Born in Glasgow, Scotland, the son of William Foster, a musician.
Enlisted at London on the 15th of June 1838.
No other enlistment details are shown.
From Private to Corporal: 13th of June 1839:
"Absent without leave" while "On Command" in London, 8th-9th September 1839, confined 10th-14th September, and reduced to Private on the 15th of September.
From Private to Corporal: 9th of June 1845.
Corporal to Sergeant: 16th of October 1847.
On the 29th of December 1850 he married Mary Anne, the daughter of James Campbell, a Glasgow sea-captain, and his wife Jemima, at Belfast. He was shown as being "of full age" and she as 21 years old.
On the 9th of January 1853 a son, James, was born at Hounslow and baptised at Fulford on the 30th of January 1854 by the Reverend Joseph Sutton. Charles Foster was then stationed at Fulford Barracks.
At the end of 1855 his wife and son were living at 1, Court Street, Old Lodge Road, Belfast.
Appointed to Orderly Room Clerk (as Sergeant) on the 26th of October 1852.
Appointed to Troop Sergeant Major: 26th of October 1854.
Promoted to Quartermaster on the 5th of January 1855.
Died, "In camp", at Balaclava, on the 25th of January 1855.
Entitled (according to the medal rolls) the Crimean medal with clasps for Alma, Balaclava, Inkerman and Sebastopol.
Died, "In camp", at Balaclava, on the 25th of January 1855.
He is shown on the muster roll as "Died suddenly" and "in debt", owing £5/7/1d to Captain Tremayne.
Next of kin (in 1854): Wife, Mrs Foster, living in Belfast.
A wooden memorial board was placed over his grave which read:
"Sacred to the memory of Mr. C.M. Foster, late Quarter-master of the 13th Light Dragoons, who departed this life in Camp before Balaclava 25th of January 1855, aged 40 years and 5 months."
By 1857 the board had fallen down.
This was one of the 38 graves to the Regiment, not all of which had memorials, and was in the 13th Light Dragoons cemetery on the road between Kadikoi and Karani.