[5] In 1851, he moved to Prince George's County, Maryland with his parents, where he attended local schools and received private tutoring.

[4] He was a Confederate American Civil War veteran,[1] having served as a private in Company B of the First Regiment, Maryland Cavalry from 1862 to 1865.

[6] After his military service, Stanley taught school and studied law under General Thomas Bowie; he was admitted to the Maryland Bar in 1869.

[4] Stanley married his first wife, Ella Lee Hodges (January 1841 – October 1, 1881) on November 26, 1871;[4][7] the couple moved to Laurel and had no children.

[14] After a two-month illness, Stanley died of heart and kidney trouble on December 20, 1913, while asleep at his home in Laurel, Maryland.