Child Soldiers In The American Civil War
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Throughout the
American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...
, approximately 250,000–420,000 males under the age of 18 were involved in both
Union Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Un ...
and
Confederate Confederacy or confederate may refer to: States or communities * Confederate state or confederation, a union of sovereign groups or communities * Confederate States of America, a confederation of secessionist American states that existed between 1 ...
forces. It is estimated that 100,000
Union Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Un ...
soldiers were 15 years of age or younger. By one estimate, approximately ten percent of Union soldiers were underaged (it is likely the Confederate army had a similar proportion of underage soldiers).


Reasons for joining

When the surrender of Fort Sumter was announced, boys and men of all ages (7-17) on both sides of the conflict were permitted to enlist.
Abraham Lincoln Abraham Lincoln ( ; February 12, 1809 – April 15, 1865) was an American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as the 16th president of the United States from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln led the nation thro ...
initially called for 90-day enlistments. However, after the Union army was driven out of Richmond in the Peninsula campaign, and after the
Confederate Army The Confederate States Army, also called the Confederate Army or the Southern Army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fighting ...
began to march to Washington, Lincoln issued a call for three hundred thousand three-year volunteers. Boys had many of the same motives for joining the military as their adult counterparts did. In the North, boys felt a desire to defend the North and the union. Southern boys wanted to repel the North, whom they viewed as hostile invaders. A key difference between boys and adults was their attitude towards
slavery Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...
: in general, boys on both sides had neutral feelings towards slavery. Thus, few were motivated to fight for or against it. By and large, the most popular reason boys joined the military was to escape farm work or an abusive family life. (In 1860 the population of the United States was mostly rural.) Almost none imagined the conflict would drag on as long as it did.


Methods of enlistment

Although the official minimum enlistment age was 18, there were various ways boys got around this. First, a boy's appearance often fooled recruiters. It was common for teenagers to appear much older than they were. This was made easier during the chaos that often occurred at recruiting stations when new units were hastily formed. Secondly, it was easy to lie about one's age, especially given the fact that modern methods of identification (
social security Welfare, or commonly social welfare, is a type of government support intended to ensure that members of a society can meet basic human needs such as food and shelter. Social security may either be synonymous with welfare, or refer specificall ...
,
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, computer databases) did not exist at that time. Furthermore, recruiters were anxious to fill recruitment quotas. So, even though they were required to certify on the enlistment papers that they judged the volunteer to be of lawful age, they often turned a blind eye to an underage recruit. Such recruitment passivity increased as the manpower on both sides dwindled and both sides were desperate for more help. One trick was to have an underage recruit write "18" on his shoes and truthfully reply to the recruiter "I am ''over'' 18." Third, some underage boys were able to enlist with the endorsement of an adult. Ned Hutter, sixteen years old, joined the
Confederate Army The Confederate States Army, also called the Confederate Army or the Southern Army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fighting ...
in
Mississippi Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Miss ...
. His father vouched for Ned's work ethic and shooting ability. The recruiter then accepted Ned into the unit. Despite such workarounds, many other boys joined the military legitimately by signing up for non-combat positions. Many such youths signed up as musicians (such as drummers, buglers, flautists). There were places for 40,000 such positions in the Union Armies alone. They often performed other tasks, such as carrying canteens, bandages, and stretchers, to assist surgeons and nurses with the wounded; relaying orders on the battlefield; and at least a few picked up rifles and participated in the fighting.


