Charles Edward Reed was born on August 17, 1839, in Richmond, New York, to William F. Reed and Amelia Palmer. His father was a farmer who owned $10,000 of real estate and $2,000 of personal property by 1860. Reed grew up and attended school in Richmond, and by the early 1860s, he was also working as a farmer.
He enlisted in the Union army on September 3, 1862, and he mustered in as a private in Company G of the 148th New York Infantry the following day. According to his service records, he was 6 feet tall, with black hair and black eyes. The regiment took part in the Battle of Cold Harbor. He supported the Republican Party and expressed approval of the Emancipation Proclamation. In November 1862, he declared, "I believe if the President carries his proclamation out that the war will be ended in less than a year if not I dont believe it will ever be."
He remained devoted to the Union cause. In June 1864, he declared that "If it is my lot to fall it is in a good cause." He was promoted to corporal on April 10, 1863, to sergeant on November 1, 1864, and to 1st lieutenant in early 1865. He remained committed to the Union war effort, and he celebrated President Abraham Lincoln’s reelection in 1864. He mustered out on June 22, 1865.
Reed returned to his family’s farm in Richmond after the war. He married Amelia Wells around 1870, and they had at least three children: George, born around 1875; Caroline, born around 1875; and Elizabeth, born around 1884. He earned a living as a farmer. He applied for a federal pension in February 1891 and eventually secured one. He died in Richmond on August 2, 1917.