Charles Berry, the son of Amos S and Jerusha Berry, was born in Penobscott, Lincoln County, Maine, on April 4, 1842. He enlisted from St Cloud in Stearns County, at the age of 19, during the first call for troops to put down the rebellion. He stood 5' 7" tall. He had a fair complexion, blue eyes and dark hair. His older brother, Amos, enlisted in May during the second call for troops. Both men, who previously had worked together as loggers, were placed in Company E and thus were able to look after each other during the war. Amos later reported that, at Bull Run, Charles hurt his back by helping to carry so many of the wounded off the field. Their father, Amos Sloan Berry, later served in the Ninth Minnesota Infantry. He was 44 when he was mustered in on Aug 18, 1862. He was sick most of the time and was subsequently discharged for disability. On Sept 17, 1862, at the battle of Antietam, Charles was wounded in his left side. The bullet entered from the front of his chest, just below his ribs. It traveled backward and downward for 5 inches exiting near the 2nd lumbar of his spine. He was left on the field, captured and spent some time as a prisoner of war in Richmond. He was released at Aikens Landing, VA, on Oct 6, 1862, and spent 3 months in the hospital before returning to the regiment. While on the march from Falmouth to Gettysburg, Charles was overcome by the heat and a pain in his back that developed as a result of his Antietam injury. He proceeded with the regiment, only to be wounded again at Gettysburg. He was one of the first to be hit during their charge on July 2nd. He received a gunshot wound to the great toe of his left foot. His brother, Amos, was also wounded. Even so, Amos wrote in his diary that they still were able to help another soldier off the battlefield. That soldier was brobably George M Adams, who was also from Company E. Cjarles spent time in the field hospitals at Gettysburg. On the Oct 10th, he was sent to the Chesapeake General Hospital at Fort Monroe, VA. On Nov 10th he was transferred to the army hospital at Annapolis, MD. He did not recover enough to serve again. On Dec 12, 1863, he was transferred to the 2nd Battalion of the Invalid Corps. Here he finished out his enlistment and was mustered out of the service at Fort Snelling on May 3, 1864. Immediately after his discharge he applied for and collected a pension for his wartime injuries. After the war Charles returned to St Anthony for three years but didn't take up any specific job. In 1867, he moved to Brockway in Stearns County and started farming. In 1883, Charles married Sarah Clipper in St. Cloud and they settled on a farm in Stearns County. They had a son Joseph who was born on Jan 13, 1885. Later Sarah filed for divorce and she and Charles separated, though they both remained in Royalton. Joe later married and spent his life farming in Royalton. In 1899, he received medical treatment during a brief visit to the Soldiers Home in in Minneapolis. The 1910 roster of the veterans of the First Minnesota listed him as living in Rices in Benton County, MN. The city later changed its name to Rice. The 1917 roster has him living in Royalton, MN, probably with his son, Joe. In that year he applied to live at the Soldiers Home. Charles could no longer see well enough to sign his name. He made his signature with an "X". In 1925, he left the home because he did not like the discipline. R. H. Jefferson tried to convince Charles to return to the home but he would not go. He had given his house to his son shortly before he entered the Home. Charles returned to live with son, who cared for him for the last three years of his life. Charles died in Royalton on April 15, 1928, at the age of 86. He was buried in Royalton, at the Riverside Cemetery, next to his brother, Amos. Sources: From the Minnesota Veterans Home File. 1883 List of pensioners, Stearns County, Mn. St Paul Pioneer Press, Sept 5, 1909. Roster of the First Minnesota Infantry, 1910. Roster of the Survivors, First Minnesota Volunteer Infantry, 1917. The Picket Post newsletter, pub by Henry O'Brien, St Louis, MO, 1897, p 67, Minn Hist Soc. Death Certificate, MHS. National Archives military service record, Charles Berry, Wash DC. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
