In 1860 he was with Wood’s Minstrels, and Wm. A. Christy’s Minstrels.
About July, 1861, he made his first appearance in New York as a variety performer at the Melodeon.
In the fall of 1861 he joined Mrs. Matt. Peel’s Minstrels, and about March 1, following, he became a member of the famous Peak Family of Bell Ringers for a brief period, subsequently re-joining Mrs. Peel’s Company.
In June, 1862, he was with George Christy’s Minstrels in New York, and soon after joined Duprez and Green’s Company, and Mead’s Minstrels.
October 13, 1862, he made his first appearance with Hooley’s Minstrels in Brooklyn, N. Y.; in the spring of the following year he was with Horn and Newcomb’s Minstrels, the company subsequently was run by Newcomb alone.
He left the latter and re-joined Duprez and Green in the fall of 1863.
In March, 1864, he was with Yankee Hill’s Minstrels, and the next month re-joined Hooley for the balance of the season, again opening with him August 22, following.
About March 1, 1865, he became a member of Cotton and Murphy’s Minstrels, opening at Fall River, Mass.; he left this company in the Fall of that year.
November 20, 1865, he joined the famous San Francisco Minstrels of Birch, Bernard, Wambold and Backus, taking and using for the first time his own name. He remained with this company four years, in New York City. On June 14, 1869, he played his first engagement with Haverly’s Minstrels, opening at Baltimore; a few weeks later he was with Sharpley’s Minstrels in Boston.
August 23, 1869, he began a season’s engagement with Carncross and Dixey’s Minstrels in Philadelphia, and July 2, following, he sailed for Europe, but did not play there.