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1 of 27A “powder monkey” aboard a ship, identified in some places as the U.S.S. New Hampshire and, in others, as the U.S.S. Pawnee.
Charleston, South Carolina. Circa 1864-1865.Library of Congress 2 of 27Little Johnny Clem became the youngest soldier in the Union Army to kill a man when he put down his drum, grabbed a rifle, and shot a Confederate officer.
Circa 1863-1865.Wikimedia Commons 3 of 27Three drummer boys in the Confederate army. By the time this picture had been taken, these boys were veterans of nine battles.
Circa 1861-1865.Library of Congress 4 of 27This photo, labelled “Captain Goodrich’s Jack” on the back, appears to show the African-American servant of an army officer.
Circa 1861-1865.Library of Congress 5 of 27A 15-year-old Confederate child soldier lies dead in the trenches at Fort Mahone.
Petersburg, Virginia. 1865.Library of Congress 6 of 27A group of Generals in the Union Army pose for a photo with an African-American servant boy.
Cumberland Landing, Virginia. 1862.Library of Congress 7 of 27Major Luzerne Todd poses for a photograph with his African-American child servant.
Arlington Grounds, Virginia. 1861.Library of Congress 8 of 27The crew of a frigate poses in front of a cannon. The boy sitting on top serves as a powder monkey, gathering gunpowder and bringing it to the cannons.
Circa 1861-1865.Library of Congress 9 of 27A young African-American boy stands next to a Union Officer. He is most likely working as the officer’s servant.
Circa 1861-1865.Library of Congress 10 of 27A young Union drummer.
Circa 1861-1865.Library of Congress 11 of 27A Union drummer boy in uniform.
Circa 1861-1865.Library of Congress 12 of 27Johnny Clem in uniform, with the stripes showing off his officer’s rank.
Circa 1863-1865.Wikimedia Commons 13 of 27A portrait of a young boy in a Confederate uniform.
Circa 1861-1865.Library of Congress 14 of 27William Black, the youngest soldier to injured in active duty, was 12 years old when his arm was hit by an exploding shell.
Circa 1860-1865.Wikimedia Commons 15 of 27An African-American child poses in front of a painted backdrop in the clothing of an army servant.
Circa 1861-1865.Library of Congress 16 of 27Soldiers at Camp Cameron, including a young African-American servant boy.
Washington, D.C. 1861-1865.Library of Congress 17 of 27Drummer boy Johnny Jacobs in his Union Army uniform.
Circa 1861-1865.Library of Congress 18 of 27A child at a military camp leans against a wooden barrel with spikes.
Circa 1862-1863.Library of Congress 19 of 27A young drummer boy, his cheeks made rosy to emphasize his youth, poses with his drum.
Circa 1861-1865.Library of Congress 20 of 27Nathan Jones, an African-American servant boy, serving at Camp Metcalf.
Virginia. Circa 1861-1865.Library of Congress 21 of 27Johnny Clem, the youngest soldier in the Union Army. At the time of this photo, he was 12 years old.
1863.Wikimedia Commons 22 of 27Jimmy Doyle, a drummer boy who was wounded in combat.
N. Haven, Connecticut. 1863.Library of Congress 23 of 27A child in the uniform of the Washington Rifles.
Circa 1861-1865.Library of Congress 24 of 27A Union drummer boy in uniform, holding his drum.
Circa 1861-1865.Library of Congress 25 of 27Johnny Clem would survive the war, despite being captured and held prisoner by Confederate soldiers. He would even stay in the American Army after the war. When he left the service in 1915, he was a General and the last Civil War soldier still in the army.
1865.Wikimedia Commons 26 of 27A Union child soldier poses with his rifle.
Circa 1861-1865.Library of Congress 27 of 27Like this gallery?Share it:
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Kids In Combat: 26 Photos Of The Civil War’s Child Soldiers View Gallery
The bloodiest war in American history was often fought by child soldiers.
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1 of 27A “powder monkey” aboard a ship, identified in some places as the U.S.S. New Hampshire and, in others, as the U.S.S. Pawnee.
Charleston, South Carolina. Circa 1864-1865.Library of Congress 2 of 27Little Johnny Clem became the youngest soldier in the Union Army to kill a man when he put down his drum, grabbed a rifle, and shot a Confederate officer.
