The son of John A. (allegedly Lancaster's first brewer) & German-born Elizabeth (Lauer) Springer, in 1860 he was living with his family in Lancaster, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. He listed stone cutter as his occupation but spent most of his adult life in the brewing industry.

A Civil War veteran, he initially served with Lancaster's First City Zouaves, a militia unit for which no service dates have been found. He then served two terms of service:
1. Enlisted in Lancaster July 26, 1862, and mustered into federal service there August 11 as a sergeant with Co. K, 122nd Pennsylvania Infantry. He was selected as acting 1st sergeant October 10, 1862, and allegedly officially granted the rank to date March 6, 1863, although his compiled military service records make no mention of the promotion, and he does not appear at that rank in either the company register or muster roll. His service records do mention the $6.22 charge the army levied on him for losing his sword and accouterments, and his own accounts reveal that he sang in the company glee club. Due to attrition, he was in command of Co. K during on May 3, 1863, at the battle of Chancellorsville. He honorably discharged with his company May 15, 1863.
2. Enlisted in Philadelphia July 11, 1864, mustered into federal service there at Camp Cadwallader July 19 as 1st sergeant of Co. E, 197th Pennsylvania Infantry, and honorably discharged with his company November 11, 1864. An obituary misidentifies this regiment as the 196th Pennsylvania Infantry.

He married Emma E. Zeigler and fathered George F. (b. @1874, d. 1876). A post-war member of Lancaster's Thomas Post No. 84, G.A.R., he authored "Concise History of the Camp and Field Life of the 122nd Regiment, Penn'a Volunteers." A member of the Lancaster city school board, he died at his home from the effects of a lung disorder, likely tuberculosis.

Obituaries and death notices all refer to him as "Captain," asserting that he was promoted to that rank in both terms of service. The truth is that he never served in the U.S. Army at a rank higher than 1st sergeant. "Captain" was an honorary title that was then often applied to veterans who were prominent members of the community.