Born at South Hadley Falls, Hampshire County, Mass., on the 16th day of February 1820. He was educated at Amherst College, Massachusetts, where he graduated in 1840. After graduating he commenced the study of law, but subsequently for some time taught an academy at Spencertown, Columbia County, N. Y., and again from 1842 to 1845 was similarly engaged at Milton, Caswell County, N. C. Returning to Massachusetts, the latter year, he resumed his legal studies with Judge Henry Morris, at Springfield, where in May 1847, he was admitted to practice by the Supreme Court of Massachusetts. Immediately after he removed to Amherst, where he entered into partnership with the Hon. Edward Dickinson, with whom he continued in the practice of his profession until 1855, when, owing to ill health, he made a journey to Iowa, which eventuated in his becoming interested in real estate in Floyd and adjoining counties, and a resident of the town of Rockford, of which he was one of the original proprietors. In 1856 he was admitted to the Bar of Floyd County, but never practiced there. In 1859 he was elected a member of the Iowa House of Representatives, which met in 1860, from the district then composed of the counties of Floyd, Cerro Gordo, Worth, Hancock and Winnebago, in which session he was a member of the Judiciary Committee, and Chairman of the Committee on Schools and State University. He was re-elected to the assembly which met in 1862, in which session he was Chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means, and a member of the committee on apportioning the State into congressional districts. In 1860 he was a member of the Iowa delegation to the National Republican Convention, at Chicago, which nominated Mr. Lincoln. In December 1863, going to Washington he was made Clerk of the Judiciary Committee of the House of Representatives, of which the Hon. James F. Wilson, of Iowa, was Chairman. He was never married.

Born at South Hadley Falls, Hampshire County, Mass., on the 16th day of February 1820. He was educated at Amherst College, Massachusetts, where he graduated in 1840. After graduating he commenced the study of law, but subsequently for some time taught an academy at Spencertown, Columbia County, N. Y., and again from 1842 to 1845 was similarly engaged at Milton, Caswell County, N. C. Returning to Massachusetts, the latter year, he resumed his legal studies with Judge Henry Morris, at Springfield, where in May 1847, he was admitted to practice by the Supreme Court of Massachusetts. Immediately after he removed to Amherst, where he entered into partnership with the Hon. Edward Dickinson, with whom he continued in the practice of his profession until 1855, when, owing to ill health, he made a journey to Iowa, which eventuated in his becoming interested in real estate in Floyd and adjoining counties, and a resident of the town of Rockford, of which he was one of the original proprietors. In 1856 he was admitted to the Bar of Floyd County, but never practiced there. In 1859 he was elected a member of the Iowa House of Representatives, which met in 1860, from the district then composed of the counties of Floyd, Cerro Gordo, Worth, Hancock and Winnebago, in which session he was a member of the Judiciary Committee, and Chairman of the Committee on Schools and State University. He was re-elected to the assembly which met in 1862, in which session he was Chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means, and a member of the committee on apportioning the State into congressional districts. In 1860 he was a member of the Iowa delegation to the National Republican Convention, at Chicago, which nominated Mr. Lincoln. In December 1863, going to Washington he was made Clerk of the Judiciary Committee of the House of Representatives, of which the Hon. James F. Wilson, of Iowa, was Chairman. He was never married.