Jenny+Children+of+the+Civil+War

=__**Children of the Civil War**__ = toc

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__Heroic Children of the Civil War__
Over a third of the soldiers participating in the Civil War were under age. More than three hundred Northern soldiers were under the age of thirteen. Some children would create fake names and lie about their age, while others would legally become a drummer boy. Drummer boys were children who would march in a band leading the soldiers into battle. It was common for drummer boys to be the first shot down in battle, because they were the first to march before enemy fire.

**Examples and Stories of Child Heroes**
**Oino P. Howe** served as a drummer boy leading his unit. At the battle of Vicksburg he was shot in the leg. He kept leading the soldiers with a bullet in his leg, and was later rewarded for his bravery. **John** **Clem** ran away from home and joined the 22nd Michigan. As a nine year old, Clem was under aged, yet the troop paid him thirteen dollars a month despite the fact that he wasn’t an official member. At Shiloh, John's drum was hit by an artillery shell and at Chickamauga John fought back and shot an attacking enemy officer. John became known as the Drummer Boy of Chickamauga. Eventually, he became a courier. Later on in his carrier he was ranked a major general. With a couple of harsh wounds John retired in 1916. **Albert Munson** was fifteen years old, and joined the regiment 23rd Massachusetts with his father. During the battle of Roanoke Island, his father was wounded. Albert took his father’s pistol continued to drum, using a pistol for a drum stick. Albert kept marching right up to the enemy, yet was shot and killed. **Henry Shaler** was from Indianapolis, Indiana, and he captured twenty-five men prisoners at the battle of Gettysburg, more than any other man in the army. He then pretended to be a Southern solider and had the enemy lay down their weapons and carry the wounded. His actions were described later from another war member; “He went up, and told them to lay down their arms, and come and help carry some wounded off the field. They did so. When he got them away from their arms, he rode up to the lieutenant, and told him to give up his sword. The lieutenant refused at first; but Harry drew his pepper-box, and, like Crockett’s coon, the lieutenant came down without a shot. Harry then took them all into camp. He took a captain and five men at another time, making twenty-five in all, which is doing pretty well for a little Dutchman; and he deserves to be remembered for it.” **Robert Henry Hendershot was a drummer boy for the 8th Michigan. His division was charged with the duty of laying pontoon bridges across the Rappahannock River during the battle of Fredericksburg. Robert volunteered for the mission, but was denied. He stowed away, by hanging on the back of the boat, submerged in water. His drum was destroyed, but he picked up a musket and captured one of the Confederate sharpshooters. ** media type="youtube" key="Q52_MU4W_uE" width="425" height="350"
 * Johnny Cook** served as bugler with the 4th Artillery in order to take part in the war. After his fifteenth birthday, he was promoted to a common soldier at the Battle of Antietam. During this battle he saw canners (people operating the cannons) shot down. Cook immediately took over the operation. Later, he was awarded a medal of honor after fighting the attacks of the Confederates. He remained involved in the war until the end, joining the crew of a gun boat.

__Education during war time__
Education was much more enforced in the North, yet both the North and South provided education to the children.Few states provided universal public education during the Civil War era. At most southern academies discipline was administrated through a military-types training in order to prepare for the war. The Civil War had smaller impact on the northern education styles. Most schools had multiple grades together in a compact room. There were textbooks, yet most teaching was done orally. Teachers could come up with what they wanted to teach on daily bases, meaning there was no absolute strict curriculum to follow. Agriculture (especially in the South) dictated the school schedules. Children would be excused from school to work on the fields and help out at home. The modern day practice of closing schools for summer vacation derives from the break children during the summer in the 1860’s to do field work. Children of wealthy families could live at the academies by boarding the schools, other children would just stay for the day. At most academies the boys and the girls were kept separated. Although schools were run much differently, education was not lacking. By the fifth year of schooling children were reading college level books. As an example, John B. Cary’s Male and Female Academy in Hampton, Virginia offered classes in Greek, Latin, French, German, Italian, and Spanish, as well as chemistry, natural philosophy, and astronomy.

