When Jesse Sparks Long was born on 18 April 1844, in Indiana, United States, his father, Christopher Ware Long, was 42 and his mother, Mary Jane McBride, was 37. He married Mary Jane Morton on 5 May 1864, in Washington, Iowa, United States. They were the parents of at least 2 sons and 4 daughters. He lived in Decatur City, Decatur, Iowa, United States in 1860 and Adell Precinct, Greeley, Nebraska, United States in 1880. He registered for military service in 1865. He died before June 1900, at the age of 56, and was buried in Shoshone, Lincoln, Idaho, United States.