Child soldiers in the American Civil War by an exploding shell. Federal Soldiers: These numbers are staggering compared to the number of older men: Child soldiers in the American Civil War Between 250,000 and 420,000 boys under 17 were involved in the American Civil War, for both the Union and the Confederacy. It is estimated that 100,000 Union soldiers were under 15 years old. Given the large number of young men in the American Civil War, compared to the number of older men, one author stated that it “might have been called The Boys’ War.” When the surrender of Fort Sumter was announced, men and boys of
Foods of the American Civil War period barely make mention of the war. In the few southern cookbooks published during and shortly after, the fact of shortages is inescapable. Foods of the American Civil War Foods of the American Civil War were the provisions during the American Civil War with which both the Union and Confederate armies struggled to keep their soldiers provisioned adequately. According to "Hardee's Rifle and Light Infantry Tactics," written by a U.S. Army officer from the South before the war, the rations for a soldier during this time usually included: This would be supplemented by (per 100 rations): The most common field