To say that the soldiers that appeared in the American Civil War varied in age is a real understatement. However, do you know what that age range actually was?
The chances are that you will be taken aback by the difference, as it far outstrips any other war that happened before or since. The reason why we can say that with such confidence? Simply because it is known that the youngest soldier was a nine-years-old while the oldest was 80.
The boy came from Mississippi, while the oldest soldier came from Iowa, but they were not alone in their ages. Actually, the Civil War was also known as the ‘boys war’ simply because more than 10,000 soldiers on the Union side were under the age of 18 when they were sent into battle. Once again, that is higher than anything else that has since happened when it comes to war, and you just know that a large percentage of them were killed as a result.