Conditions


Food

Perhaps the biggest complaint of underage soldiers during the
Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
was the lack of food. This is because the process of keeping an army fed relied heavily on the timing of many factors, including gathering, loading, and transporting food. If any of these processes were delayed, or if any miscommunications would occur, it could be days or weeks before the army was fed. Hardtack was a staple food item, to the boys’ chagrin: "After we had been in the field a year or two the call, ‘Fall in for your hard-tack!’ was leisurely responded to by only about a dozen men.... Hard-tack was very hard. This attributed to its great age, for there was a common belief among the boys that our hard-tack had been baked long before the beginning of the Christian era. This opinion was based upon the fact that the letters 'B.C.' was stamped on many, if not, indeed, all the cracker-boxes." Other staples included
pork Pork is the culinary name for the meat of the domestic pig (''Sus domesticus''). It is the most commonly consumed meat worldwide, with evidence of pig husbandry dating back to 5000 BCE. Pork is eaten both freshly cooked and preserved; ...
,
coffee Coffee is a drink prepared from roasted coffee beans. Darkly colored, bitter, and slightly acidic, coffee has a stimulant, stimulating effect on humans, primarily due to its caffeine content. It is the most popular hot drink in the world. S ...
, and
bread Bread is a staple food prepared from a dough of flour (usually wheat) and water, usually by baking. Throughout recorded history and around the world, it has been an important part of many cultures' diet. It is one of the oldest human-made f ...
. Starving boys often devised intricate ways to sneak out of their camps and forage for food. They found food by either gathering it from the local land, or stealing it from local farmers. In the Union Army, some soldiers initially objected to this practice as violating the Ten Commandments. But as the war wore on, it became evident that “such tender regard for Rebel property” strengthened the enemy and weakened the Union cause. Consequently, “conscientious scruples stepped to the rear, and the soldier who had them at the end of the war was a curiosity indeed.” Commanding officers forbade foraging, but often connived it and shared in the spoils.


Clothing

Clothing was a crude procedure for both armies, especially towards the beginning of the war. Once colors and patterns were agreed upon, uniforms were more easily standardized. However, boys often found themselves in uniforms that were too big. Additionally, many boys continued to grow after being assigned a uniform, and many outgrew their uniforms. Some units did not have the resources to provide uniforms to boys, so many had to wear their own clothes from home. As a result, many boys often resorted to stealing uniforms from deceased soldiers, or bartering food and supplies in order to have their clothes tailored by locals.


Marching

Excitement over enlistment swiftly gave way to the boring routines of camp life and marches. "Day after day and night after night did we tramp along the rough and dusty roads ‘neath the most broiling sun with which the month of August ever afflicted a soldier; thro’ rivers and their rocky valleys, over mountains—on, on, scarcely stopping to gather the green corn from the fields to serve us for rations.... During these marches the men are sometimes unrecognizable on account of the thick coverings of dust which settle upon their hair, eye-brows and beard, filling likewise the mouth, nose, eyes, and ears."


Death, injury, and capture

These children were not spared from the horrors of war that their adult counterparts faced, including violent deaths, injuries (and poor medical treatment), and appalling living conditions when captured. Young soldiers’ romantic illusions about military glory evaporated under the harsh realities of combat. They suffered hunger, fatigue, and discomfort, and gradually lost their innocence in combat. Every aspect of soldiering comes alive in their letters and diaries: the stench of spoiled meat, the deafening sound of cannons, the sight of maimed bodies, and the randomness and anonymity of death. The accounts of young Union prisoners at Confederate prison camps are especially harrowing. Sixteen-year-old Michael Dougherty was shocked by the sight of “different instruments of torture: stocks, thumb screws, barbed iron collars, shackles, ball and chain. Our prison keepers seemed to handle them with familiarity.” William Smith, a fifteen-year-old soldier in the 14th Illinois Infantry, was shaken by the physical appearance of prisoners at Andersonville in Georgia, a “great mass of gaunt, unnatural-looking beings, soot-begrimes, and clad in filthy trousers." Michael Dougherty was the only member of his
company A company, abbreviated as co., is a Legal personality, legal entity representing an association of people, whether Natural person, natural, Legal person, legal or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members share a common p ...
to survive imprisonment at Andersonville Prison in Georgia. "No one, except he was there in the prison can form anything like a correct idea of our appearance about this time. We had been in prison for nearly five months and our clothing was worn out. A number were entire naked; some would have a ragged shirt and no pants; some had pants and no shirt; another would have shoes and a cap and nothing else. Their flesh was wasted away, leaving the chaffy, weather beaten skin drawn tight over the bones, the hip bones and shoulders standing out. Their faces and exposed parts of their bodies were covered with smoky black soot, from the dense smoke of pitch pine we had hovered over, and our long matted hair was stiff and black with the same substance, which water would have no effect on, and soap was not to be had. I would not attempt to describe the sick and dying, who could now be seen on every side."


