" Our Young Folks ", Possible Answer To A Question

[JPK Huson 1863]

" Our Young Folks ' was an era. magazine type periodical aimed specifically at ' youth' published beginning ( I think ) around 1862. One site claims the genesis at 1865 but there's an 1862 edition entitled " Tim Tramp ' from 1862 and another from 1864, " The Color Bearer ".

Different authors vied to become the latest providing stories which would stir patriotic fervor in American youngsters- to what purpose considering 18 was the age one had to attain in order to serve in the armed forces ( at least in the North ) it is hard to say. " Stirring, popular stories circulated widely during the war, bringing tales of combat into the homes of readers of many ages. " http://publications.newberry.org/digitalexhibitions/exhibits/show/homefront/women/womenyoung Many ages? Clearly, children and youth, not adults.

Although the age of consent was 18, TWO of my own grgrgrandfathers were 16 when they enlisted. I'm assuming from this it was downright easily done, lying to enlist in the armies. Youngest on record? 8 year old Edmund Black of the 21st Indiana although have a claim 7 year old , Co. G. Alex Gillenwater managed to enlist in the 45th Virginia Infantry, Co. G It's not only our Johnny Clem we can look to with horror- somehow, some with pride, small boys in the path of bullets, artillery and death. And no, it was not in some way ' good ' for them. It was very, very bad for them.

Glorifying war as today some of our ridiculous magazines and periodicals glorify whateveronearth we're selling our youth seems to have worked. At the very least it cannot have helped. What was anyone thinking, creating images of noble, admirable characters to stuff into children's heads? It would have been one thing to have approached the topic from an adult perspective; to approach it from a peer perspective was insanity. I'm not stating there was a direct correlation between these mini-adult periodicals and so many veritable children running off to war. I am saying it cannot have helped.


"I passed… the corpse of a beautiful boy in gray who lay with his blond curls scattered about his face and his hand folded peacefully across his breast. He was clad in a bright and neat uniform, well garnished with gold, which seemed to tell the story of a loving mother and sisters who had sent their household pet to the field of war. His neat little hat lying beside him bore the number of a Georgia regiment… He was about my age… At the sight of the poor boy's corpse, I burst into a regular boo hoo and started on."

John A. Cockerhill, 16 years old

" The image of "The Color Bearer" waving a banner in Our Young Folks, an illustrated magazine for children, romantically glorifies the storming of a fortress. "
http://publications.newberry.org/digitalexhibitions/exhibits/show/homefront/women/womenyoung

48 soldiers under the age of 18 received the Congressional Medal of Honor, 48! They did well, our youth. That isn't the point. Between 7 and 18 there is a vast and heart rending difference. I've heard it surmised why, exactly some of the extremely young boys ran off to war. We'll never know- running into some of these, makes me wonder about yet another possible and ridiculous- and avoidable factor.

 

[donna]

Very interesting. Always like to know magazines of this era.

Like the poem.

 

[LoriAnn]

I was looking up mourning colors (totally unrelated) and ran into a rather oppressive book of manners from 1855, which THEN led me to this photo:

Children's Books during the War

It looks like it's on display, but I have no information beyond that. The site that provided that image isn't particularly helpful, and I have no clue if this is legit.

The letter T...yikes! Let's not read this one before bed.

 

[Allie]

My father joined the army when he was 16. Venango county had burned down in a courthouse fire, so he had no birth certificate, his mother was dead, and his father was willing to vouch for him being 18. He wanted in before ww2 ended. He stayed in for 25 years, receiving three Purple Hearts and three Bronze stars in three different wars. It wasn't exactly a tragedy and requires no hand-wringing.

 

[LoriAnn]

He wanted in before ww2 ended.

I have heard this over and over in talking to vets and their families. There are so many stories of men who wanted in. They wanted to serve and were quite disappointed if they were turned away. My husband's grandfather tried more than once, but they kept sending him home (I'm not exactly sure why, but maybe because he had 8 little kids?).

 

[JPK Huson 1863]

I think I pointed out the vast difference between 8 and 16. My grgrgrandfather joined the 6th US Cavalry at 16. He lied to do it, managed to live through Brandy Station, was reported MIA after Fairfield, turned up a month later and died of wounds in 1889 after running the family's canalboat business. They built and ran them until the canals failed.

This is about glorifying war for children, not young men. We're not certain my other grgrgrandfather was not 15. It happened. That would mean his sweetheart, who was waiting for him to return was 13 when he left. It does not mean 8 year olds belong on the field nor that they should be given books which glorify the idea.

My grgrgrgrgrandfather left the Quaker sect at 17, climbed down from the North Carolina Hills, joined his militia neighbors at Kings Mountain and Cow Pens. He left a wife and went back to her. He was not 8.

My father's brother graduated high school. The K-9 Corps was training recruits. No one wrung hands over the young ages being shipped to Viet Nam. He was in his mid-20's by the time he came home. 2 tours. It's why we have a slight addiction to German Shepherds. He was not 8. He was, however 18. We did actually do quite a bit of hand wringing because it was an awful, awful time. First war televised. Every night the news broadcast ' MIA, KIA, POW ', war news, like it was the weather or something, every night my parents watched. Then they showed news clips. Mom's brother was there, too only he'd been in Korea too so he was older. Yes, he wanted to go. Many did. He'd go again. Bet if he tried to go at age 8 my grandmother would have had something to say about it.

 

[Old Hickory]

And then there was uncle John...

When the First World War began dad was 11, his next older brother, John was 15 or 16. John was determined to get in the fight one way or another, he ran off to join up but being the skinny runt of a kid he was he kept getting turned down and was told he would need his parents permission. No way was grandma and grandpa gonna sign for John with two sons and a son in law already in France, or on their way. John was not to be denied his chance to fight, he tried the Navy which rejected him on age, the Marines wouldn't have him, he tried forged letters to no avail, he just kept running off to join up instead of going to school. Grandma put him in a dress to keep him from running off. John beat dad up and took his clothes, again reporting to an Army induction center which told him to go home unless he could get permission. Grandma gave up, she signed for John to join the PA National Guard, the 28th. Division...just a few weeks before the armistice and John never left the state!

 

[donna]

My Uncle had just turned 17 when he joined army for World War II. I know not as young as some of these but if you saw his photo he looked about 12 or 13. His Mother signed so he could go.