He was born in Herkimer County, New York into a large family and could count as his ancestors one of the founding families of Beverwyck, now known as Albany, New York. As a young man, he was taken with one of his older brothers, Washington Wendell to the frontier in eastern Minnesota. No doubt he heard about gold being found in the Denver area, and as he was of age, his adventurous nature got the best of him and off he went. No doubt he worked in the mining industry, when the Civil War began. It was there that he enlisted in the 1st Colo. Infantry. He would be placed in Company F. Within the first year, it was found that due to the expanse of area that had to be covered in the attempt to keep the Confederate Army from attempting to come up from Texas that the infantry could not patrol sufficiently. At that time the 1st Colorado Cavalry was organized. The core of that regiment was taking some of the veterans from the 11st Colorado Infantry and putting them on horses. One of those selected was Company F. He would serve the rest of his 3 year term on the back of a cavalry horse. He would see action at Valverde and also be at Glorietta Pass. He was honorably discharged on 11 October 1864 in Denver, having served his term. He was in no hurry to leave the area and after the Sand Creek Massacre under Chivington, that set the indians of the area into a rage. They started attacking settlers, waagon and stage lines, etc. Denver and other parts were actually cut off from the states back east and with the war still raging in the east, there were not extra U.S. soldiers to deal with this situation.

Little by little after his military experiences in Colorado, his health started to decline.

In his application for diability numerous problems of his health are listed.

At the time of his death he was living with his son Earl in Collbran.

Thus the 1st Colorado Mounted Militia was formed. Charles apparently decided to join this group, which was to be pressed into service for 3 months. Two of the six companies comprising this were from Denver. Charles enlisted in Company A of the 1st Colorado Mounted Militia on 9 February 1865 and served until it was disbanded on 29 April 1865 when regular U.S. troops arrived to take over. They were able to secure the routes for stages, wagons of freight and repair the telegraph lines, thus keeping the Indians in check.

It was then that he returned to his family. He married a young widow, Cynthia (Bartlett) Wallis on 1 May 1866 in Wisconsin.

They farmed for awhile on land in the south west corner of Minnesota for awhile, but Colorado was under his skin, so with his ever growing family he returned to the Denver area. He would remain in this area for a number of years, even after his wife's death in 1881.

After his oldest daughter was married and her and her husband James Porter, went up into the northwest corner of Colorado where they homesteaded, Charles and the rest of his children soon followed.

Children:

Laura Wallis (his wife's daughter by her first marriage, who Charles raised as his own.

Coral Clarise married James Stevens Porter
a son, who died soon after birth
Ralph Rufus married Emma Day
Fannie married Joseph C. Austin
Millie L. married #1 _________ Parks
#2 Benjamin Gilliam
Earl B. married Delia Kiggins