Offenses and punishments

Boys also committed the same offenses as their adult counterparts, and their commanding officers did not spare them from punishment. Offenses included: * “Back talking” (i.e. addressing a superior with insolence) or refusal to follow military etiquette * Drunkenness * Absence from camp without leave * “Turbulence after taps” (i.e. causing a commotion after lights-out) * Sitting while on guard * Gambling Punishments included: * Hard labor * Carrying a log by oneself * Forcing the offender to stand on a barrel for an entire day * Confinement to the “guard-tent.” A veteran of the Civil War observed that this punishment “may not be though a very severe penalty; still, the men did not enjoy it, as it imposed quite a restriction on their freedom to be thus pent up and cut off from the rest of their associates.” * Confinement in a box * Lashing the offender to a wheel * Wearing a board describing the offense * Being tied up by one’s thumbs * “Drumming out of camp” (usually for cowardice). This punishment involved stripping the offender of his equipment's and uniform, and marching him through the camp with a guard on either side, four soldiers behind, and a fife and drum corps bringing up the rear. This gave the rest of the army the chance to publicly humiliate the offender. * Death by firing squad (usually for desertion). Abraham Lincoln was so reluctant to approve the death penalty that he became famous (or, at least from the perspective of those in favor of the military's ultimate sanction, infamous) for his last-minute pardons and reprieves. Over time, Generals increasingly demanded executions be carried out before the President would have an opportunity to review them.


Notable examples

Elisha Stockwell, Jr. joined the Union Army at age fifteen. Since this was against his father's wishes, he tricked his father by claiming that he was going to a Dutch dance. He told his sister he'd be back for dinner, but didn't return home for two years. He was in the Union Army for the entire duration of the war, participating in battles such as the
Battle of Shiloh The Battle of Shiloh (also known as the Battle of Pittsburg Landing) was fought on April 6–7, 1862, in the American Civil War. The fighting took place in southwestern Tennessee, which was part of the war's Western Theater. The battlefield i ...
, the Siege of Vicksburg, and Sherman's March to the Sea. He survived the war and wrote a memoir of his wartime experiences. His story is cited extensively in the awarding-winning children's book, The Boys’ War. The most celebrated schoolboy performance of the war was the baptism of fire of the
Virginia Military Institute la, Consilio et Animis (on seal) , mottoeng = "In peace a glorious asset, In war a tower of strength""By courage and wisdom" (on seal) , established = , type = Public senior military college , accreditation = SACS , endowment = $696.8 mill ...
Cadet Corps at the Battle of New Market. The corps was 215 strong when it reached the battle. The boys were eighteen or under (tradition has it that some were only fourteen).
Washington and Lee University , mottoeng = "Not Unmindful of the Future" , established = , type = Private liberal arts university , academic_affiliations = , endowment = $2.092 billion (2021) , president = William C. Dudley , provost = Lena Hill , city = Lexingto ...
provided a company of sixty-four boys in the first days of the Civil War. Their average age was about seventeen, and their average weight was about 130 pounds. Of a total of sixty-five present in the two battles of Manassas, twenty-three were killed or wounded. In the forty battles in which it fought with the
4th Virginia Infantry The 4th Virginia Volunteer Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment raised in southwestern Virginia for service in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War. It fought in the Stonewall Brigade, mostly with the Army of Northern ...
, the company lost 100 dead or wounded, and forty-six captured, of a total strength of 150 from recruitments.


