Charles W. Hope

Charles W. Hope was born in 1847 in Oakland County, Michigan, the son of William (b. 1801) and Hannah (b. 1809).

Charles’ parents emigrated from England, and by 1835 were married and had settled in New York. William moved the family west and between 1835 and 1838 settled in Michigan. By 1850 William was a farmer and Charles was living with his family in Brandon, Oakland County. By 1860 Charles was attending school and living with one W. J. Hope (b. 1834), a wealthy farmer (he owned some $2600 worth of real estate) and his family in Brandon; also living with them was one John Hope (b. 1842 in Michigan)

Charles stood 5’6” with blue eyes, brown hair and a fair complexion and was an 18-year-old farmer possibly living in Spring Lake, Ottawa County when he enlisted in Company H on December 30, 1863, at Grand Rapids for 3 years, crediting Spring Lake, and was mustered the same day. He joined the Regiment on April 4 at Brandy Station, Virginia, and was probably captured on May 5, 1864, at the Wilderness, Virginia. He was reported missing in action on May 12 at Spotsylvania, Virginia, and in fact was imprisoned for a time in Andersonville, but apparently he did not perish there.

He was transferred as a prisoner-of-war to Company A, Fifth Michigan infantry upon consolidation of the Third and Fifth Michigan Regiments on June 10, 1864, and he remained a prisoner-of-war from June 10 through November of 1864.

There is no further record. No pension seems to be available.