Could this be the youngest Union soldier?

This may prove to be an interesting site:

http://www.timegun.org/drummer-boys.html

Drummer Boys at War

During the fight Johnny Cook saw the artillery gunners being shot down and ... Reporting on Clem's adventures Northern Journalists named him Johnny Shiloh as he said his drum ... In January of 1864 he was assigned to General Thomas's staff as a ... Clem served in the US Army until 1915 as the last Civil War Veteran ...
www.timegun.org/drummer-boys.html - Similar


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Genealogy Forum: The Drummer Boys

The most famous drummer boy of the Civil War was undoubtedly John Clem ... He served at Shiloh, earning the nickname "Johnny Shiloh" for his steadiness. ... His service during the "Seven Days" retreat in the peninsular Campaign was ...
www.genealogyforum.com/gfaol/resource/Military/Drumme... - Similar
 
Two young confederates:David Bailey Freeman who enlisted at age 11. He actually rode a pony. and was called "Little Dave".He was at Chickamauga and fought against Sherman's campaign for Atlanta and the other John Hance O"Steen who was not quite 7 years old when he became confederate mail carrier. See cedarkeynews.com/all/623.html?120. He had stone erected by Florida Sons of Confederacy.
 
Here's the youngest one in my local Greenwood Cemetery. Compared to Mr. Black, he seems downright elderly.

2184136633_dff8b2203b_m.jpg
 
John Hance O"Steen who was not quite 7 years old when he became confederate mail carrier. See cedarkeynews.com/all/623.html?120. He had stone erected by Florida Sons of Confederacy.
That article says that he was also in the Home Guard. At age 6? Jeez.
 
I'm impressed that a boy of age 6 was so mature as to be reliable as to be a member of the Home Guard, as well as accepting discipline (as in training) and drilling (practice) and being respectful is always a pleasure regardless of age or gender.

Now days, its more likely to have an obedient horse or canine (K-9) than an obedient child (depending on the parents--but not around this neighborhood of late - LOL)

Just some thoughts.

Respectfully submitted,
M. E. Wolf
 
The sad thing is that he ought to have been exercising that maturity and discpline in school, not by drilling with a militia company. I wonder if he had a mother, and what she thought. Oh well, it looks like he made out all right in the end.
 
Some time back there was a dust up whether or not John O'Steen story was anything but pure fiction. I wish I could recall what site it was on (the AC maybe?) but it seemed fairly convincing that it was pure myth.
 
The only John O'Steen that comes up in the Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System was with the 3rd Battalion South Carolina light artillery, but Confederate records were not utterly reliable, so I wouldn't take the youngun's absence as definitive. He might be fiction but he might have been real.
 
If this is fiction, a lot of folks don't think so. The Sons of the Confederate Veterans for one.They are ones who honored O'Steen at the Cemetery in Florida he buried at with dedication of his marker. Members of his family were invited. One of the Confederate Sons "Camps" is named after him , John Hance O'Steen Camp 770. It would seem they must have documentation to support this story. They require documentation on other soldiers i have read about including my own Great Great Grandfather, Nathaniel Cook. d
 
Some time back there was a dust up whether or not John O'Steen story was anything but pure fiction. I wish I could recall what site it was on (the AC maybe?) but it seemed fairly convincing that it was pure myth.


  • O'STEEN Genealogy

    See Mims Family History. 24. Shadrack5 O'Steen (William R. (John)4, Thomas3, Henry2, Charles1 Osteen) was born 1777 in NC, and died 15 Mar 1857 in ...
    freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~tomtwig/os... - Similar
  • JOHN HANCE O

    Mr. John O'Steen joined the Underwood's Home Guard under Captain Oscar Underwood , ... Remember, it is your duty to see that the true history of the South is ...
    www.florida-scv.org/Camp770/ - Similar
  • John O'Steen, Jr b. 1767 Hadnot Creek, Cartaret, North ...

    John D. O'Steen arrived in Columbia County, Florida, in 1823 or 1824. He was one of the first settlers in what was to become Columbia County. "A History of ...
    wilkesgen.com/TNG/getperson.php?personID=I1759&tree=a... - Similar
Is it one of these two?

Clinch Rifles?

Respectfully submitted for consideration,
M. E. Wolf
 
It's so sad to think of these boys in such danger, at their young ages. People are horrified now when CNN shows footage of little boys being "drafted" into militia groups in other countries and we had the same thing happen here! I wonder how they fared, mentally, after the war? Now, time to go check out the site that Mr M E Wolf listed!

Side Note: I have a question about some references on pg 1 of this thread. The medical/surgical records that are listed in a few replies, are they part of the ORs? I tried searching the OR Index, but couldn't find a Medical section. Where can I find these records? Thanks very much in advance!
 
If you want to read about O'Steen's family heritage go to: cedarkeysnews.com/All/623.html?120. It says he was born on Dec.26, 1856 in Alligator Town which is now Lake City, Florida. This article tells about him, his family and the dedication ceremony. He died Sept. 22, 1947 and is buried in Mt. Horeb Cemetery. d
 
I forgot to mention he is listed on Find A Grave under John Hance O'Steen. There are photos added of his grave. The difference on Find A Grave and cedar key news article is Find a Grave has death date as Sept. 24, 1948. But this is same person. d
 
If this is fiction, a lot of folks don't think so. The Sons of the Confederate Veterans for one.They are ones who honored O'Steen at the Cemetery in Florida he buried at with dedication of his marker. Members of his family were invited. One of the Confederate Sons "Camps" is named after him , John Hance O'Steen Camp 770. It would seem they must have documentation to support this story. They require documentation on other soldiers i have read about including my own Great Great Grandfather, Nathaniel Cook. d

I don't have a dog in the fight one way or the other. The SCV is far from perfect w/ some chapters having much higher historical accuracy than others. Florida Dept had some issues a few years ago IIRC but I don't know. I was just stating that there was some question of the legitimacy of the young man having actually served past his imagination.
 
Are we looking at a competition in which the youngest volunteer proves something?

What we're proving is that some parenting awareness might well have been a bit more sensible. Or are we discussing that children became adults much more quickly then than now?

At the age of 8 these days, we expect Little League and good grades from our children. At 14, when we dread driver's ed, the kid then was all but an adult. (But you didn't have to give him the keys to the family car.)

This thread is interesting in that how in hell could an 8-year-old get into a regiment?
 
This is not a competition as to who was youngest person in war. Someone had asked about Union and then someone asked about Confederate soldiers. I happened to find these two boys,David Freeman and John O'Steen.. It is horrifying that children were used as soldiers in this war or any war. Children are suppose to play and have fun and lead a happy life. How they could cope with this war is beyond me. I just got interested in John H O'Steen as a marker was placed for him by Florida Camp of Sons of Confederate Veterans. I just learned that a marker was placed for my Great Great Grandfather,, Nathaniel Cook who was mortally wounded at Battle of Middle Creek and buried on Gearheart Farm in Floyd County, Ky. He was identified after so many years and than had this honor. Thank God the Gearheart family was so compassionate to give this soldier a decent burial when at the time they didn't even know who he was. d
 
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