__Children's Life__
When the War began children and adults waved their flags with optimism and excitement as new regiments paraded off to the war. Children accompanied their parents to the military camps in carriages or omnibuses that made regular trips to and from the training grounds. The children would stay and watch the fathers prepare for war. Some boys paid close attention knowing soon they would be fighting. As the war progressed, the impact it had on family life and children increased. All of the children’s male relatives and loved ones were separated from them. The distance became long and hard, and keeping in touch was uncommon, for letters (the only form of communication) were unreliable. Children would send mail ensuring their fathers and relatives that they were doing okay, and helping to hold down fort. Fathers would reply, encouraging their children to keep up their school work and their farm work. Some army fathers would explain the condition of the war, and try to enhance their children’s understanding of why they were fighting.

The Northern Children were lucky to view the war from a far. They could continue to go to school. Their schooling would include readings about the Civil War and often they would be asked to perform reenactments of the war in school to learn more about the war which was directly affecting their lives. All communities, schools, and churches would raise money, collect goods, and make lint, all to help the battle. Children would frequently hold neighborhood fairs and fund raisers. The battles were not primarily fought on their territory; therefore the war concerned them much less. When the battles were held on the northern grounds the children would watch the man lay dead all across the ground and rush to help nurse them. Many of the children would collect little souvenirs from the battle. During the battle of Gettysburg, in Pennsylvania over 6000 soldiers died a day. Boys would have to bury the dead. Fortunately no children died during this battle. Most northern children could live relatively normal lives with some more responsibilities then they had prior to the war.

On the contrary most battles were fought in the South, therefore southern children suffered immensely. Families would attempt to live normally, and grew accustom to the attack. Despite the challenges already present by the lack of a male member to run the family, and having to learn to be independent without slaves, most southern families were constantly moving for survival. In South Carolina most fled due to the constant shelling. To survive the 47-day siege of Vicksburg, Mississippi many families burrowed into the hills that lay north, south and east of the town. 500 caves were dug, some with several rooms to fit larger families. If a child was to put their head outside the cave it would immediately be shot off. All around the South mothers and children would try to flee to safer cities and towns in the area. Most children yearned for baths, clean water, and well cooked and nutritious food. The Southern children of the war lived brutal lives.

__Infants__
Infant clothing was simple, with the exception of the infants' christening gowns. Boys and girls dressed the same until they were potty trained. They would wear dresses or frocks made of white cotton. Families during the war era that could not afford clothing had their babies wear old, hand-me-down shirts. Their clothing was designed with lace and finery so it could be frequently washed. The dresses would be long with the hemline below the feet. This made sure that the infant’s toes were kept warm, and kept them from wondering off. Infants diapers would also be made of cotton, or they would wear soakers made of untreated wool, but lined with cotton. On their head they would commonly wear neutrally colored bonnets, much like women’s sunbonnets.

__Toddlers__
As toddlers, boys and girls were dressed identically. Most of the time one could only tell the difference between a girl toddler and a boy toddler through their hairstyle. Girl’s hair was parted in the middle, while boy’s hair was parted to the side. Toddlers crawl, walk and are always moving around so they needed shorter dresses to allow movement. Over the dresses the toddlers would wear petticoats. Under the dresses they would wear diapers, or drawers once they have grown out of diapers. They would also wear leggings or stockings to keep their legs warm and a pair of boots for shoes. Another common garment for toddles to be dressed in was button suites. These suits were composed of short or long pants and a suite jacket that buttoned to the pants at the waistband, keeping toddler pants up, and shirts down for a neat appearance.

__Girls and Young Ladies__
Girls wore dresses. The type of dress a girl would wear would depended on status, wealth of the fami ly. A farm family would have little money to spare on the daughter dresses, and needed her to work around the house, while a wealthy family could a afford a daughter to have corsets, skirts and multiple dresses. The dresses girls would wear were shorter dresses with wide necks. The dresses universally fit at the waistband. They were also to be worn with petticoats and cotton or wool stockings. Girls wore boots that laced up in the front. After passing the age of thirteen, a girl was given the responsibilities of women, therefore needed to dress like a women. Young ladies would wear fitted corsets, sometimes with jeweled necklines. Their dresses would be long-sleeved. A two piece dress was very popular among girls and teens. This item of clothing consisted of a skirt, a ‘bolero’ type of jacket with large, bell sleeves, and a Garibaldi blouse. This blouse was normally red, sometimes with white and had trim on the cuffs and blouse front.The skirt and jacket were usually crafted of matching fabric. It can be adjusted to fit several sizes as the girls went through their growth spurt. Girls would also wear shawls, capes, coats, and cloaks over their dresses.

