Born in Paisley, Scotland, on the 16th of March, 1823. His parents emigrated to the United States in 1831, settling in Connecticut, where the son remained until 1852, when he came to Iowa and located in Tama County. He lived on a farm near Buckingham and later moved to Toledo, being one of the early settlers in the county which helped to organize it. In 1864 he was the Whig candidate for Representative in the Fifth General Assembly for the Twenty-third Representative District composed of the counties of Poweshiek, Jasper, Benton and Tama, was elected and, when the Whig party ceased to exist, Mr. Connell united with the new Republican party. In September, 1862, he was appointed lieutenant-colonel of the Twenty-eighth Iowa Volunteer Infantry. In March, 1863, he was promoted to colonel and took command of the regiment. He was in Bank's Red River campaign, and at the Battle of Sabine Cross Roads lost his left arm and was taken prisoner. He retired from the service in March, 1866. In 1867 he was appointed Assessor of Internal Revenue for the Fourth District, serving until 1877, when he became collector of the same District.