Charles C. Garrison was born on March 17, 1800, in Cumberland County, New Jersey, to William Garrison and Ruth Davis. He married Hannah Leake Fithian in Cumberland County on November 1, 1821, and they had at least two children: Joseph, born around 1823; and Mary Jane, born around 1831. By 1850, the family was living in Gloucester County, New Jersey. Garrison was working as a physician, and he owned $13,000 of real estate. His wife died around 1853. In 1860, Garrison owned $25,000 of real estate and $7,000 of personal property, and a decade later, he reported $15,000 of real estate and $2,500 of personal property. He died in Gloucester County on April 14, 1875.