__Boys__
Most boys wore long sleeved shirts. These shirts were constructed much like the modern day shirt made of cotton, wool, linen or homespun fabric. When a boy was working he would unbutton the cuff of his shirt and roll it up. In public boys would wear simple jackets or vests, made of wool, linen or cotton in plain or mutes stripe

fabric. The necklines featured shawl collars or a shallow V shape with no collar. The necklines differed, some vests had a high neckline, while others had a short stand up collar. The hemline on the vests was straight. Fancier elaborate and expensive vests might consist of brocaded, paisley or different patterned fabrics. Pants (called britches) were made of sturdy fabrics. They were styled much like today’s adult pants; they had no back pockets, buttoned fly and buttons for the suspenders. They were baggier in the butt area, and looser in the legs. The pants had an opening in the back waistband to put leather lace in so the pants could be adjusted (much like today’s belt.) A common type of pants for poor farm boys had no pockets, and did not have a front or a back (they were cuts the same way.) This is because when the seat area of the pants began to wear off they would reverse the pants. This type of pant also had an adjustable waist for growing boys. On their feet boys commonly wore boots which could be laced up in front. The boots were generally black and brown made of leather. It was also uncommon to find a boy outside of the house without wearing a hat.

**__Childrens' Games and Fun durning Civil War__**

Children in the Civil War played many of the same games that are enjoyed today. Children of all ages played together, with less regard for gender separation than in modern times. Circle games originated around the time of the Civil War, some of the more popular ones being Duck, Duck, Goose, and Drop the Hanky, a variation of Duck Duck Goose where the person who is 'it' drops a handkerchief behind the chaser. War-era youngsters also enjoyed 'parlor' games such as Hide and Seek and Blind Man's Bluff. Children would also sing songs that modern day children also sing like, “Pop goes the Weasel”, “The Farmer in the Dell”, and “Ring a Ring of Roses”. Sports were also popular, although not as competitive as they are today. Baseball, a new invention, during the war period and was so well-liked that after the war period it became a national obsession. Croquet was also often enjoyed, as well as lesser known games like Graces. Graces was a game in which children would hit a ribboned hoop between them with a stick. Children would also invent competitions by holding races. These included: egg and spoon and hoop races (when children would hit a hoop with a stick while running to keep up with it), three legged races, and jumping races. Relay races were also created from the running hoop game where one child would throw a large hoop and the other would chase after it and have to keep it rolling. In addition to active games toy weapons and soldiers were very popular with children during the war, and it was not uncommon for children to play games of 'Yankee and Rebel' (similar to Cops and Robbers). Many girls played with dolls. If they were fortunate, they had enough money to afford a porcelain doll, which had fine clothes made of silk and fur. But these dolls were fragile and not usable for rough play. Cornhusk dolls were more popular, as they were easy to make and quite charming when finished. Board games such as Chess, Checkers, and Backgammon were popular with both children and adults.

**__Slaves__**

The shortages suffered by the children enduring the difficulties of war were even more severe for the African-American children who already had an inadequate diet, and hardships. The slave’s survival was more difficult with war, yet also more hopeful. The slaves, were encouraged by the possibility of their freedom as an outcome to the war. Just as the war began there was a promising start to some freedom, or at least less hard labor. This was because the plantation owners were fighting in the war and the women and children left in charge had trouble organizing the slaves, many of whom refused work and resisted punishment.

