 He was later adopted by a family living in Cincinnati, Ohio.He attended Whitewater College in Wayne County, Indiana through 1857.He went on tour as a child actor playing Richard III, Macbeth, and Shylock, Claude Melnotte, Young Norval and other heroes of the classic drama before 1857, being billed under various titles, such as "The Ohio Roscius" and "The Boy Prodigy."