39-year-old Charles Frazier was a slave of Thomas Ruth of Chestertown, Kent County, Maryland. Ruth received $300 compensation from the Government for Frazier's enlistment.

Frazier enlisted on December 17, 1863 in Queen Anne's County, Maryland. He mustered into the 19th Regiment on December 25, 1863 as a First Sergeant. Frazier was not only older and more mature than most other recruits, but he could also read and write. Unfortunately, Sergeant Frazier was accidentally shot in the head by another soldier and, when he could no longer perform the duties of First Sergeant, was reduced to Corporal on February 13, 1864.

In a pension file affidavit, Frazier said:

In the Spring of 1864 while at Benedict, Maryland, a detail from Company A and Company C of 19th Reg. was sent to Newtown on the Pocomoke River, Maryland under Captain Noes to recruit, and one of the members of Company C, James Mitchell, while loading his pistol, it accidentally went off and shot me in the back of my head. I was Orderly Sergeant at the time and the wound so affected me I was put down in the rank. It so affected my brain it seemed to craze me. I was off of duty a considerable time.

In another pension file affidavit, Frederick Nichols, formerly in Company E, 19th Regiment said:

I, Frederick Nichols, knew Charles E. Frazier, the claimant, before he enlisted. He was enrolled in the same regiment I was in.

He was a very bright & healthy man. He could read and write and was made Sergeant of the Co. While we were at Benedict, Maryland he was sent out with a recruiting squad & was accidentally shot by one of his comrades. I saw the wound, which was just behind the left ear. He was not sent to hospital. He was afterwards sent to the hospital at Benedict and when he returned his head was so much affected that he lost his place as Sergeant, not being able to hear and comprehend the commands.

In September 1865, while the regiment was in Texas, Frazier was reduced in rank to Private and served as a company cook. He was mustered out with the rest of the regiment on January 15, 1867 in Brownsville, Texas.

After the Civil War, Mr. Frazier lived in Centerville, Queen Anne's County, Maryland, where he died on June 17, 1910.