Person:Charles Knight (385)

BIOGRAPHY: Corporal, Company I, 46th Massachusetts Vol. Infantry, 1862-63. Mustered in October, 1862 as a private and discharged as corporal at Springfield, Mass., July 29th, 1863, term of service having expired. Promoted to full Corporal on 12 June 1863. Source: Personal War Sketches, Grand Army of the Republic, Smith Post No. 9, Woonsocket, RI (Special Collections, Woonsocket Public Library), page 108. He was a resident of Wilbraham, MA, and his occupation is listed as "farmer" at the time of enlistment.

From service record (National Archives):

Joined August 29, 1862, place of enrollment: Wilbraham, Mass. Furnished his own board until Sept. 25th.

Private until June 12, 1863, then appointed Corporal in place of E. F. Brooks (who resigned at Newbern, NC to join the Mass. 2nd Heavy Artillery).

Suffered a hernia in December 1862 while trying to lift a cart out of the mud while serving in North Carolina. This, along with piles from extensive marching, seemed to trouble him for the rest of his life, and he applied and received a pension for disability in 1888. Worked in a variety of capacities in the textile industry (weaver, loom fixer, etc.), as well as a farmer. By 1920 he was almost totally blind. Lived in a great many places after leaving the service in 1863, according to his pension records:

Hazardville, CT (1863-65) Hampden, MA (1865) Stafford Springs, CT (1865-66) Barre, MA (1866-71) Fiskdale, MA (1871, now part of Sturbridge) Warren, MA (1871-1880) Putnam, CT (1880-82) Forestdale, RI (1882-84) Manville, RI (1884-86) Woonsocket, RI (1886-1900) Forestdale, RI (1900) Dover, NH (1900-03) Blackstone, MA (1903-07) Lawrence, MA (1907-09) Methuen, MA (1909-1910) Spencer, MA (1910-1922) Woonsocket, RI (1922?-1923)

Living at 114 Blackstone Street, Woonsocket, RI (with son, Charles Henry) at time of death in 1923. Listed as a retired farmer in death record.

For details of marriage record, see his wife - Eunice Walker.

MILITARY: American Civil War Soldiers August 19, 2005 11:24 AM

Name: Charles E Knight , Residence: Wilbraham, Massachusetts Occupation: Farmer Enlistment Date: 29 August 1862 Distinguished Service: DISTINGUISHED SERVICE Side Served: Union State Served: Massachusetts Unit Numbers: 954 954 Service Record: Enlisted as a Private on 29 August 1862 at the age of 21 Enlisted in Company I, 46th Infantry Regiment Massachusetts on 24 September 1862. Promoted to Full Corporal on 12 June 1863 Mustered out Company I, 46th Infantry Regiment Massachusetts on 29 July 1863 in Hampden Park, Springfield, MA

Source Information: Historical Data Systems, comp. Military Records of Individual Civil War Soldiers. [database online] Provo, UT: Ancestry.com, 1999-. Data compiled by Historical Data Systems of Kingston, MA from the following list of works. Copyright 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000 - Historical Data Systems Inc.P.O. Box 196 Kingston, MA 02364

Census: 1880 United States Federal Census Name: Charles E. Knight Home in 1880: Putnam, Windham, Connecticut Age: 39 Estimated birth year: abt 1841 Birthplace: N H Relation to head-of-household: Self (Head) Spouse's name: Eunice Father's birthplace: Conn Mother's birthplace: Massachusetts Occupation: Cotton Mill Marital Status: Married Race: White Gender: Male Household Members: Name Age Charles E. Knight 39 Eunice Knight 37 Elsie Knight 16 Chas H. Knight 13 Freddie D. Knight 11 John R. Knight 9 William E. Knight 1 Source Citation: Year: 1880; Census Place: Putnam, Windham, Connecticut; Roll: T9_110; Family History Film: 1254110; Page: 615.1000; Enumeration District: 139; Image: 0671.

1900 United States Federal Census Name: Charles E Knight Home in 1900: Blackstone, Worcester, Massachusetts Age: 58 Estimated Birth Year: abt 1842 Birthplace: Massachusetts Relationship to head-of-house: Head Spouse's Name: Eunice Race: White Occupation: Household Members: Name Age Charles E Knight 58 Eunice Knight 57 Frederick D Knight 31 Source Citation: Year: 1900; Census Place: Blackstone, Worcester, Massachusetts; Roll: T623 690; Page: 12A; Enumeration District: 1587

1910 United States Federal Census Name: Charles C Knight [Charles E Knight] Age in 1910: 68 Estimated Birth Year: abt 1842 Birthplace: Massachusetts Relation to Head of House: Head Father's Birth Place: Massachusetts Mother's Birth Place: Massachusetts Spouse's Name: Eunice Home in 1910: Methuen Precinct 1, Essex, Massachusetts Marital Status: Married Race: White Gender: Male Household Members: Name Age Charles C Knight 68 Eunice Knight 67 Source Citation: Year: 1910; Census Place: Methuen Precinct 1, Essex, Massachusetts; Roll: T624_586; Page: 4A; Enumeration District: 423; Image: 430.

1920 United States Federal Census Name: Charles E Knight Home in 1920: Spencer, Worcester, Massachusetts Age: 78 years Estimated Birth Year: abt 1842 Birthplace: Massachusetts Relation to Head of House: Head Father's Birth Place: Massachusetts Mother's Birth Place: Massachusetts Marital Status: Widow Race: White Sex: Male Home owned: Own Able to read: Yes Able to Write: Yes Image: 626 Household Members: Name Age Charles E Knight 78 Source Citation: Year: 1920;Census Place: Spencer, Worcester, Massachusetts; Roll: T625_748; Page: 11A; Enumeration District: 152; Image: 626.