[1] His mother, Elizabeth Swatwort Kellogg was of Dutch descent and was known as a poet and her most well known work was "Revolutionary Documents on Centennial Day".

[2] After the Battle of Fort Sumter, Kellogg was studying law but he volunteered as a sergeant in the 24th Ohio Infantry Regiment before shortly being promoted to 2nd Lieutenant.

[2][5] After the war, Kellogg remained in the U.S. Army and was stationed in the Southern United States during the Reconstruction Era as well as sent to various outposts in the American West such as Fort Logan for the following years.

[1][3] However, Kellogg was struck with fever and sent back to the U.S. where he was promoted to brigadier general of Volunteers by President William McKinley where he remained until February 1899 where he was honorably discharged and reverted to a colonel of the 6th Infantry Regiment.

After his retirement, Kellogg spent the remainder of his life with his family at Toledo and Baltimore before dying on October 9, 1914, and being buried at Woodlawn Cemetery at Norwalk.