He claimed he overcame his health problems by embracing a strenuous 'cowboy' lifestyle. He came from a wealthy and well-known family. For college, he attended Harvard. In 1882, he wrote a book entitled, "The Naval War of 1812", which established his reputation as a person who was well-studied in history, and as popular writer. In adulthood, in the year 1884, tragedy struck when his first wife and mother died on the same day, which caused him great sadness. After their deaths, he spent a lot of time riding horses and hunting near his ranch in the Dakota Territories. In 1886, two years later, he remarried, and he and his second wife had four children, along with his one daughter born to his first wife.