He served as prosecuting attorney of Jefferson County, Wisconsin in 1861 and 1862. He served as assistant attorney general of Wisconsin in 1865 and 1866. He moved to Chicago, Illinois, and resumed the practice of law in 1866.
He held significant positions in law enforcement and government, including serving as chief prosecutor for Jefferson County, Wisconsin from 1861 to 1862, and later as deputy to the state's top lawyer from 1865 to 1866. He then moved to Chicago, Illinois, where he resumed his work as a lawyer.