John N. Farrow was born around 1842 in Albemarle County, Virginia. Prior to the war, he lived as a free man in Pike County, Ohio, where he married his wife Florinda on October 11, 1862. They had one son: William Farrow, who was born on October 15, 1863, and passed away a few weeks later on November 8. Farrow worked as a farmer before the war.
On June 16, 1863, at the age of 21, Farrow enlisted as a private in the Union army in Cincinnati, Ohio. He mustered into service the same day at Camp Delaware. His service record describes him as 5 feet, 9 1/2 inches tall, with dark hair, dark eyes, and a yellow complexion. He served in Company G of the 5th USCT Infantry Regiment. At some point, Farrow achieved the rank of sergeant. With the 5th USCT, Farrow served throughout Virginia and North Carolina, including in the action at Sandy Swamp, North Carolina, on December 8, as well as during Butler's operations against Petersburg and Richmond in May and June of 1864. Farrow was killed in action on September 29, 1864, at Fort Harrison, New Market, Virginia.
Following his death, his widow Florinda lived in Cincinnati. She received a pension for $8 a month starting in 1867 that was backdated to her husband's death in 1864. A woman named Maria claiming to be his mother applied for a dependent mother's pension from Virginia in 1890, but the state rejected her application.