My Genealogy Hound

Capt. Charles B. Tilden, of one of the Missouri River Government improvement boats, with headquarters at St. Louis, was born in Kent County, Md., in 1835, and educated at Washington College, at Chestershire, Md., after which he spent about three years on Chesapeake Bay. In 1853 he came to St. Louis, where he accepted a position as civil engineer in preliminary survey of the St. Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern Railroad, which position he held for about four years, or until the road was completed to Pevely. He then went on the Missouri River as a pilot, remaining there until the outbreak of the late Civil War, when he and J. W. Kenneth raised a company of volunteers, in Jefferson County, for the Confederate army, and joined Gen. Thompson. After about two months Mr. Tilden resigned, and joined Gen. Price’s army as a private, but was soon after promoted to the rank of first lieutenant of Gorham’s Battery of artillery, of the Missouri State Guards. About a year later he was transferred to the Confederate service, and was made captain of Tilden’s Missouri Battery. Prior to his raid through Southeast Missouri, Gen. Price recalled him, to follow him and take charge of the captured artillery, it there should be any. After the war the Captain returned to the river, where he was pilot, and commanded a great number of different boats, until 1884, since which time he has been in the Government service, as above stated, on the Missouri River, and has resided in Jefferson County. He was married in 1867 to Miss Mary Albertine, daughter of James L. and Cassandra A. Dunklin, and granddaughter of ex-Gov. Daniel Dunklin, one of the pioneer governors of Missouri. Mr. Dunklin was born in Washington County, but spent many years in Jefferson County as a well-to-do farmer and influential citizen. He moved to Mississippi in 1887, and intends making that his future home. Three sons and one daughter were born to Capt. Tilden’s marriage, viz.: Mary S., Harry D., Alfonso J. and Charles B., Jr. He was reared a Whig, and cast his first vote for Filmore in 1856, since which time he has been a stanch Democrat. He is also a member of the Masonic fraternity. His parents, Hon. Charles B. and Elizabeth (Stewart) Tilden, were natives of Maryland, where they spent their entire lives, as did several generations before them, so far as is known. The father was a farmer, and spent several terms in the State Legislature.