During the American Civil War, he was commissioned as a major in the New York Militia.

He was born in White Plains, New York, on January 27, 1814, to Peter Cornell (1780–1860) and Margaret Gedney (1786–1829).

Following the Civil War, the Cornell Steamboat Line virtually monopolized freight traffic on the Hudson River, dominating the towing of barges well into the 1900s.

While the Steamboat Company was the heart of his empire, Cornell engaged in many other related enterprises.

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