hiː wʌz bˈɔːɹn nˌɪɹ nˈuː lˈɛbənˌɑːn, sˈʌlɪvən kˈaʊnti, ˌɪndiːˈænə, mˈeɪ θˈɜːɾi, wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd ˈeɪthˈʌndɹɪd θˈɜːɾi sˈɪks; mˈuːvd tə dʒˈæksənvˌɪl, ˌɪlənˈɔɪ, wɪð hɪz pˈɛɹənts ɪn wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd ˈeɪthˈʌndɹɪd fˈoːɹɾi ˈeɪt; ɐtˈɛndᵻd ðə pˈʌblɪk skˈuːlz ɪn nˈuː lˈɛbənˌɑːn ænd dʒˈæksənvˌɪl ænd ðɪ ˌɪlənˈɔɪ kˈɑːlɪdʒ æt dʒˈæksənvˌɪl wˌɛɹ hiː wʌzɐ mˈɛmbɚɹ ʌv fˈaɪ ˈælfə lˈɪɾɚɹˌɛɹi səsˈaɪəɾi; ɡɹˈædjuːˌeɪɾᵻd fɹʌm ˌɪndiːˈænə jˌuːnɪvˈɜːsᵻɾi ɪn wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd ˈeɪthˈʌndɹɪd fˈɪfti ˈeɪt; stˈʌdid lˈɔː; wʌz ɐdmˈɪɾᵻd tə ðə bˈɑːɹ ɪn wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd ˈeɪthˈʌndɹɪd fˈɪfti nˈaɪn ænd pɹˈæktɪst ɪn lˈɪŋkən, ˌɪlənˈɔɪ ænd spɹˈɪŋfiːld, ˌɪlənˈɔɪ; wʌz sˈɛkɹətɹi ʌvðə stˈeɪt kˌɑːnstɪtˈuːʃənəl kənvˈɛnʃən ɪn wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd ˈeɪthˈʌndɹɪd sˈɪksti tˈuː æt ðə jˈʌŋ ˈeɪdʒ ʌv twˈɛnti sˈɪks ænd bɹˈiːfli sˈɜːvd æz ɐsˈɪstənt sˈɛkɹətɹi ʌvðə stˈeɪtz sˈɛnət; tɹˈævəld ɪn jˈʊɹɹəp wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd ˈeɪthˈʌndɹɪd sˈɪksti ˈeɪt wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd ˈeɪthˈʌndɹɪd sˈɛvənti wˈʌn; wʌz mˈɛmbɚɹ ʌvðɪ ˌɪlənˈɔɪ hˈaʊs ʌv ɹˌɛpɹᵻzˈɛntətˌɪvz ɪn wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd ˈeɪthˈʌndɹɪd sˈɛvənti wˈʌn ænd wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd ˈeɪthˈʌndɹɪd sˈɛvənti tˈuː; ᵻlˈɛktᵻd æz ɐ dˈɛməkɹˌæt tə ðə fˈɔːɹɾifˈoːɹθ ænd tə ðə nˈaɪn səksˈiːdɪŋ kˈɑːŋɡɹəsᵻz mˈɑːɹtʃ fˈoːɹ, wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd ˈeɪthˈʌndɹɪd sˈɛvənti fˈaɪv mˈɑːɹtʃ θɹˈiː, wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd ˈeɪthˈʌndɹɪd nˈaɪnti fˈaɪv.
He was born near New Lebanon, Sullivan County, Indiana, May 30, 1836; moved to Jacksonville, Illinois, with his parents in 1848; attended the public schools in New Lebanon and Jacksonville and the Illinois College at Jacksonville where he was a member of Phi Alpha Literary Society; graduated from Indiana University in 1858; studied law; was admitted to the bar in 1859 and practiced in Lincoln, Illinois and Springfield, Illinois; was secretary of the State constitutional convention in 1862 at the young age of 26 and briefly served as assistant secretary of the state's senate; traveled in Europe 1868– 1871; was member of the Illinois House of Representatives in 1871 and 1872; elected as a Democrat to the Forty-fourth and to the nine succeeding Congresses (March 4, 1875 – March 3, 1895).