Judson Wade Bishop worked in the railroad and newspaper industries before volunteering for the Second Minnesota Volunteer Infantry Regiment. He began his service in 1861 and became the captain of company A. Bishop led a charge at Missionary Ridge in Tennessee that resulted in the Union gaining control of an important rail center. For his bravery and service, Bishop was eventually promoted to colonel. After the end of the war, he married Nellie Hustad, had three sons, and returned to working on the railroad. In 1890, he published a history of the Second Minnesota: The Story of a Regiment.