Circa 1863-1865.Wikimedia Commons 3 of 27Three drummer boys in the Confederate army. By the time this picture had been taken, these boys were veterans of nine battles.
Circa 1861-1865.Library of Congress 4 of 27This photo, labelled “Captain Goodrich’s Jack” on the back, appears to show the African-American servant of an army officer.
Circa 1861-1865.Library of Congress 5 of 27A 15-year-old Confederate child soldier lies dead in the trenches at Fort Mahone.
Petersburg, Virginia. 1865.Library of Congress 6 of 27A group of Generals in the Union Army pose for a photo with an African-American servant boy.
Cumberland Landing, Virginia. 1862.Library of Congress 7 of 27Major Luzerne Todd poses for a photograph with his African-American child servant.
Arlington Grounds, Virginia. 1861.Library of Congress 8 of 27The crew of a frigate poses in front of a cannon. The boy sitting on top serves as a powder monkey, gathering gunpowder and bringing it to the cannons.
Circa 1861-1865.Library of Congress 9 of 27A young African-American boy stands next to a Union Officer. He is most likely working as the officer’s servant.
Circa 1861-1865.Library of Congress 10 of 27A young Union drummer.
Circa 1861-1865.Library of Congress 11 of 27A Union drummer boy in uniform.
Circa 1861-1865.Library of Congress 12 of 27Johnny Clem in uniform, with the stripes showing off his officer’s rank.
Circa 1863-1865.Wikimedia Commons 13 of 27A portrait of a young boy in a Confederate uniform.
Circa 1861-1865.Library of Congress 14 of 27William Black, the youngest soldier to injured in active duty, was 12 years old when his arm was hit by an exploding shell.
Circa 1860-1865.Wikimedia Commons 15 of 27An African-American child poses in front of a painted backdrop in the clothing of an army servant.
Circa 1861-1865.Library of Congress 16 of 27Soldiers at Camp Cameron, including a young African-American servant boy.
Washington, D.C. 1861-1865.Library of Congress 17 of 27Drummer boy Johnny Jacobs in his Union Army uniform.
Circa 1861-1865.Library of Congress 18 of 27A child at a military camp leans against a wooden barrel with spikes.
Circa 1862-1863.Library of Congress 19 of 27A young drummer boy, his cheeks made rosy to emphasize his youth, poses with his drum.
Circa 1861-1865.Library of Congress 20 of 27Nathan Jones, an African-American servant boy, serving at Camp Metcalf.
Virginia. Circa 1861-1865.Library of Congress 21 of 27Johnny Clem, the youngest soldier in the Union Army. At the time of this photo, he was 12 years old.
1863.Wikimedia Commons 22 of 27Jimmy Doyle, a drummer boy who was wounded in combat.
N. Haven, Connecticut. 1863.Library of Congress 23 of 27A child in the uniform of the Washington Rifles.
Circa 1861-1865.Library of Congress 24 of 27A Union drummer boy in uniform, holding his drum.
Circa 1861-1865.Library of Congress 25 of 27Johnny Clem would survive the war, despite being captured and held prisoner by Confederate soldiers. He would even stay in the American Army after the war. When he left the service in 1915, he was a General and the last Civil War soldier still in the army.
1865.Wikimedia Commons 26 of 27A Union child soldier poses with his rifle.
Circa 1861-1865.Library of Congress 27 of 27Like this gallery?Share it:
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1 of 27A “powder monkey” aboard a ship, identified in some places as the U.S.S. New Hampshire and, in others, as the U.S.S. Pawnee.
Charleston, South Carolina. Circa 1864-1865.Library of Congress 2 of 27Little Johnny Clem became the youngest soldier in the Union Army to kill a man when he put down his drum, grabbed a rifle, and shot a Confederate officer.
Circa 1863-1865.Wikimedia Commons 3 of 27Three drummer boys in the Confederate army. By the time this picture had been taken, these boys were veterans of nine battles.
Circa 1861-1865.Library of Congress 4 of 27This photo, labelled “Captain Goodrich’s Jack” on the back, appears to show the African-American servant of an army officer.
