He returned to Greene County in 1859 and served as member of the State secession convention in 1861. During the Civil War he volunteered for the Confederate States Army and joined the 36th Regiment Alabama Infantry as a Major.
In 1859, he resumed residence in Greene County and participated in the state's secession convention of 1861. He subsequently joined the Confederate army during the Civil War and became a major in the 36th Alabama Infantry Regiment.