Bio: Smith, Charles E.
Contact: Janet Schwarze
Email: Posted4u@Charter.net

---Source: 1881 History of Northern Wisconsin, pg. 225.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF CHARLES E. SMITH

CHARLES E. SMITH, farmer, P.O. Cook's Valley, was born in Owego, Tioga Co., N. v., March 8, 1843. He came with his parents, J. M. and Experience Smith, to Sparta in 1855, where the family lived until the death of his father, Dec. 25, 1863, he dying on his birth-day. Charles left home at the age of seventeen, to seek his fortune, going to Minnesota, and for most of the time up to August, :86i, was engaged as salesman in Austin, Minn. He enlisted in the 4th Minn. V. I.; was immediately commissioned hospital steward, dating from his enlistment. He had studied medicine for two years, and was acting assistant surgeon for a year up to July g, 1863, when he was commissioned second lieutenant of the 56th U. S. Inf. of the regular army. In November following, was promoted to first lieutenant, and in April, 1864, was promoted to captain, acting much of the time as ordnance sergeant and post quartermaster. While acting in the latter capacity, he built one and a half miles of railroad, near Duvall's Bluff, for government service. Up to the close of the war he was actively engaged in campaign service in the Southwest department. May 16, 1864. in Helena, Ark., Mr. Smith was married to Miss Bettie E. Williams, of Huntsville, Ala. She was a native of Alabama, born June 19. 1848. They have four children—Willie H., Minnie Jane, Annie and Frank. The two eldest were born in Sparta, the two youngest in Auburn. He purchased the homestead In Sparta in the Spring of 1864, leaving his widowed mother on the place for three years. In the Spring of 1871 he came to Auburn and purchased 200 acres of wild land in Town 30, Sec. 16. This he has well improved; also 120 acres of unimproved farming land, and forty acres of pine land. He was appointed Postmaster at Cook's Valley in December, 1877. He is now holding the office of Town Clerk for the town of Auburn for the fifth successive term.