

The Asa Biggs House and Site at Williamston was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.