Circa 1861-1865.Library of Congress 5 of 27A 15-year-old Confederate child soldier lies dead in the trenches at Fort Mahone.
Petersburg, Virginia. 1865.Library of Congress 6 of 27A group of Generals in the Union Army pose for a photo with an African-American servant boy.
Cumberland Landing, Virginia. 1862.Library of Congress 7 of 27Major Luzerne Todd poses for a photograph with his African-American child servant.
Arlington Grounds, Virginia. 1861.Library of Congress 8 of 27The crew of a frigate poses in front of a cannon. The boy sitting on top serves as a powder monkey, gathering gunpowder and bringing it to the cannons.
Circa 1861-1865.Library of Congress 9 of 27A young African-American boy stands next to a Union Officer. He is most likely working as the officer’s servant.
Circa 1861-1865.Library of Congress 10 of 27A young Union drummer.
Circa 1861-1865.Library of Congress 11 of 27A Union drummer boy in uniform.
Circa 1861-1865.Library of Congress 12 of 27Johnny Clem in uniform, with the stripes showing off his officer’s rank.
Circa 1863-1865.Wikimedia Commons 13 of 27A portrait of a young boy in a Confederate uniform.
Circa 1861-1865.Library of Congress 14 of 27William Black, the youngest soldier to injured in active duty, was 12 years old when his arm was hit by an exploding shell.
Circa 1860-1865.Wikimedia Commons 15 of 27An African-American child poses in front of a painted backdrop in the clothing of an army servant.
Circa 1861-1865.Library of Congress 16 of 27Soldiers at Camp Cameron, including a young African-American servant boy.
Washington, D.C. 1861-1865.Library of Congress 17 of 27Drummer boy Johnny Jacobs in his Union Army uniform.
Circa 1861-1865.Library of Congress 18 of 27A child at a military camp leans against a wooden barrel with spikes.
Circa 1862-1863.Library of Congress 19 of 27A young drummer boy, his cheeks made rosy to emphasize his youth, poses with his drum.
Circa 1861-1865.Library of Congress 20 of 27Nathan Jones, an African-American servant boy, serving at Camp Metcalf.
Virginia. Circa 1861-1865.Library of Congress 21 of 27Johnny Clem, the youngest soldier in the Union Army. At the time of this photo, he was 12 years old.
1863.Wikimedia Commons 22 of 27Jimmy Doyle, a drummer boy who was wounded in combat.
N. Haven, Connecticut. 1863.Library of Congress 23 of 27A child in the uniform of the Washington Rifles.
Circa 1861-1865.Library of Congress 24 of 27A Union drummer boy in uniform, holding his drum.
Circa 1861-1865.Library of Congress 25 of 27Johnny Clem would survive the war, despite being captured and held prisoner by Confederate soldiers. He would even stay in the American Army after the war. When he left the service in 1915, he was a General and the last Civil War soldier still in the army.
1865.Wikimedia Commons 26 of 27A Union child soldier poses with his rifle.
Circa 1861-1865.Library of Congress 27 of 27Like this gallery?Share it:
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1 of 27A “powder monkey” aboard a ship, identified in some places as the U.S.S. New Hampshire and, in others, as the U.S.S. Pawnee.
Charleston, South Carolina. Circa 1864-1865.Library of Congress 2 of 27Little Johnny Clem became the youngest soldier in the Union Army to kill a man when he put down his drum, grabbed a rifle, and shot a Confederate officer.
Circa 1863-1865.Wikimedia Commons 3 of 27Three drummer boys in the Confederate army. By the time this picture had been taken, these boys were veterans of nine battles.
Circa 1861-1865.Library of Congress 4 of 27This photo, labelled “Captain Goodrich’s Jack” on the back, appears to show the African-American servant of an army officer.
Circa 1861-1865.Library of Congress 5 of 27A 15-year-old Confederate child soldier lies dead in the trenches at Fort Mahone.
Petersburg, Virginia. 1865.Library of Congress 6 of 27A group of Generals in the Union Army pose for a photo with an African-American servant boy.
Cumberland Landing, Virginia. 1862.Library of Congress 7 of 27Major Luzerne Todd poses for a photograph with his African-American child servant.
