Charles Smedley, eldest son of Joel and Martha Smedley, was born in Fulton Township, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, on the first day of November, 1836. Until his nineteenth year he remained at home, assisting his father in farming during the Summer seasons, and in the Winter attending the public school of the district. Having mastered the elementary branches usually taught in the district schools, and desiring to acquire a knowledge of the higher scientific studies, he entered as a student in the celebrated Friends' School at Westtown, on the seventh of May, 1855. While at this institution, he pursued the studies he had chosen with great diligence and success. By close application he attained an honorable standing in his class; and his strict deportment merited the high approbation of his preceptors and the confidence of all his companions.
On the eleventh of April, 1856, after spending nearly a year at Westtown, he returned home and again assisted his father in superintending the mills and managing the farm. This engaged his attention for the next two years.
In the Spring of 1858 he concluded to commence business for himself. That of a merchant suggested itself; but feeling deficient in knowledge necessary to success if he engaged in this business, he resolved to prepare himself by taking a mercantile course. With this object in view, on the fifth of May, 1858, he entered the Lancaster County Normal School at Millersville. While at Millersville he became an active an influential member of the Page Society—a noted literary association connected with the Normal School.
Having remained one term at the Normal School, he returned to his native place in the Fall, and on the thirteenth of October, 1858, entered into an agreement with his father to take the grist and saw mills "on the shares." He continued to have charge of the mills for two year, and met with good success. During these two years he took an active interest in every movement that would have a tendency to improve the moral condition of society.
Believing strongly in the influence to be exerted by example, he joined several associations, whose object was of a reformatory character. Uniting himself with the Odd Fellows and Good Templars, he took an active part in the business of both of these orders. In these associations he was among the first to see that the rules were implicitly obeyed and kept inviolate. On one occasion a fellow member of the order of Odd Fellows was on trial for violating one of the sworn conditions on which he entered the lodge, by persisting in getting intoxicated whenever he felt disposed. The member who was most opposed to continuing this habitual drunkard in the lodge was Charles Smedley. In his little speech made in opposition, he boldly and fearlessly asserted that it was immaterial what position the person on trial might occupy—by his late actions the accused had unfitted himself to be continued any longer in the association, and in his opinion should be expelled.
In the Order of Good Templars Chas. Smedley attained the highest position in the Lodge of which he was a member. Through his influence many other young men were induced to join and forever eschew that accursed evil which has led to the ruin of many noble youths and caused them to fill premature graves.
On the twenty-first of April, 1862, he gave up his interest in the mills, having in contemplation a visit to some of the northern cities. After traveling several weeks in central New York, and spending a few days in the great Eastern Metropolis, young Smedley returned to Pennsylvania on the twenty-first of May.
The great rebellion had now been in progress for a year. Throughout the sections of country visited by him, the young men of the North were rapidly volunteering for their country's defense. Thinking it was not right for him to travel now and spend his time, he came home with the determination of serving his country in her hour of peril.
Well knowing that the consent of his parents could not be obtained, (they being members of the Society of Friends, one of the most important tenets of which is "a testimony against war,") he bid them adieu and started for Philadelphia, where, on the 29th of May, 1862, he enlisted as a member of Company G, 90th Regiment Penna. Volunteers.