Frederick was born on the 11th of August 1843, in Germany and much about his life is unknown. It is known that he enlisted in the 47th Ohio Infantry and it was his actions as a Private on the 3rd of May 1863, that would later earn him the Medal of Honor. The citation reads:

Was one of a party that volunteered and attempted to run the enemy's batteries with a steam tug and two barges loaded with subsistence stores.

Two years later, Frederick married Emily Milliman and they had eight children. He received the Medal of Honor on the 6th of November 1908, for his actions at Vicksburg, Mississippi, and on the 27th of April 1916, Frederick A Ballen died at the age of 72. He is buried with his wife in the Carleton Cemetery in Carleton, Michigan.