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).
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.