Lacrosse-Sauk County WI Archives Biographies.....Smith, Charles May 20, 1840 - 
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Roxanne Munns rmunns@uwalumni.com April 13, 2007, 10:17 pm

Author: Unknown

CHARLES SMITH, Clerk of the Circuit Court of La Crosse County, was born in 
Soemmerda, kingdom of Prussia, May 20, 1840; received a common-school 
education in that country; came to America with his parents in the fall of 
1852, and located in Sauk City, Sauk Co., where his father engaged in farming. 
In 1857, he went to Island No. 52, in Mississippi, where he worked as a wood-
chopper until the spring of 1858, when he went to Stillwater, Minn., from 
which place he ran on the river until the fall of that year, when he moved to 
Bangor, La Crosse Co., his parents having moved there in 1860. He worked on 
the farm with them until Feb. 7, 1861, when he enlisted for three years in the 
19th W. V. I., and was appointed Corporal in August. After two years' service, 
he re-enlisted in the same regiment for three years more; was taken prisoner 
Oct. 27, 1864, at Fair Oaks, together with about sixty-five others, who were 
either captured, killed or wounded, leaving only about 170 in the regiment. He 
was kept in prison at Richmond about three weeks, and was then taken to 
Salisbury, N. C., where he was kept until Feb. 21, 1865, and then released; 
was soon afterward taken sick and conveyed to the Navy School Hospital, at 
Annapolis, Md., and thence to Jarvis Hospital, at Baltimore, Md., and there 
discharged, Aug. 29, 1865, his regiment having been discharged about two 
months previous. He then came back to La Crosse, and his father in the 
meantime having died, he took charge of his farm; was married Dec. 24, 1865. 
In the spring of 1866, he gave up farming on account of a swelling on his leg, 
which disabled him, and bought a hotel at Bangor, La Crosse Co. He 
subsequently sold this, and was unable to do any business of any kind for 
several years. In 1874, he went to Indianapolis with the intention of having 
his leg amputated, but this he found not necessary. Upon coming again to 
Bangor, he was appointed Deputy Postmaster. In the fall of 1875, he was 
elected to the office of Clerk of the Circuit Court, holding that office at 
the present time.

Additional Comments:
From History of La Crosse County, Wisconsin, 1881, p. 792.

File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/wi/lacrosse/bios/smith360gbs.txt

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