Union

* Mancil V. "Manny" Root. Root was the youngest soldier in the Union Army on record. He was born in Ohio in 1854 and enlisted as a drummer boy at the age of 11, serving in the 36th Wisconsin Infantry. He died in Cedar Rapids, Iowa in 1929. * William Black. The Civil War's youngest wounded soldier on record, he was twelve when his left hand and arm were shattered by an exploding shell. * Courtland Comly Cooper born 1847, of De Kalb, NY, enlisted in the 92nd NY Infantry in 1861 at the age of either 14 or 15, birthdate unknown, and died at Cold Harbor June 1, 1864 while charging the rebel forces. * Avery Brown enlisted at in 1861 at age 8 as a musician *
John Clem John Lincoln Clem (nicknamed Johnny Shiloh; August 13, 1851 – May 13, 1937) was an American general officer who served as a drummer boy in the Union Army during the American Civil War. He gained fame for his bravery on the battlefield, b ...
joined the
22nd Michigan Volunteer Infantry Regiment The 22nd Michigan Infantry Regiment was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. Service Former Governor of Michigan Moses Wisner worked to raise the 22nd Michigan Infantry and was commissioned as its c ...
as a drummer boy at 11 years of age, (Murphy) and became a mounted orderly on the staff of
George Henry Thomas George Henry Thomas (July 31, 1816March 28, 1870) was an American general in the Union Army during the American Civil War and one of the principal commanders in the Western Theater. Thomas served in the Mexican–American War and later chose ...
. At the
Battle of Chickamauga The Battle of Chickamauga, fought on September 19–20, 1863, between United States, U.S. and Confederate States of America, Confederate forces in the American Civil War, marked the end of a Union Army, Union offensive, the Chickamauga Campaign ...
, he defiantly killed a Confederate colonel who ordered his surrender. For this, he was promoted to Sergeant. Clem went on to become a career soldier, retiring in 1915 with the rank of Brigadier General. * George Penfield Bennett born in 1852, enlisted in 1861 in New York, Company B, 1st Marine Regiment, at the age of 9 years and 7 days. Served on the ship his father commanded, the ''U.S.S. Cossack.'' He was a "
powder monkey A powder boy or powder monkey manned naval artillery guns as a member of a warship's crew, primarily during the Age of Sail. His chief role was to ferry gunpowder from the powder magazine in the ship's hold to the artillery pieces, either in ...
," passing ammunition to the gunners from the magazine. During the battle of New Bern he was presented with a pony by General Reno for intrepidity on the battle field. * Leonidas Jordan was born in 1845 enlisted in 1861 at age 16 *Private Charles H. Bickford of B Company, 2nd Massachusetts Infantry Regiment; born March 1844, date and place of death, May 3, 1863, at Chancellorsville, Virginia, *
Cornelius Herz Cornelius Herz (formerly written ''Hertz'') was born in Besançon, France on September 3, 1845, and he died in Bournemouth, England on July 6, 1898. He was a French-American doctor, electrician, businessman and famous politician of Jewish German ...
. born 1845 enlisted at 16 *
Joseph B. Foraker Joseph Benson Foraker (July 5, 1846 – May 10, 1917) was an American politician of the Republican Party who served as the 37th governor of Ohio from 1886 to 1890 and as a United States senator from Ohio from 1897 until 1909. Foraker was ...
born 1846 enlisted 1862 age 16 *
Paul Vandervoort Paul Vandervoort (July 12, 1846 – July 29, 1902) was an American soldier of Belgian descent who served in the Union Army and as the 11th Commander-in-Chief of the Grand Army of the Republic, 1882-1883. Early life and military career Vande ...
