Jeremiah Earley (Early) was born into slavery around 1838 in Albemarle County, Virginia. His owner was Carr W. Lane, a Virginian who eventually settled near Wakenda, Missouri. Earley enlisted into the Union army on December 14, 1863, near Carrollton, Missouri. At the time of his enlistment, the 25-year-old former slave stood 5 feet, 6 inches tall, with black hair, black eyes, and a black complexion. Earley mustered into the 65th USCT Infantry Regiment as a private in Company D near Benton Barracks in St. Louis, Missouri, on December 29, 1863. Earley often served daily duty as a carpenter and helped build bridges for the Union army. He was promoted to corporal on February 25, 1864, and then to sergeant on May 19. 

During his time with the army, Earley and his unit received orders to travel to Morganza, Louisiana, for garrison duty. The unit remained in Morganza until May 1865, when it received orders to report for garrison duty in the Northern District of Louisiana until January 1867. While the unit did not see any action on the battlefield, it still suffered heavy casualties due to disease. In total, the 65th USCT lost six officers and 749 enlisted men, all from illness. Luckily, Earley survived the war and mustered out of the army on January 8, 1867, near Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Neither he nor his relatives filed a pension after the war, and the details of his post-war life are unknown.