 During the Civil War, he enlisted as a private in Company A of the 9th Kentucky Cavalry in the Confederate Army.After the close of the war, Black moved to Augusta, Georgia in 1865, studied law and was admitted to the bar in 1866, commencing practice in Augusta.He was a member of the Georgia House of Representatives from 1873 to 1877, served as president of the Augusta Orphan Asylum from 1879 to 1886, was a member of the Augusta city council and was Augusta city attorney.