Pennypacker and Roberts

[Union_Buff]

I've recently been doing some more reading on the two youngest generals to serve in the Civil War; Galusha Pennypacker and William Paul Roberts. What amazes me is that they took on such a great command responsibility at such a young age, both being around twenty years old when they were promoted.

Why do you think that they were able to be successful at such a high level in the military chain of command?

 

[FarawayFriend]

I see that I have to learn a lot more about the Civil War. Never heard of these two before. I only knew that Custer was named "The Boy General".
You learn something new here every day!! Thank you, James!

 

[MajGenl.Meade]

When I was 20, I was baffled that Lee was 54 years old and Grant only 39 when the war began - how could such young men have been trusted to operate anything more complex than a screwdriver?

Now at 64 I wonder if I will ever reach the age of responsibility. And they are still young!

 

[GELongstreet]

As I haven´t seen any pictures of him on CWT yet, being from my pinterest, this is Galusha Pennypecker during the war.

 

[GELongstreet]

And, from the NC brigades paroled at Appomattox thread of @CSA Today and @east tennessee roots, this here is William P. Roberts in 1864 or 1865.

Interestingly both began the war as volunteer NCOs; Pennypacker as Quartermaster Sergeant and Roberts as Sergeant (though he´d briefly been a militia Private before).