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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, if 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.