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.

He taught military science and tactics at Massachusetts Agricultural College, (now known as the University of Massachusetts Amherst) from 1875 to 1878.
 In this assignment he introduced fencing as a collegiate sport.

Charles Totten and W. R. Livermore are variously credited with being the first to bring the practice of wargaming from Germany to the United States.
Totten's book Strategos, one of the first modern wargaming systems in the United States, was published in 1880.

In 1881 Totten participated in the Chiricahua Campaign against the Apaches in Arizona.
 For this service, Totten was entitled to receive the Indian Campaign Medal when it was established in 1907.

He was stationed at Fort Adams in Newport, Rhode Island from November 9, 1882 to August 1, 1883.
 He then served as Professor of Military Science and Tactics, Cathedral School of St. Paul in New York from August 4, 1883 until April 21, 1886.
 A strong opponent of the Metric System, he patented a system of weights and measures in 1884.

He was again assigned to Fort Adams, as well as serving as an advisor at Rhode Island Militia encampments, from May 30, 1886 until October 1, 1889.
 His last assignment in the Army was as Professor of Military Science and Tactics at Yale University from August 1, 1889 until 1892.
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.
He taught military science and tactics at Massachusetts Agricultural College, (now known as the University of Massachusetts Amherst) from 1875 to 1878.  In this assignment he introduced fencing as a collegiate sport.
Charles Totten and W. R. Livermore are variously credited with being the first to bring the practice of wargaming from Germany to the United States. Totten's book Strategos, one of the first modern wargaming systems in the United States, was published in 1880.
In 1881 Totten participated in the Chiricahua Campaign against the Apaches in Arizona.  For this service, Totten was entitled to receive the Indian Campaign Medal when it was established in 1907.
He was stationed at Fort Adams in Newport, Rhode Island from November 9, 1882 to August 1, 1883.  He then served as Professor of Military Science and Tactics, Cathedral School of St. Paul in New York from August 4, 1883 until April 21, 1886.  A strong opponent of the Metric System, he patented a system of weights and measures in 1884.
He was again assigned to Fort Adams, as well as serving as an advisor at Rhode Island Militia encampments, from May 30, 1886 until October 1, 1889.  His last assignment in the Army was as Professor of Military Science and Tactics at Yale University from August 1, 1889 until 1892.
C. A. L. Totten