Born in Middletown, Delaware, August 25th, 1811, where he passed all his youthful and early manhood days up to his 81st year. He was united in marriage to Miss Susanna W. Mitchell, of Philadelphia. June 1, 1885. In 1842, together they moved to Bellville, Illinois, where he engaged in the mercantile business, remaining there but two years, when they moved to Wellington, Mo. in 1844, and from thence to Wapello, Louisa County, Iowa the same year. Here he again engaged in the mercantile business, for about three years, when he purchased a tract of land on the Mississippi river known as Walling's Landing, also in Louisa county, a sort of wooding place for steamers. Here he laid out the town Port Louisa, and engaged actively in the storage and commission business also having an interest in a general store, grist, saw mill and pork packing house. One of the stipulations in the deeds to lots in this new town of his was that no intoxicating liquors were to be sold on this land. In 1852 he was elected as representative to the legislature, which then convened at Iowa City. After the expiration of his term as representative he moved to Mt. Pleasant, Henry county Iowa, where he again engaged in mercantile business and in 1856 was appointed by the Governor at Register of the Des Moines river improvements. He remained in Henry county until 1859, when he moved back to Louisa County, was appointed postmaster and engaged in business, and here remained until the breaking out of the war, when he entered the army in the fall of 1862 as quartermaster in the 30th Iowa Infantry which position he held to the close of the war.