Born in Illinois, a resident of Lake, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin when he enlisted as a Private in the 24th Wisconsin Infantry, Company K, 15 Aug 1862 at Milwaukee, Milwaukee County, Wisconsin. According to his biography in the Journal of Proceedings of the 43rd Annual Encampment of the Department of Washington and Alaska, Grand Army of the Republic, Jun 1925, he participated in the following noted battles of the Civil War, viz.: Perryville, Kentucky; Stone River, Tennessee; Chickamauga, Tennessee.; Resaca, Georgia; Dallas, New Hope Church, Kennesaw Mountain, Peach Tree Creek, Siege of Atlanta, Jonesboro, Lovejoy Station, Spring Hill, Franklin, and Nashville, as well as numerous skirmishes. He mustered out at Nashville, Davidson County, Tennessee, 10 Jun 1865. By 1870 he was a resident of San Francisco, California where he worked as a Post Office clerk. He married Laura Hannath at San Francisco about 1873. He relocated to Seattle, King County, Washington Territory by 1880 where he was one of the founders of the Northwestern Cracker Company. He was in the G. A. R. and was a member of Stevens Post No. 1 of Seattle. He transferred to the John F. Miller Post No. 31 of Seattle as a charter member in Dec 1886. He was appointed Aide-de-Camp for the Provisional Department of Washington Territory in Jun 1883. He was elected Commander of the Department of Washington Territory in Jun 1885, serving until Jun 1886. At the time of his death, he was the Senior Past Commander of the Department of Washington and Alaska. He died at Seattle, Washington. Military records often misspell his last name as "Brooks".