Civil War Union Brevet Brigadier General. As a merchant, he was elected circuit clerk of Schuyler county, Illinois in 1860. When President Lincoln called for volunteers to prevent the dissolution of the Union, he answered the call by organizing the 119th Illinois Volunteer Infantry in August of 1862. He led that unit as its colonel and was assigned to the 16th Corps at Jackson, Tennessee where the 119th performed guard duty on the road from Columbus to Bolivar, Tennessee. He was taken prisoner at Kenton Station, but was exchanged in May of 1863 and resumed command of his regment. In January of 1864, he was sent to Vicksburg and accompanied General Sherman on a campaign to Medidian, Mississippi. He returned to Vicksburg and participated in the siege and capture of Fort Dernsey, Louisiana during General A. J. Smith's Red River Campaign in the spring of 1864. During that campaign, he also commanded the left wing of Smith's army at the Battle of Pleasant Hill, which saved General Banks' command after its defeat at the Battle of Mansfield. He was then sent to Tupelo, Mississippi where he helped rout General Forrest and participated in Rosecrans' campaign against Sterling Price in Missouri. At the end of 1864, his commnd was sent to Nashville to assist George H. Thomas in the defense of that city. In December of 1864, he joined in the pursuit and capture of General Hood's army. In January of 1865, he was sent to New Orleans and participated in the engagements that resulted in the capture of the city of Mobile. He had command of the skirmish line of the left wing of the army in the storming of Fort Blakely and was brevetted brigadier general "for faithful and meritorious services in the campaign against the city of Mobile and its defenses" on March 26, 1865. From June of 1865 until August 26, he was provost marshal for the southern district of Alabama, which included the city of Mobile. He and his unit were mustered out of service on that date and they were finally dischanrged from service at Springfield, Illinois on September 10, 1865. He resumed his mercntile business at Bushnell and after a year and a half moved to Vermont, Illinois. There, he continued his mercantile interests and also became a revenue agent and banker.