A farkon yakin basasa, an nada shi kyaftin a cikin 10th Indiana Infantry kuma an daukaka shi zuwa colonel a kasa da wata daya. Ya umurci brigade a cikin Sojojin Ohio a yakin Mill Springs a 1862 kuma an ci gaba da shi zuwa brigadier janar a ranar 24 ga Maris, 1862, bisa ga ayyukansa a can. Janar Manson ya ji rauni a cinya kuma sojojin Confederate suka kama shi a yakin Richmond, Kentucky. An musayar shi watanni biyu bayan haka kuma ya yi yaƙi da Morgan a lokacin da ya shiga Ohio. A cikin watanni biyu, Manson ya ci gaba daga brigade, zuwa division sannan kuma ya umurci XXIII Corps. Ya jagoranci kungiyar a lokacin yakin Knoxville yana ganin aikin a Campbell's Station da Knoxville. Janar Manson ya koma umurnin brigade, a cikin Sojojin Ohio, a lokacin Atlanta Campaign kuma ya ji rauni sosai a cikin
Yaƙin Resaca, Georgia.