He entered the Cincinnati Law School in 1853, and graduated in 1855, establishing a large clientage at St. Clairsville, Ohio.

Politically, he was a Whig, and became a Republican and strongly supported Abraham Lincoln when he edited the Belmont Chronicle.

For gallantry in the field, he was commissioned lieutenant colonel, and assigned to 98th Ohio Infantry, participated in battles in Kentucky and Tennessee, and resigned September 12, 1863.

[1] The Democrats nominated him for Ohio's 16th Congressional District in 1872, but he lost to Republican Lorenzo Danford.

He was elected and re-elected in 1885 and 1887 to the Ohio House of Representatives, serving 1886–1889 in the 67th and 68th General Assemblies.