hiː ɐtˈɛndᵻd ðə kˈɑːmən skˈuːlz ænd ɡɹˈædjuːˌeɪɾᵻd fɹʌmðə lˈɪɾɚɹˌɛɹi dᵻpˈɑːɹtmənt ʌv kˈʌmbɚlənd jˌuːnɪvˈɜːsᵻɾi æt lˈɛbənˌɑːn, tˌɛnəsˈiː ɪn wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd ˈeɪthˈʌndɹɪd fˈoːɹɾi ˈeɪt, ænd fɹʌm kˈʌmbɚlənd skˈuːl ʌv lˈɔː ɪn wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd ˈeɪthˈʌndɹɪd fˈoːɹɾi nˈaɪn.
He attended the common schools and graduated from the literary department of Cumberland University at Lebanon, Tennessee in 1848, and from Cumberland School of Law in 1849.