Charles Goddard was born in Union County, Pennsylvania, May 14, 1845. When he was seven he moved to Winona with his family in 1852. Although his mother was very respected in his community he actively took part in the pursuit of a Mississippi River boyhood and was blamed for starting a fire which got out of control and burned down a few buildings. His adventuresome nature was characterized in his September 21, 1863 letter. Charles was mustered into Company K of the 1st Minnesota Regiment on April 29, 1861. He was 16 years old, a fact noted by his mother in a poem she wrote in his honor. Charles wrote his mother regularly throughout the war. Over 80 of his letters were deposited to the Minnesota Historical Society by his brother Orrin Smith which
