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America’s Youngest Warriors – Children Who Fought for the US

Khalid Elhassan April 4, 2025 17 min

Children - US Army Sergeant John Lincoln Clem — US Army Sergeant John Lincoln Clem. Metropolitan Museum of Art

12. Abraham Lincoln Took a Shine to This Young Warrior

Children - Gustav Albert Schurmann and Abraham Lincoln — Gustav Albert Schurmann and Abraham Lincoln. Pinterest

When Gustav Schurmann made it to Washington, President Lincoln figured the boy had already used up to too many of his lives. He ended his Civil War service, and ordered him back home to attend school in preparation for West Point in a few years. During Gustav’s Civil War career, he served as a bugler for five different generals. He saw plenty of action, was recognized for his courage and awarded medals, befriended the president’s youngest son, and was guested at the White House. All in all, a generous dollop of the adventure and excitement the lad had sought when he enlisted. After his discharge, Gustav returned to New York City. Lincoln’s assassination ended his West Point prospects, so he went on with his life. He settled in NYC, worked for the city in various departments, married, and raised a family. He died in 1905, aged 56.

Written by

Khalid Elhassan

A lifelong history buff, I developed a particular passion for WW2 history as a child, when I spent hours listening to my grandfather, enraptured, as he recounted his wartime experiences in the British East African Campaign and with the British 8th Army in North Africa.

I graduated with a history BA from George Mason University, then went on to get a JD from the University of Virginia School of Law. After lawyering for a decade, I moved to sunny Rio de Janeiro and a less demanding career, opening a tourism agency in Copacabana.

A big chunk of my free time is spent blogging (you can follow me on Quora https://www.quora.com/profile/Khalid-Elhassan ) or freelance writing, mostly about my favorite subject, history.