“The Boys’ War”
It’s estimated that anywhere from 250,000 to 420,000 young boys (17 and under) fought in the American Civil War on both sides. Approximately 100,000 Union soldiers were even younger than 15 years old.
Because of the large number of young soldiers compared to the number of older ones in the Civil War, an author once wrote it “might have been called The Boys’ War.” In this photo, you can see black and white teenage soldiers of the Union army
Confederate President Jefferson Davis Escapes
In 1865, the defenses surrounding Richmond had been breached, and it was then that the people and government within the city knew that they could no longer defend it. On April 12, 1865, the Union army gave in to the Confederate capital while Jefferson Davis and those who defended the city left on the very last railroad line remaining. Seven days later, on April 9, 1865, the Northern Virginia army surrendered, but Jefferson Davis remained on the run.
It was a sad day on April 14 because that was the day that Abraham Lincoln was assassinated by the now-famous John Wilkes Booth. It wasn’t until May 10th of that same year that the Union cavalry was finally able to catch up to Jefferson Davis and arrest him.
Lee's Mansion Is Now A National Cemetery
The gorgeous grounds at Arlington ended up becoming the United States’ most well-known cemetery for fallen soldiers. The photograph below shows soldiers and their wives who had gathered on the steps above the hill that overlooked Washington, DC. An interesting tidbit of information here is that the mansion belonged to Robert E. Lee.
Prior to his assassination, Lincoln was looking for a place to break ground for a new national cemetery. The Quartermaster General made a suggestion that it be right in the very front of Lee’s residence. The purpose of doing this was to keep Lee from returning back to his home there, and it worked.
The U.S. Civil War Soldier
H.H. Robin Junior represents the Civil War common soldier who was described as a "white, native-born, farmer, protestant, single, between 18 and 29." He stood at about 5.8 feet tall and weighed about 143 pounds.
Yanks referred to Union soldiers from the North, while Rebs were the Southern Confederate soldiers.
Amputations in the Civil War
On June 18, 1864, a cannon shot took both of Alfred Stratton's arms. He was just 19 at the time. It is said that one in 13 soldiers became amputees during the Civil War. Battles weren't the only reason soldiers lost limbs. Military advances during the Civil War meant more powerful and destructive weapons, which led to more devastating injuries. Most of the doctors in America at that time were unprepared to treat such horrific wounds. Furthermore, because they weren't aware of bacteria and germs, they didn't recognize the need for sanitation- bandages were used again and again on different people. So, even wounds that could be treated easily today became very common.
A common operation was an amputation, where a person's limb was removed by cutting it off quickly—in a circular sawing motion to keep the patient from dying from the pain or shock. Surprisingly, most patients survived this procedure.