[4] At the age of 18, he joined Company K of the Confederate Army's First Tennessee Cavalry during the American Civil War.

[5][dead link‍] He moved permanently to Atlanta in 1867 to establish the S. W. Inman & Son cotton house with his father.

In 1869, they changed the title of the company to S. W. Inman & Co. and by 1889, it was the largest cotton business in the city, with a branch house in Houston, Texas.

In order to influence shipping rates, the Inmans obtained positions on the boards of various railroads and as voting stockholders.

[2] John was president of the Richmond and Danville for two years, but was forced to resign on account of charges of financial mismanagement.