18. Both Sides Employed Thousands of Child Soldiers During the Civil War
Thousands of child soldiers were used by both sides during the Civil War. About a fifth of all military personnel were under eighteen, and more than 100,000 soldiers in the Union Army alone were fifteen-years-old or less. Some kids as young as eight were put in uniform. Most child soldiers in the US Army were utilized as drummers, buglers, cooks’ assistants, nurses, orderlies, general gophers, or put to work in other non-combatant positions. However, in the midst of battle, child soldiers were often just as exposed to bullets and artillery as were the grown men on the firing line.
In the US Navy, children frequently served as “powder monkeys” in warships. Their chief task during combat was to rush gunpowder from magazines to canons, and they were just as exposed to danger in the midst of action as were all other sailors aboard ship, regardless of age. They scurried about with sacks of gunpowder that were liable to go off if they came into contact with any spark or shard of flaming timber or scorching shell fragment. That put the little powder monkeys at even greater risk than the rest of the crew.
Also Read: The Incredible Story of the 12-Year Old Civil War Hero.
