Rubuta ci gaba ga wannan sakin layi - Ya karbi kwamiti a matsayin 2nd Lieutenant a cikin Rifle Brigade a ranar 2 ga Satumba 1834 kuma an ci gaba da shi a matsayin Kyaftin a ranar 2 ga Satumba 1842, kuma a matsayin Major a ranar 26 ga Satumba 1854. Ya yi aiki a Afirka ta Kudu tare da Brigade Rifle bayan ya sauka a Algoa Bay a ranar 20 ga Nuwamba 1846 kuma an tura shi zuwa Kei inda ya shiga cikin Yakin Xhosa na Bakwai.
, galibi a cikin tsaunukan Amatola. A ƙarshen tashin hankali an nada shi Magistrate Magistrate na Gabashin London a ranar 1 ga Janairu, 1849, wani mukami wanda ya riƙe har zuwa Yuni 1850 lokacin da ya koma Ingila tare da rundunarsa. A wannan lokacin ya sami damar haɗuwa da mai bincike da mai zane, Thomas Baines, wanda ya gayyace shi zuwa hedkwatarsa a Fort Glamorgan don ganin hotunan kansa wanda ya haɗa da zane-zanen botanical da yawa. Wadannan zane-zanen sun fito ne a cikin 1956 kuma Cibiyar Nazarin Botanical na Pretoria ta sayi su sakamakon kokarin da mai kula da laburaren ta, Mary Gunn, ya biyo bayan shawarar da marubucin tarihin Baines John Peter Richard Wallis ya bayar.