Tuhia he haere tonu mo tenei whitianga - I te Mei 1861 i whakauruhia e ia te 18th Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment, a ka tohua hei koromatua tuatahi. Ko tana wa i te rangatira o te ope i Kentucky me Tennessee he tautohetohe me te "ordeal". I whara ia i te Pakanga o Fort Donelson. I te Whiringa-a-rangi 1862 i whakawhiwhia ia hei rangatira rangatira, a i whakahau ia i tetahi pirihimana i te Wahanga Tuarua o te XIII Corps. I whawhai ia me te wehewehe i te Campaign Vicksburg i te tau 1863. I ārahi ia i ana tangata i nga pakanga o Port Gibson
I te wa o te whakaekenga nui o te 22 o Mei 1863 i runga i te Vicksburg MS, i reira ko nga hoia i raro i tana whakahau ko nga ope o te Uniana anake i uru ki nga mahi a te Confederate i te Railroad Redoubt i whakatokia ai e ratou te haki o te US.