Background
Ramsey was the son of Pennsylvania Representative William Ramsey and younger brother of William Sterrett Ramsey.
Ramsey was the son of Pennsylvania Representative William Ramsey and younger brother of William Sterrett Ramsey.
He studied at Dickinson College and later earned a master"s degree from Gettysburg College.
He was admitted to the bar in 1834. After this he was for a time a district attorney and also edited the York, Pennsylvania Democratic Press. In April 1847, Ramsey joined the regular army as a colonel in the 11th Infantry.
He fought in the Mexican War, and remained in Texas after the war, learning Spanish and later translating Alcaraz"s work.
In 1844, Ramsey had married Sarah Wilmer in Maryland. During the 1850s Ramsey also ran a mail service that transported mail from New Orleans to San Francisco, going overland from Vera Cruz to Acapulco.
He helped to raise troops in Dutchess County, New York, but did not serve in the war.