Charles W. Hopkins was born on June 28, 1838, in Stanton-under-Bardon, Leicestershire, England, to William and Jane (Standley) Hopkins. The Hopkins family with two children emigrated from England to America in the late 1840's. By 1850, the family was residing in Townsend Township, Huron County, Ohio.

Charles was one of the first soldiers to enlist in the American Civil War. He enlisted for three years on May 18, 1861, at Monroeville, Huron County, Ohio. "Private Charles W. Hopkins" served in Company G, 24th Ohio Volunteer Infantry Regiment. He received a surgeon's medical discharge from Company G on June 25, 1862.

Charles W. Hopkins did not keep in close contact with the surviving members of the 24th Ohio Infantry Regiment, but his war disability forced him to seek an army medical pension in 1863.

Following his war service, Charles married Martha Jane Hedden on May 2, 1868, in Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio. Martha Jane was born on April 6, 1841, in London, Ontario, Canada. About the time their first child was born, they moved to Clay Township, Ottawa County, Ohio, where they were listed on the 1870 census.

Charles and Martha eventually had 6 children, only 2 of which survived to adulthood:

1) Mary Ellen Hopkins was born March 18, 1869, in Ottawa County, Ohio, and died February 14, 1878, in Ottawa County, Ohio.
2) Laura B. Hopkins was born May 28, 1870, in Ottawa County, Ohio, and died as an infant on February 11, 1871, in Ottawa County, Ohio.
3) George W. Hopkins was born June 16, 1872, in Ottawa County, Ohio. His death date is unknown.
4) Frank M. Hopkins was born March 31, 1874, in Ottawa County, Ohio, and died as a toddler on September 11, 1877, in Ottawa County, Ohio.
5) Neva E. Hopkins was born in 1876 in Ottawa County, Ohio, and died October 13, 1881, in Ottawa County, Ohio.
6) Carrey Hopkins was born February 12, 1880, in Ohio. No death date is known.

The Hopkins family moved briefly to Lake Township, Wood County, Ohio, by 1880, but returned again to Clay Township, Ottawa County, Ohio, where they resided until just after 1920.

Charles died on November 17, 1922 in Scott Township, Sandusky County, Ohio. Charles' widow, Martha J. Hopkins, filed for, and received, a widow's pension. Martha died June 14, 1926, in Scott Township, Sandusky County, Ohio.

Sources:

24th O.V.I. Pension Index.
Ohio Adjutant General's Roster of Ohio Troops.
Additional biographical information provided by Gary Hopkins of Avilla, Indiana.

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