Campbell was a newspaperman, editor of the Wheeling Daily Intelligencer, and an important leader in the statehood movement. Born in Ohio, he grew up in Bethany and graduated from Bethany College and later law school. In 1856, he moved to Wheeling and became editor and part-owner of the Intelligencer.

A strong Republican, Campbell used his paper to support abolition, the Union, and West Virginia's creation. His paper was the only one in Virginia to back Abraham Lincoln's election in 1860. He also helped persuade Lincoln to approve West Virginia's statehood.