In 1864 he joined the Union Army and served until the end of the Civil War.
In 1871 he moved to Council Grove, Kansas, where he started a political career.
He also served three terms as a member and as president of the board of directors of the state prison.
In 1898 Harry Richter was elected to the office of the Lieutenant Governor of Kansas.
Richter was also a member of the Grand Army of the Republic and he was engaged in various business enterprises.