born 1846 enlisted 1862 age 15 * John S. Kountz born 1846 enlisted in 1861 at age 14 * John Cook born 1847 served 1862 and 1863 * Orion Howe born 1848 enlisted in 1861 at age 12 * Irwin Warner born 1848 enlisted 1864 age 16 * Charles E. King enlisted in 1861 at age 12 in Co F 49th PA Vols as a musician; died of wounds in September 1862 Battle of Antietam * Charles Smith enlisted in 1861 at age 14 in Co B 49th PA Vols as a musician; captured and paroled; discharged Sept 1864 *
Frederick H. Dyer Frederick Henry Dyer (July 2, 1849 – September 21, 1917) served as a drummer boy in the Union Army during the American Civil War. After the war, he wrote ''A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion'' – a complete record of every regiment ...
born 1849 Enlisted as a Drummer boy * John Whitnah Leedy born 1849 enlisted 1864 * Benjamin Zellner born 1849 served Union army A* Henry Foote Baker enlisted 1862 age 14 * Newton Peters enlisted in 1861 at age 15 * Samuel Scott enlisted 1862 age 16 * Theodore Penland 849–1950enlisted age 16 *
Albert Woolson Albert Henry Woolson (February 11, 1850 – August 2, 1956) was the last known surviving member of the Union Army who served in the American Civil War; he was also the last surviving Civil War veteran on either side whose status is undisputed. A ...
850–1956enlisted 1864 *
James A. Clough James Amasa Clough (January 24, 1850 – May 22, 1917), often referred to as James A. Clough or J. A. Clough, was an American architect, carpenter, and contractor, who was active in New England, especially prominent in Western Massachusetts, an ...
born 1850 enlisted age 15 * Aspinwall Fuller orn 1851was a 13-year-old Powder Monkey on the USS New Hampshire in 1864 * Thomas Tad Lincoln orn 1853was a commissioned Lt in 1864 * Galusha Pennypacker is reported to have enlisted in 1861 at age 16. *
Arthur MacArthur Jr. Arthur MacArthur Jr. (June 2, 1845 – September 5, 1912) was a lieutenant general of the United States Army. He became the military Governor-General of the American-occupied Philippines in 1900; his term ended a year later due to clashes wi ...
, from Wisconsin, failed to get into West Point in 1861, and instead wangled a place as adjutant of the 24th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry Regiment at the age of seventeen, and was promoted to colonel (and nicknamed "The Boy Colonel") a year later. He commanded a regiment at the bloody battles of Resaca and
Franklin Franklin may refer to: People * Franklin (given name) * Franklin (surname) * Franklin (class), a member of a historical English social class Places Australia * Franklin, Tasmania, a township * Division of Franklin, federal electoral d ...
, and was wounded three times. He went into the regular army, and retired in 1909 as the last lieutenant general of his era. He was the father of General Douglas MacArthur. *
Henry Ware Lawton Henry Ware Lawton (March 17, 1843 – December 19, 1899) was a U.S. Army officer who served with distinction in the Civil War, the Apache Wars, and the Spanish–American War. He was the only U.S. general officer to be killed during the Philippi ...
enlisted at age 18 in 1861 and was a brevet Colonel in 1865 * Charles Cleveland Dodge at 20 was a captain in 1861 and a General at 23 in 1863 *
Ranald Mackenzie Ranald Slidell Mackenzie, also called Bad Hand, (July 27, 1840 – January 19, 1889) was a career United States Army officer and general in the Union Army during the American Civil War. He was described by General Ulysses S. Grant as its ...
