Kids in Battle: 10 American Child Soldiers of the Civil War

SGT (Join to see) my goodness, war is war, I wouldn't have never imagined this read here, I am bookmarking this read for in-depth analysis.
LTC Stephen C. LTC Stephen F.

Amazing stories. Think it's particularly interesting on the concept of what society thought kids could do 150 years ago vs today.

Thanks for reminding us about boys in battle during the US Civil War SGT (Join to see). Johnny Clem was the most famous Civil War child soldier. However thousands of boys age 17 or younger fought and many died in that conflict.
Since ancient days in Israel, Rome and Persia the musicians including drummers were grown men.
Using boys made sense since the men were generally engaged in fights.
Boys have been interested in fighting since tine immemorial. In many areas of the world boys have fought or served in roles that enabled men to fight.
At Agincourt in 1485 the French raided the British baggage train and massacred the camp followers, including the boys. In the Zulu Wars Drummer Boys were allegedly hung up & disembowelled by the Zulus. at Isandwahla, as means of preventing the souls of the dead from haunting their killers.

Images: Johnny Clem; Boer War drummer boy writing his mum; Children soldiers march during a guard inspection. In the 1980's children; 1918 Child Soldiers During the Finnish Civil War

"Drummer Boy? ? a favourite of Victorian sentimental story & illustration & a well known term but what does it really mean?
Many armies have & still enlist boys ? the 14 years old French Drummer Boy who was the only survivor of an assault on the farm of Hougemont at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, the million boys of 17 years & under who fought with the Northern forces during the American Civil War, Enlisted by both sides, some were as young as 11, Drummer & Bugle Boys commonly being as young as 13.
When did the British military start using ?boys? as Drummers, officially or otherwise?
A reason to employ Drummer Boys was to convey orders by drum, drumbeat being more easily heard in battle than voice commands, & using a boy for this made best use of the men for fighting.
In medieval times boys were used as Drummers,& Trumpeters & as squires, travelling with the armies baggage columns. They were not usually kept away from the actual fighting.
In 1212, 12 years old Stephen of Cloyes is supposed to have led 30000 children from Marseilles on Crusade to the Holy Land, - they never returned. A similar Crusade was led by a German boy named Nicholas. Unsurprisingly there is doubt as to whether these Crusades actually took place.
At Agincourt in 1485 the French raided the British baggage train, massacring the camp followers, including the boys.
The British employed Drummer Boys during the American War of Independence.
In 1802 regulations referred to ?Lads & Boys? being enlisted as Privates at age 17 ? 19 years , minimum height 5? 4 ?.
It was specified that they were to be enlisted as soldiers & not be ?encouraged? to enlist with the expectation that they would be made Drummers or part of the Band., so it appears that there was recruiting of the under age & those ?still growing? as Drummers & Band Boys.prior to this instruction.
At the Battle of Waterloo in 1815 approximately 4000 boys served in the British army, another 2 battalions being held in reserve.
Often Boys were ?Sons of the Regiment?, following their fathers in service, sometimes orphans of soldiers.
Boys served in the British army during the Crimean War, they served during the Zulu Wars, a well known instance being at Isandwahla, where the Drummer Boys were allegedly hung up & disembowelled by the Zulus as means of preventing the souls of the dead from haunting their killers.
Well into the last century a battalion of infantry included two boys per company, ?Man Service? commencing at 18.
During WWI many under-age boys enlisted in the British army, often via the Recruiting Sergeants advice when they volunteered their real age to go around the corner & come back older ? to give a false age.
One source states that as many as 250000 underage boys served in the British forces during WWI, perhaps 125000 being killed or wounded..
The Canadian forces enlisted at least 6 servicemen under the age of 13 between 1936 ? 39.
There is a claim that during the defence of Carpiquet in Normandy in1944 some of the German defenders were only 10 years old, but perhaps there is a confusion here between the WSS Hitler Jugend Division & the the Hitler Jugend organisaton, although it is claimed that one German fatality was found from his personal documentation to have been only 14."
http://gmic.co.uk/topic/23848-quotdrummer-boysquot-boys-serving-in-the-british-army/
Thanks for mentioning me SFC Joe S. Davis Jr., MSM, DSL
FYI LTC Wayne Brandon LTC Bill Koski LTC (Join to see) LTC Stephen C. COL Mikel J. Burroughs