Wilson was born in 1846 in Ireland. Sometime between his birth and the start of the Civil War he immigrated to America. During the war he served as a private in the 73rd New York Infantry. He earned his medal on May 12, 1864 at the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, Virginia in which he captured a Confederate flag. Wilson was presented his medal on December 30, 1898. He died on September 12, 1916 and is buried in The Evergreens Cemetery in Brooklyn, New York.