origin of a phrase

[tinnean]

I'm writing a story set in 1870 in the United States. My character has traveled to Europe, but he's West Point trained and fought in the Civil War, and he's been a wagon master as well, taking trains out to the west coast. I need to know if I can have him say, "Okay, I'll bite."

I've tried the Urban Dictionary, Word Reference, Quora, and the Free Dictionary. They all give me the definition but not when it was first used.

Thanks very much.