[1] At age 8, his family moved to Stark County, Ohio, where he worked in farming, received a common education, and read law.

In the winter of 1839-1840, Alban, along with the handful of other settlers in the area, petitioned the Territorial Legislature to establish their region as a new county—Sauk.

After the outbreak of the American Civil War, Alban received a commission as colonel of the 18th Wisconsin Infantry Regiment.

He began raising volunteers in late 1861 and, in February 1862, the regiment was organized and trained at Camp Trowbridge, in Milwaukee.

They arrived at Pittsburg Landing, Tennessee, on April 5 and were immediately deployed to the left flank of the Union line, not yet even organized into a brigade.

But at this place, after seven hours of battle, Colonel Alban was shot off his horse by a sharp shooter.

Colonel Samuel Beall was also wounded in the battle, and the next in command, Major Josiah W. Crane, was killed as well.

He was ultimately succeeded in his command by future U.S. Representative Gabriel Bouck, who led the regiment through the next two years of the war.