Carey Allen Harris was born on September 23, 1805. Before moving to Washington, D.C. in the early 1830s, he had assisted with the publication of the Nashville Republican. In Washington, Harris worked as a clerk in the War Department and occasionally served as Acting Secretary of War when Lewis Cass was unavailable. President Andrew Jackson (who was a close friend of Harris's) named him Commissioner of Indian Affairs on July 4, 1836. Harris proved, however, to be extremely corrupt. Former President Andrew Jackson alerted President Martin Van Buren to the issue in 1838, and a clerk named Daniel Kurtz kept careful track of Harris's financial dealings. The extent of Harris's fraud became clear when Kurtz read a letter intended for Harris (who was then out of town) discussing how various reservations could be secured for the writer's and Harris's profit. Kurtz promptly informed Van Buren, who demanded an explanation from Harris. Harris's excuse was found lacking, and he resigned in October of 1838. He returned to Tennessee in disgrace and died on June 16, 1842.

Harris married Martha Fontaine Maury (1807-1882) on January 14, 1829, and the couple had four children: James Maury (1829-1853), Martha Elizabeth (1831-1831), Mary Handy (1833-1855), and Carey Allen Jr. (1836-1868).