[2] He worked for a Democratic Party newspaper in Sidney, Ohio in 1862 between military service, and afterward, and spoke out against the Lincoln Administration, believing them to be too soft in the war effort thus far.

After his service ended in January 1858, Young moved to Pennsylvania, then to Cincinnati a year later, where he served as the Assistant Superintendent for the House of Refuge Reform School for Youth.

[4] In March 1861 Young, believing a civil war to be imminent, wrote to General Winfield Scott volunteering his services.

Young re-enlisted and received a commission as major in the 118th Ohio Infantry in September 1862, where he remained for the duration of his service.

[5] Shortly afterward, he began his political career with an appointment as Assistant City Auditor, a position he held for the rest of the year.

Young was then elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1878 and served two terms before losing a battle for renomination in 1882.