graduated from West Point at 22 in 1862 and a General at 25 in 1866 File:The Photographic History of The Civil War Volume 08 Page 195.jpg, Jimmy Dugan cavalry bugler File:Drummer Jimmy Doyle of Co. B, 18th U.S. Infantry Regiment) - Moulthrop, photographer, Phoenix Building, 298 Chapel St., N. Haven, Ct LCCN2016646132.jpg, Drummer Jimmy Doyle of Co. B, 18th U.S. Infantry Regiment File:Drummer Robert Henry Hendershot ("Drummer Boy of the Rappahannock") of Co. B, 8th Michigan Infantry Regiment in uniform with drum sticks in front of painted backdrop) - Kertson & Barker, 142 LCCN2017659639.jpg, Drummer Robert Henry Hendershot ("Drummer Boy of the Rappahannock") of Co. B, 8th Michigan Infantry Regiment File:Samuel W. Doble of Company D, 12th Maine Infantry Regiment, with drum LOC 5229212656.jpg, Samuel W. Doble of Company D, 12th Maine Infantry Regiment, with drum File:Drummer boy Johnny Jacobs in Union uniform with cup LCCN2016647895.jpg, Johnny Jacobs drummer boy File:Arthur H. Gale, Drummer Boy (Union).jpg, Arthur Gale Drummer boy File:Taylor, young drummer boy for 78th Colored Troops Infantry, in uniform with drum LCCN2017659602.jpg, Taylor drummer boy of the 78th USCT File:Adventures and reminiscences of a volunteer, or A drummer boy from Maine (1892) (14576309347).jpg, George T. Ulmer File:William-black.soldier.jpg,
William Black William is a masculine given name of Norman French origin.Hanks, Hardcastle and Hodges, ''Oxford Dictionary of First Names'', Oxford University Press, 2nd edition, , p. 276. It became very popular in the English language after the Norman conques ...
, drummer boy for the Union File:Private Charles H. Bickford of B Company, 2nd Massachusetts Infantry Regiment as a young boy LOC 5228607075.jpg, Private Charles H. Bickford of B Company, 2nd Massachusetts Infantry Regiment File:Child named Carl who became a soldier; with handwritten note and lock of hair in case LCCN2010647219.jpg, Carlos E. Rogers of Company K, 185th New York, who was killed on either March 29 or 30, 1865, at Quaker Road in Dinwiddie County ge 18File:Johnny Clem CDV by George Rockwood.jpg, John Clem File:Captain Foraker.png, Joseph Foraker as a captain in the
Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...
File:Cornélius Herz.jpg, Lt Cornélius Herz File:PaulVandervoort.jpg,
Paul Vandervoort Paul Vandervoort (July 12, 1846 – July 29, 1902) was an American soldier of Belgian descent who served in the Union Army and as the 11th Commander-in-Chief of the Grand Army of the Republic, 1882-1883. Early life and military career Vande ...
File:John S Kountz framed.jpg, John S Kountz File:John Cook bugler (framed).jpg, John Cook uglerFile:OrionHowe.jpg, Orion Howe File:Frederick H Dyer.png, Frederick H Dyer File:John Whitnah Leedy.jpg, John Whitnah Leedy File:The Photographic History of The Civil War Volume 08 Page 243.jpg, Newton Peters and Samuel Scott in above photograph and leader Patrick Yard served 1861-1865File:Drummer boys off duty, playing cards in camp, winter of 1862 LCCN00651621.jpg, Drummer boys off duty, playing cards in camp, winter of 1862 File:19490922 - Theodore A. Penland Commander-in-Chief of the GAR Portrait Signed, TAP.jpg, Theodore Penland File:JamesCloughPortrait.jpg,
James A. Clough James Amasa Clough (January 24, 1850 – May 22, 1917), often referred to as James A. Clough or J. A. Clough, was an American architect, carpenter, and contractor, who was active in New England, especially prominent in Western Massachusetts, an ...
File:UnionPowderMonkey.jpg, Aspinwall Fuller a
powder monkey A powder boy or powder monkey manned naval artillery guns as a member of a warship's crew, primarily during the Age of Sail. His chief role was to ferry gunpowder from the powder magazine in the ship's hold to the artillery pieces, either in ...
on the USS Hampshire, circa. 1864 File:Tad Lincoln in uniform.jpg, Lt Thomas Lincoln 1864 File:Galusha Pennypacker.jpg, Galusha Pennypacker File:Arthur MacArthur Jr.jpg, Arthur MacArthur Jr File:Henry Ware Lawton (Corinth, Mississippi - 1862).jpg, Henry Ware Lawton 1862 File:Gen Charles C. Dodge.jpg, General Charles Cleveland Dodge File:RSMackenzie.jpg, General Ranald Mackenzie


