during the civil war, he served as a private in company a of the 136th illinois cavalry regiment from april to october 1964. he re-enlisted in the 20th illinois cavalry but that had been filled before he reached rendezvous with the regiment. he tried again for the 63rd regiment of infantry in which his brothers william a. and reuben d. were serving, but before he arrived to serve with that regiment the war had ended. enlistment papers describe him as 5 feet 10 inches tall with blue eyes and light hair.