Born on June 22, 1812, in Jefferson County, New York,[1] Cartter read law in 1832.[1] He was admitted to the bar and entered private practice in Rochester, New York, from 1832 to 1836, and continued in private practice in Akron, Ohio, from 1836 to 1845, and in Massillon, Ohio, from 1845 to 1849.[1] He is the author of an early history of Rochester from 1810 to 1827, a copy of which was deposited into the cornerstone of the then-new Rochester City Hall in 1873.[2]
Following his departure from Congress, Cartter resumed private practice in Massillon from 1853 to 1856, then in Cleveland, Ohio, from 1856 to 1861.[1] He was a delegate to the 1860 Republican National Convention.[3] He served as Minister Resident of the United States to Bolivia from March 27, 1861, to March 10, 1862.[3][1]