Arlington Grounds, Virginia. 1861.Library of Congress 8 of 27The crew of a frigate poses in front of a cannon. The boy sitting on top serves as a powder monkey, gathering gunpowder and bringing it to the cannons.
Circa 1861-1865.Library of Congress 9 of 27A young African-American boy stands next to a Union Officer. He is most likely working as the officer’s servant.
Circa 1861-1865.Library of Congress 10 of 27A young Union drummer.
Circa 1861-1865.Library of Congress 11 of 27A Union drummer boy in uniform.
Circa 1861-1865.Library of Congress 12 of 27Johnny Clem in uniform, with the stripes showing off his officer’s rank.
Circa 1863-1865.Wikimedia Commons 13 of 27A portrait of a young boy in a Confederate uniform.
Circa 1861-1865.Library of Congress 14 of 27William Black, the youngest soldier to injured in active duty, was 12 years old when his arm was hit by an exploding shell.
Circa 1860-1865.Wikimedia Commons 15 of 27An African-American child poses in front of a painted backdrop in the clothing of an army servant.
Circa 1861-1865.Library of Congress 16 of 27Soldiers at Camp Cameron, including a young African-American servant boy.
Washington, D.C. 1861-1865.Library of Congress 17 of 27Drummer boy Johnny Jacobs in his Union Army uniform.
Circa 1861-1865.Library of Congress 18 of 27A child at a military camp leans against a wooden barrel with spikes.
Circa 1862-1863.Library of Congress 19 of 27A young drummer boy, his cheeks made rosy to emphasize his youth, poses with his drum.
Circa 1861-1865.Library of Congress 20 of 27Nathan Jones, an African-American servant boy, serving at Camp Metcalf.
Virginia. Circa 1861-1865.Library of Congress 21 of 27Johnny Clem, the youngest soldier in the Union Army. At the time of this photo, he was 12 years old.
1863.Wikimedia Commons 22 of 27Jimmy Doyle, a drummer boy who was wounded in combat.
N. Haven, Connecticut. 1863.Library of Congress 23 of 27A child in the uniform of the Washington Rifles.
Circa 1861-1865.Library of Congress 24 of 27A Union drummer boy in uniform, holding his drum.
Circa 1861-1865.Library of Congress 25 of 27Johnny Clem would survive the war, despite being captured and held prisoner by Confederate soldiers. He would even stay in the American Army after the war. When he left the service in 1915, he was a General and the last Civil War soldier still in the army.
1865.Wikimedia Commons 26 of 27A Union child soldier poses with his rifle.
Circa 1861-1865.Library of Congress 27 of 27Like this gallery?Share it:
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1 of 27A “powder monkey” aboard a ship, identified in some places as the U.S.S. New Hampshire and, in others, as the U.S.S. Pawnee.
Charleston, South Carolina. Circa 1864-1865.Library of Congress
2 of 27Little Johnny Clem became the youngest soldier in the Union Army to kill a man when he put down his drum, grabbed a rifle, and shot a Confederate officer.
Circa 1863-1865.Wikimedia Commons
3 of 27Three drummer boys in the Confederate army. By the time this picture had been taken, these boys were veterans of nine battles.
Circa 1861-1865.Library of Congress
4 of 27This photo, labelled “Captain Goodrich’s Jack” on the back, appears to show the African-American servant of an army officer.
Circa 1861-1865.Library of Congress
5 of 27A 15-year-old Confederate child soldier lies dead in the trenches at Fort Mahone.
Petersburg, Virginia. 1865.Library of Congress
6 of 27A group of Generals in the Union Army pose for a photo with an African-American servant boy.
Cumberland Landing, Virginia. 1862.Library of Congress
7 of 27Major Luzerne Todd poses for a photograph with his African-American child servant.
Arlington Grounds, Virginia. 1861.Library of Congress
8 of 27The crew of a frigate poses in front of a cannon. The boy sitting on top serves as a powder monkey, gathering gunpowder and bringing it to the cannons.
Circa 1861-1865.Library of Congress
9 of 27A young African-American boy stands next to a Union Officer. He is most likely working as the officer’s servant.
Circa 1861-1865.Library of Congress
10 of 27A young Union drummer.
Circa 1861-1865.Library of Congress
11 of 27A Union drummer boy in uniform.
