Charles W. Hill
Charles W. Hill was born on June 5, 1834, in Medford, Massachusetts, to Albert and Mary Hill. His father was a farmer who owned $4,500 of real estate in 1850. Hill probably grew up and attended school in Shrewsbury, Massachusetts, and by 1855, he was working as a farmer. He married Martha Wight on October 16, 1856, and they had at least two children: Edward, born on September 16, 1857; and Herbert, who was born on November 16, 1864, and died on January 21, 1866.
 
They lived in Shrewsbury, and Hill worked as a farmer and teacher. He enlisted in the Union army on August 20, 1862, and mustered in as a private in Company I of the 5th Massachusetts Infantry on September 16. He enlisted, he explained, because he “felt it my duty to serve my country in some way in this its hour of need.” In May 1863, he declared that he had "great faith in negro soldiers and if favorably situated should gladly aid in trying the experimen of seeing whether they would fight...These colored soldiers have got a strong prejudice to live down. But if they are well managed they can do it. This willingness to enlist colored men is one of the most hopeful signes of the times to me."
 
He spent the next several months stationed in New Bern, North Carolina, and he mustered out on July 2, 1863. Hill returned to Massachusetts after leaving the army, and by 1870, he was working as a teacher in Boston. He owned $6,000 of real estate and $2,000 of personal property. He died on November 13, 1896.
613
DATABASE CONTENT
(613)Hill, Charles W.1834-06-051896-11-13
  • Conflict Side: Union
  • Role: Soldier
  • Rank in: Private
  • Rank out: Private
  • Rank highest: Private
  • Gender: Male
  • Race: White

Documents - Records: 23

  • (5063) [writer] ~ Charles W. Hill to Martha E. Hill, 21 April 1863
  • (5064) [writer] ~ Charles W. Hill to Martha E. Hill, 3 April 1863
  • (5065) [writer] ~ Charles W. Hill to Martha E. Hill, 31 March 1863
  • (5066) [writer] ~ Charles W. Hill to Martha E. Hill, 6 May 1863
  • (5067) [writer] ~ Charles W. Hill to Martha E. Hill, 25 April 1863
  • (5068) [writer] ~ Charles W. Hill to Martha E. Hill, 28 April 1863
  • (5072) [writer] ~ Charles W. Hill to Martha E. Hill, 16 March 1863
  • (5073) [writer] ~ Charles W. Hill to Martha E. Hill, 7 May 1863
  • (5074) [writer] ~ Charles W. Hill to Martha E. Hill, 5 May 1863
  • (5075) [writer] ~ Charles W. Hill to Martha E. Hill, 19 April 1863
  • (5076) [writer] ~ Charles W. Hill to Martha E. Hill, 16 May 1863
  • (5078) [writer] ~ Charles W. Hill to Martha E. Hill, 19 May 1863
  • (5080) [writer] ~ Charles W. Hill to Martha E. Hill, 22 January 1863
  • (5140) [writer] ~ Charles W. Hill to Martha E. Hill, 15 November 1862
  • (5144) [writer] ~ Charles W. Hill to Martha E. Hill, 20 March 1863
  • (5145) [writer] ~ Charles W. Hill to Martha E. Hill, undated
  • (5464) [writer] ~ Charles W. Hill to Martha E. Hill, 3 October 1862
  • (5465) [writer] ~ Charles W. Hill to Martha E. Hill, 22 November 1862
  • (5466) [writer] ~ Charles W. Hill to Edward A. Hill, 16 November 1862
  • (5467) [writer] ~ Charles W. Hill to Martha E. Hill, 5 December 1862
  • (5468) [writer] ~ Charles W. Hill to Martha E. Hill, 7 December 1862
  • (5469) [writer] ~ Charles W. Hill to Martha E. Hill, 26 March 1863
  • (5470) [writer] ~ Charles W. Hill to Martha E. Hill, undated

People - Records: 2

  • (614) Hill, Martha Eleanor is the [wife of] (613) Hill, Charles W.
  • (1574) Hill, Edward Albert is the [child of] (613) Hill, Charles W.

Places - Records: 2

  • (1078) [birth] ~ Medford, Middlesex County, Massachusetts
  • (495) [death] ~ Massachusetts

Show in Map

Regiments - Records: 1

  • (289) [enlisted] ~ 5th Massachusetts Militia Infantry
SOURCES

Susan Martin, “Archivist as Detective: The Case of the Mysterious Civil War Diary,” Massachusetts Historical Society; 1850, 1860, and 1870 United States Federal Censuses, available from Ancestry.com; 1855 Massachusetts State Census, available from Ancestry.com; Charles W. Hill to Martha E. Hill, 19 May 1863, DL0394, Nau Collection