http://www.civilwarhome.com/boysinwar.htm
The Boys War
John Clem was only nine years old in 1861 when he ran away from home with hopes of joining the Union Army. While he was refused admittance into the army, he took up with the 22d Michigan Regiment, who took him on as a mascot, letting him officially enlist as a drummer boy in 1863. Clem gained national fame, known to many as “Drummer Boy of Chickamauga” or “Johnny Shiloh.” Clem lived to be commissioned by then-president Ulysses S. Grant as a Second Lieutenant in 1871, retiring from the Army in 1915 with rank of Brigadier General and an even more extraordinary title – the last Civil War veteran still enlisted in the Army.
Clem’s story is a romantic one that spurred many a boy’s dreams of being a drummer boy during the Civil War. However, the reality of the lives of most boy soldiers was less bright than that of Clem’s. A drummer boy was in particular danger, often out in front of the infantry, directly in the line of fire.
For the rest go to http://www.civilwar-pictures.com/articles/general/children-of-the-civil-war/
I thought this was interesting because imagine being only nine and being a apart of this dangerous war was such a risk.
This is a picture of a teenage boy that is a federal soldier.
Despite the fact that seventeen was the minimum age for enlistment in the Army during the Civil War era, many children much younger than the ripe old age of seventeen either attempted to enlist, using assumed names and ages, or tagged along behind regiments until they were old enough to enlist. It is estimated that around five percent of the soldiers who served during the Civil War were under 18 years of age.
The Boys War
More than 2,000,000 Federal soldiers were twenty-one or under (of a total of some 2,700,000)- More than 1,000,000 were eighteen or under.
About 800,000 were seventeen or under.
About 200,000 were sixteen or under.
About 100,000 were fifteen or under.
Three hundred were thirteen or under-most of these fifers or drummers, but regularly enrolled, and sometimes fighters.
Twenty-five were ten or under.
This is a picture of William Wood and his son Richard Wood, Just after the Seven Day battle.
The boy was 11yars old and was already serving in the war.
Here is a picture of Drummer boys that were about 15-18. Bealeton,Virginia Drum Corps.
John Clem was only nine years old in 1861 when he ran away from home with hopes of joining the Union Army. While he was refused admittance into the army, he took up with the 22d Michigan Regiment, who took him on as a mascot, letting him officially enlist as a drummer boy in 1863. Clem gained national fame, known to many as “Drummer Boy of Chickamauga” or “Johnny Shiloh.” Clem lived to be commissioned by then-president Ulysses S. Grant as a Second Lieutenant in 1871, retiring from the Army in 1915 with rank of Brigadier General and an even more extraordinary title – the last Civil War veteran still enlisted in the Army.
Clem’s story is a romantic one that spurred many a boy’s dreams of being a drummer boy during the Civil War. However, the reality of the lives of most boy soldiers was less bright than that of Clem’s. A drummer boy was in particular danger, often out in front of the infantry, directly in the line of fire.
For the rest go to http://www.civilwar-pictures.com/articles/general/children-of-the-civil-war/
I thought this was interesting because imagine being only nine and being a apart of this dangerous war was such a risk.
This is a picture of a teenage boy that is a federal soldier.
Despite the fact that seventeen was the minimum age for enlistment in the Army during the Civil War era, many children much younger than the ripe old age of seventeen either attempted to enlist, using assumed names and ages, or tagged along behind regiments until they were old enough to enlist. It is estimated that around five percent of the soldiers who served during the Civil War were under 18 years of age.
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