He wrote an autobiographical account of his life experiences titled Memories of Three Score Years and Ten.

[5] He also studied at the Union Theological Seminary and the Free Church College of Edinburgh, Scotland.

[2] In 1872, he was elected secretary and treasurer of the home and foreign missions committee of the Southern Presbyterian church.

[2] He also helped to greatly increase the college's endowment, and a memorial building was erected in his honor.

[2] In 1902, he became a member of the Commonwealth convention that was called to revise the state constitution, and was also the chairman of the committee on schools.