Tuhia tētahi tohutoro mō tēnei wāhanga - He tangata whenua nō New York, i puta a Belknap i te Whare Wānanga o Princeton i te tau 1848, i ako i te ture ki tētahi roia o Georgetown, ā, i whakaaetia ia hei rōia i te tau 1851. I neke ia ki Iowa, i reira i mahi ture ai ia me Ralph P. Lowe. I uru a Belknap ki nga mahi torangapu hei Democrat ka mahi i tetahi wa i te Whare Kaitohutohu o Iowa. I te pakarutanga o te Pakanga o Amerika i te tau 1861, ka uru a Belknap ki te Ope Taua o te Uniana. He tangata roa, he tangata pakari, he kaiarahi a Belknap i te ope a te Uniana me te kaihauturu. He toa o te Militia o Iowa i eke ki te taumata o te rangatira, i tukuna ia hei rangatira i te 15th Iowa Volunteer Infantry. I whai wāhi ia ki ngā mahi maha, tae atu ki a Hiro
me Koriniti, i mahi hei rangatira rangatira, brigade, wehenga, me te roopu, me te mahi i nga tuunga rangatira. I te mutunga o te pakanga, i whakatairangahia a Belknap ki te rangatira rangatira o nga kaitohutohu me te whiwhi i te whakatairanga mo te rangatira rangatira.