Confederacy

* Glenn Reynolds (sheriff) born 1853 served in Civil War exasagainst Native Americans * Charles F Mosby enlisted in 1861 at age 13 *
Clell Miller Clell Miller (1849 or 1850 – September 7, 1876) (also known as Cleland D. Miller or Clenand Miller or McClelland Miller) was an outlaw with the James-Younger Gang who was killed during the gang's robbery at Northfield, Minnesota. Miller was ...
849/1850-1876) joined Quantrill raiders at 14; part of James-Younger gang * James P. Collier age 14 "killed June 1862 at Battle of Seven Pines as substitute for his brother Tip." * James Morris Morgan was enlisted as a Midshipman 1861 at 15 * Henry Andrew Heck Thomas age 12 served 1862–63 * Dallas Stoudenmire">Heck Thomas">Henry Andrew Heck Thomas age 12 served 1862–63 * Dallas Stoudenmire is reported to have enlisted at age 15 * Edwin Francis Jemison enlisted in 1861 at age 16; he was killed in 1862 at the Battle of Malvern Hill * Isidor Strauss (b. 1845} In 1861 he was elected an officer in a Georgia Military unit * John A Wyeth enlisted in 1861 at age 16 * Sgt William T. Biedler 16 years old, of Company C, Mosby's Virginia Cavalry Regiment with flintlock musket * Allan C. Redwood .1844served 55th Virginia Infantry * Walter Mackenzie Clark born 1846 in 1861 at age 14 was Lt 22nd N.C; 1862 Adjutant 35th N.C.; 1864 Major 6th N.C. Battalion; 1865 Lt. Col. 70th N.C. age 17 *
Jesse James Jesse Woodson James (September 5, 1847April 3, 1882) was an American outlaw, bank and train robber, guerrilla and leader of the James–Younger Gang. Raised in the " Little Dixie" area of Western Missouri, James and his family maintained stro ...
went to war at age 16 in 1863 *
Sumner Archibald Cunningham Sumner Archibald Cunningham (July 21, 1843 – December 20, 1913) was an American Confederate soldier and journalist. He was the editor of a short lived Confederate magazine called "Our Day" (1883-1884) published in New York. In 1893 he establish ...
Born 1843 served 1861–1864 * Francis Marion Gibson 847–1939enlisted at age 15 and served 2 years and several months * John F Brown enlisted in 1861 at age 17 Co G Lamar Rifles 11th Mississippi Rifles
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Marcellus Jerome Clarke Marcellus Jerome Clarke (also called M. Jerome Clarke)Texas Jack Omohundro John Baker Omohundro (July 27, 1846 – June 28, 1880), also known as "Texas Jack", was an American frontier scout, actor, and cowboy. Born in rural Virginia, he served the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War. He late ...
Born 1846 went to war age 17 * Henry King Burgwyn was a Lt Col age 19 in 1861 * William Barksdale Tabb became a Colonel age 22 in 1862 * John Herbert Kelly became a general age 23 in 1863 *
William Paul Roberts William P. Roberts (July 11, 1841 – March 28, 1910) was an American politician and diplomat. He was also a senior officer of the Confederate States Army who commanded cavalry in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. Promoted to Brig ...
became a general age 23 in 1864 * John C. C. Sanders became a general age 24 in 1864. * J.C Goolsby enlisted at 14 years old, served in Crenshaw Battery part of
William Pegram William Ransom Johnson Pegram, known as "Willie" or "Willy", (June 29, 1841 – April 2, 1865) was an artillery officer in Robert E. Lee's Confederate Army of Northern Virginia during the American Civil War. He was mortally wounded in the Battle ...
's Battalion of Artillery File:The_Photographic_History_of_The_Civil_War_Volume_08_Page_145.jpg, Drummer A.K. Clark enter with drum"Clinch Rifles" Georgia May 1861 File:The Photographic History of The Civil War Volume 08 Page 389.jpg, Drummer Charles F Mosby Sheriff Glenn Reynolds.jpg, Glenn Reynolds (sheriff) File:Heck-Thomas-c1900.jpg, Henry Andrew "Heck" Thomas File:Dallas Stoudenmire.jpg, Dallas Stoudenmire File:Private Edwin Francis Jemison.jpg, Edwin Francis Jemison File:Rosalie Ida Blun & Isidor (Isador) Straus marriage.jpg, Isidor Straus & wife File:The Photographic History of The Civil War Volume 10 Page 031.jpg, John A Wyeth pper right hand cornerAllan C Redwood ar right middle row Sumner Archibald Cunningham is 2nd from right bottom row File:William T. Biedler CSA.jpg, Sgt William T. Biedler File:WalterClark.png, Walter Mackenzie Clark File:Jesse James (approx. 16 yrs. of age). Missouri bushwhacker riding with Bloody Bill Anderson.jpg, Jesse James 1863 File:Marcellus Jerome Clarke.jpg, Marcellus Jerome Clarke File:The Photographic History of The Civil War Volume 09 Page 316.jpg, Henry Howe Cook File:Texas Jack Omohundro - Gurney.jpg, Texas Jack Omohundro File:Colonel Henry King Burgwyn, Jr., CSA.jpg, Henry King Burgwyn File:William Barksdale Tabb.jpg, William Barksdale Tabb File:William Paul Roberts.jpg, William Paul Roberts File:John Herbert Kelly.jpg, John Herbert Kelly File:John Caldwell Calhoun Sanders.jpg, John Caldwell Calhoun Sanders File:The Photographic History of The Civil War Volume 03 Page 295.jpg, Unknown Confederate soldier estimated at being 14 years of age killed at Petersburg Virginia April 2, 1865


Statistics

Federal Soldiers: * 2,000,000+ were 21 or younger * 1,000,000 were 18 or younger * 500,000+ were seventeen or under * 200,000 were sixteen or under * 100,000 were fifteen or under * 10,000 were fourteen or under * 300 were thirteen or under—most of these were fifers or drummers, but regularly enrolled, and sometimes fighters. Twenty-five were ten or under. Compared to the number of older men: * 50,000 were 25 or older * 15,000 up to the age of 44 * 1,000 where born in the 18th century


References

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