Circa 1861-1865.Library of Congress
12 of 27Johnny Clem in uniform, with the stripes showing off his officer’s rank.
Circa 1863-1865.Wikimedia Commons
13 of 27A portrait of a young boy in a Confederate uniform.
Circa 1861-1865.Library of Congress
14 of 27William Black, the youngest soldier to injured in active duty, was 12 years old when his arm was hit by an exploding shell.
Circa 1860-1865.Wikimedia Commons
15 of 27An African-American child poses in front of a painted backdrop in the clothing of an army servant.
Circa 1861-1865.Library of Congress
16 of 27Soldiers at Camp Cameron, including a young African-American servant boy.
Washington, D.C. 1861-1865.Library of Congress
17 of 27Drummer boy Johnny Jacobs in his Union Army uniform.
Circa 1861-1865.Library of Congress
18 of 27A child at a military camp leans against a wooden barrel with spikes.
Circa 1862-1863.Library of Congress
19 of 27A young drummer boy, his cheeks made rosy to emphasize his youth, poses with his drum.
Circa 1861-1865.Library of Congress
20 of 27Nathan Jones, an African-American servant boy, serving at Camp Metcalf.
Virginia. Circa 1861-1865.Library of Congress
21 of 27Johnny Clem, the youngest soldier in the Union Army. At the time of this photo, he was 12 years old.
1863.Wikimedia Commons
22 of 27Jimmy Doyle, a drummer boy who was wounded in combat.
N. Haven, Connecticut. 1863.Library of Congress
23 of 27A child in the uniform of the Washington Rifles.
Circa 1861-1865.Library of Congress
24 of 27A Union drummer boy in uniform, holding his drum.
Circa 1861-1865.Library of Congress
25 of 27Johnny Clem would survive the war, despite being captured and held prisoner by Confederate soldiers. He would even stay in the American Army after the war. When he left the service in 1915, he was a General and the last Civil War soldier still in the army.
1865.Wikimedia Commons
26 of 27A Union child soldier poses with his rifle.
Circa 1861-1865.Library of Congress
27 of 27Like this gallery?Share it:
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Kids In Combat: 26 Photos Of The Civil War’s Child Soldiers View Gallery
Kids In Combat: 26 Photos Of The Civil War’s Child Soldiers View Gallery
Kids In Combat: 26 Photos Of The Civil War’s Child Soldiers View Gallery
Kids In Combat: 26 Photos Of The Civil War’s Child Soldiers View Gallery
Kids In Combat: 26 Photos Of The Civil War’s Child Soldiers
View Gallery
The Civil War claimed 620,000 lives – nearly as many American casualties as every other war fought by the United States combined. And one out of every five people who enlisted to risk their lives fighting their fellow countrymen was less than 18 years old.
The child soldiers of the American Civil War were often musicians, drummers, scouts, servants, or messengers who marched alongside fighting men. Others, however, experienced the violence firsthand. Some served as “powder monkeys” on warships, carrying gunpowder to the cannons. Others picked up rifles themselves and went straight into the trenches, dying and fighting among grown men.
The best known of these child soldiers is John Clem, a drummer boy who earned the nickname “Johnny Shiloh” after shrapnel from a shell crashed through his drum and knocked him out cold. Clem earned his place in history in the Battle of Chickamauga when he put down his drum, picked up a rifle, and shot and killed a Confederate officer. He was 11 years old.
Clem was made sergeant – the youngest officer in the American history. He fought through the war to the bitter end, though he was captured and taken prisoner by Confederate soldiers.
Clem, though, was by no means the only child who fought and risked his life in the Civil War. Edward Black became the youngest enlisted American to be injured in battle when a blast of shrapnel shattered his left arm. He was eight years old.
Countless other children fought, with white children carrying drums, bugles, and guns and black children working as servants for white officers. Some children were captured, some were injured, and some were killed – but everyone saw the horrors of war firsthand, watching grown men kill and die. Every one of them had to pray each night that they would live long enough to ever become grown men.
For more on hard-living children throughout American history, view these vintage photos of child laborers. Then, see 39 Civil War photos that depict America in its darkest hour. Then, learn about the African-American troops who served in the Civil War.
