Born in Michigan City, Indiana, Snow moved with his parents to Madisonville, Kentucky, where he attended the public schools.

During the Civil War, Snow enlisted as a private in the One Hundred and Thirty-ninth Regiment, Illinois Volunteer Infantry, where he rose to the rank of captain.

He re-enlisted in the One Hundred and Fifty-first Regiment, Illinois Volunteer Infantry, and was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel.

He died from bronchial pneumonia at his home in Kankakee on August 25, 1914, and is interred in Mound Grove Cemetery.

[1] This article incorporates public domain material from the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress