Hans was educated in common schools and worked on his adopted father's farm until 1864, when, at age 19, he volunteered for service in the American Civil War.
The 37th Wisconsin Infantry had been called to urgent service that month, so the bulk of the regiment had already left the state by the time Warner enrolled.
[2]: 835 His company took several more weeks to complete its enlistment, and traveled to Virginia in June 1864, joining the regiment entrenched in the Siege of Petersburg.
[4] He was renominated for another attempt at the office in 1877, and this time went on to win the general election with 44% of the vote, defeating Democrat James B. Hays and Greenbacker Joseph H.
[5] After five ballots, Bingham's support collapsed; Rusk obtained the necessary majority of convention delegates and went on to become the 15th Governor of Wisconsin.
[7] Warner won a comfortable victory in the general election, taking 61% of the vote over Democrat Frank N. McVean and Prohibitionist H. C. Van Hovenberg.
In 1895, Governor William H. Upham appointed him to the State Board of Control of Reformatory, Charitable, and Penal Institutions.
[8] Warner was stricken with a stomach ailment in the summer of 1896, which was apparently exacerbated by a trip to Milwaukee to attend the Republican State Convention.
His biological brothers, Ole and Amund Pederson, both also served in the Union Army during the Civil War.