The Militia Act of 1862 permitted African- Americans for military service. Many boys who fled slavery became officer’s servants and drummer boys in the war. After the Union victory at the Battle of Antietam, Lincoln drafted the Emancipation Proclamation, a document granting freedom to slaves held in states or portions of states in rebellion. Immediately the enslaved population was encouraged to flee at the earliest opportunity. Soldiers became accustom to African- American children begging for food. One child offered a solider his beloved puppy for a small loaf of bread.

The federal government established camp to house many of the displaced former slaves throughout the south. People lived in crammed full tents and muddy huts with hunger and disease. A report in 1864 claimed between 30 and 50 people died on average at camp Young Point, Louisiana. Other camps reported 75 deaths a day. These camps, despite the conditions, were an improvement to the life of many African- Americans. Groups sent several thousand teachers into places where slavery had fallen to prepare the black population for freedom. These individuals brought a majority of children in contraband camps a hint of schooling, revealing some of the knowledge hidden from them during slavery.

Booker T. Washington worked to establish schools for their race. In the following quote Washington explain the common resistance from the people surrounding him about the colored children's schooling.

“The questions came to me in this way: Coloured people wanted to know why I proposed to teach their children to work. They said that they and their parents had been compelled to work for two hundred and fifty years, and now they wanted their children to go to school so that they might be free and live like the white folks--without working. That was the way in which the average coloured man looked at the matter. Some of the Southern white people, on the contrary, were opposed to any kind of education of the Negro. Others inquired whether I was merely going to train preachers and teachers, or whether I proposed to furnish them with trained servants. Some of the people in the North understood that I proposed to train the Negro to be a mere "hewer of wood and drawer of water," and feared that my school would make no effort to prepare him to take his place in the community as a man and a citizen.”

For many black children it was a new experience to come across whites who treated them as actual people. Many former slaves were still required to work in exchange for the benefits of charity and better living conditions. Children able to work regularly joined their parents in cotton fields to earn their schooling. The American society did not experience true freedom, yet made minor improvements towards freedom.

**__Bibliography__**

 * Websites**

"Children in the Civil War." ThinkQuest- Education Foundation, 29 Mar. 2011. Web. 4 May 2011__.__

"Civil War Clothing for Kids." //Northstate Shasta County Redding Internet Service Provider//. Web. 04 May 2011. .

"Education during the 1860s." //Civil War Trust: Saving America's Civil War Battlefields//. Web. 07 May 2011. .

"GALLANTRY OF YOUNG SHALER." //Civil War - In Song & Story//. 29 Apr. 2009. Web. 05 May 2011. .

Reef, Catherine. "childhood in the United States, 1861–1865." Childhood in America, Eyewitness History. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 2002. American History Online, Facts On File, Inc.http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp? ItemID=WE52&iPin=EHCA0118&SingleRecord=Tru e (accessed May 4, 2011).

"Teacher Resources - Collection - Narratives of the American South, 1860-1920." //Meeting of Frontiers.// Web. 18 May 2011. 

Zettler, B. M. WAR STORIES AND SCHOOL-DAY INCIDENTS FOR THE CHILDREN. New York: Neale Company, 1912. Library of Congress. 1996. Web. 4 May 2011.__.__


 * Pictures **

"Civil War Clothing for Kids." //Northstate Shasta County Redding Internet Service Provider//. Web. 04 May 2011. .

** "Homeschool Supplies: Bill of Rights." // Homeschool Supplies - Farm Country General Store //. Web. 05 May 2011. . **

** "Civil War Clothing for Kids." //Northstate Shasta County Redding Internet Service Provider//. Web. 04 May 2011. . **

** "Slave Children Appear in Rare Photo: Big Pic : Discovery News." // Discovery News: Earth, Space, Tech, Animals, Dinosaurs, History //. 11 June 2010. Web. 15 May 2011. . **

**Notes** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">**<span style="background-position: 100% 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat; cursor: pointer; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0in; padding-right: 10px;">[|Notes on Heroes] ** <span style="background-position: 100% 50%; cursor: pointer; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 19px; margin-bottom: 0in; padding-right: 10px;"> <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',Times,serif;">**<span style="background-position: 100% 50%; cursor: pointer; font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 0px; margin-bottom: 0in; overflow: hidden; padding-right: 10px;">﻿ **