Charles Totten was born in a military family (his father, James Totten was a Brigadier-General. His uncle was not Brevet Major General Joseph Gilbert Totten was Chief of the United States Army Corps of Engineers); there is no direct blood-line from Joseph to CAL. Totten graduated from West Point (where he had been an honor student) in June 1873. He was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the 4th Artillery Regiment. He was promoted to first lieutenant the next year. He would not be promoted again, however, due to slow promotions in the post-Civil War Army.