Uniforms of juvenile and boy companies

major bill

Brev. Brig. Gen'l
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Aug 25, 2012
Before the American Civil War both the North and South had a fair number of military academies for boys and teens. Besides the well-known military academies other youths wore military uniforms. These seem to fall into three main categories.

Category one: Militia companies that were for teens. These were often for 14 to 18 year-olds, or 16 to 18 or 21 year-olds.

Category two: Military type companies to keep younger teens out of trouble or to give younger teens discipline. Some were for those 12 and up some as young as 10 years-old. After 1860 Zouave uniforms were popular.

Category three: Groups of youths trained to march for a parade and with no intention of keeping the "company" active after the parade.

In a similar vain were two types that formed during the Civil War.

Type one: Home guard companies formed to help defend the state or replace the older militia companies who were off to war. Often these were 14 to 16 or 18 year-olds who could have performed semi military duty

Type two. Youths, often early teens or even pre teens who were caught up in the war spirit after the start of the Civil War. Often these played soldier more that conducted military training.

Regardless of the category or type many of these juveniles wore uniforms and often had images taken of themselves in uniforms. These images can be confused with the uniforms of real soldiers and it can appear that they were real soldiers when in fact they were what might be called military clubs for youths. Regardless the uniforms they wore were interesting and often colorful. I will post a few of these boy, youth, and juvenile uniforms from my home state of Michigan. Forum members are encourage to give known uniforms from their home state.
 
Older Detroit teens armed by the state.

Brother Jonathan Zouave
a.k.a. Brother Jonathan Guards (Detroit, Wayne County) were active 1861—1862 as a home guard unit for youths. Recruits came from among the best families of Detroit. What the company age requirement remains unknown, but they are referred to as young men of high character. They were served under the command of Captain F. A. Ashley. They maintained an Armory and Drill Room on the Desnoyer’s Block, Jefferson Avenue, Detroit Michigan. This company probably evolved from a local baseball team named Brother Jonathan Wicket Club which was also known as the Brother Jonathan Base Ball Club. In 1862, this company had 40 musketoons and 50 muskets, all provided by the State of Michigan. Their main military function appears to have been marching in parades.

They adopted Zouave uniforms of blue jackets and scarlet pants with red Zouave caps, ala Zouave. The Detroit Free Press provides additional details. ‘Their uniform is particularly “zoo-zoo” in style and is quite pretty, consisting of blue coats trimmed with red, red pants, and red caps trimmed with blue.”[ii] Additional detail on their uniforms has not been found and no photographs of the company have been discovered.


“The Military”, Detroit Free Press, July 4 1861, p.1, col. 1.

[ii] “The Bother Jonathon Zouaves”, Detroit Free Press, July 6 1861, p1, col. 2.
 
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The Hudson Zouave Cadets a. k. a. The Hudson Cadets (Hudson, Lenawee County) were formed in May 1861. This company consisted of boys twelve to sixteen years old. Captain James Beach was said to be the company commander. Other reports give Stephen Johnson as the captain. It is possible that Captain Beach was the adult in charge and Johnson the juvenile Company Commander. The short-lived Hudson Zouave Cadets functioned as a type of home guard company. The Hudson Zouave Cadets drilled regular and became quite proficient at Ellsworth’s Zouave’s drill.

For uniforms they wore red pants and blue shirts with red Zouave caps. They ordered caps from J. & A. Herzog, 152 Lake, Chicago Illinois and these arrived in April of 1861.[ii] Some newspaper reports tell use they had full uniforms and made a ‘handsome’ appearance, but the exact nature of the uniforms worn in this parade is not recorded and it is unclear if they ever obtained jackets. The local ladies presented them with their own flag. They were never able to obtain muskets and drilled with sticks. They intended to defend the peninsula state with shotguns, pistols, hunting knives and hatchets.[iii]

The Hudson Zouave Cadets had a small four-piece band who could play but one song. A photograph of 16 year-old Albert H. Boies, who played the fife in this band, shows him in uniform, but it is unclear if he was wearing his Zouave Cadet uniform or a later uniform.[iv] Boies soon joined the 4th Regiment and this photograph may show a musician uniform he wore with that regiment. This photograph shows Boies from the chest up. This Boies photograph could be from his service as a musician in the 4th Michigan Volunteer Infantry Regiment. This Boies photograph could be from his service as a musician in the 4th Michigan Volunteer Infantry Regiment. He wears a light [gray?] jacket with 3 rows of dark buttons [the total number of button cannot be determined in the photograph]. The jacket has thin vertical dark braid that ends in trefoils. The jacket collar is dark with a gilt button set well back. The collar has a light stripe at the base. The chasseur style kepi is dark with a light welt. It is possible that the kepi has braid on the front and sides. [v]

Interest soon faded and the Cadets disbanded. Many of the older boys found regiments they could join. The 11th Michigan Volunteer Infantry Regiment and the Chicago Zouaves (probably the Douglas Brigade) were units that received some former Hudson Zouave Cadets.


Hudson Zouave Cadets, Hudson Gazette, May 18 1861, p. 3, col.1.

[ii] “New Caps”, Hudson Gazette, August 10 1861, p. 3, col. 1.

[iii]Boise Albert H., “War Memories”, Adrian Daily Times and Expositor, March 20 1886, p.4, col. 3.

[iv] The band apparently had but four members and the band was probably part of the “cadets” and not a

separate entity. The ‘cadet’ musicians may have worn a distinctive uniform.

[v] Albert H. Boies age is not given in the records but he could not have joined the 4th Regiment at age 16,

the Zouave Cadets allowed 16 year-olds to join. He had an interesting service record. He was left for dead at the Battle of Marvin Hill, shot and captured at Gettysburg only to escape, and then serving in the Spanish American War and World War One as a recruiting officer.
 
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Here is an Irish American juvenile company that was in the Michigan Uniformed Militia.

The Emmet Rifles a.k.a. Emmett Guard, a.k.a. Emmet Guard (Detroit, Wayne County) was formed in 1859. The Emmitt Rifles were considered to be an Irish company. The first company commander was Captain James Mackey. They used the same armory as the Shield Guards, however it is unknown if the two companies were connected, but with both companies being Irish, this would seem possible.

The 1860 Detroit City Directory called them a juvenile company. They carried rifled muskets and were in Class II of the Michigan Uniformed Militia. Their arms and accoutrements were kept in good order. The State did not accept companies of young boys for inclusion in the Michigan Uniformed Militia so in this case the term ‘juvenile’ most likely indicated that they were not under age boys, but young men less than twenty-one years of age. This is reinforced because other juvenile companies were put into the Special Class of the Michigan Uniformed Militia and they were in Class II.

They wore uniforms, which were not elaborate, but neat and appropriate.[ii] These uniforms are also referred to as fatigue uniforms.[iii] The Detroit Free Press gives additional uniform information and tells us that they wore very neat pattern gray coats and pants with a red stripe. The Detroit Free Press goes on to say that, their caps were gray and that they wore black shoulder belts. Michigan Uniformed Militia companies normally wore white belts at this time.[iv]

In 1860, they were armed with State issued Minnie rifles. The company was known for its many target shoots. In 1859, they gave out medals for marksmanship, a gold breast pin with “Emmett 98” on it was for first place and a silver pin was given for second place. The "men" probably wore these medals on their uniforms.

What became of the company is unclear. They disappear from newspaper reports before the start of the Civil War and probably disbanded some time during 1860.


“Anniversary of The Emmet Guard”, Detroit Free Press, September 18 1856, p. 1, col, 2.

[ii] Sherlock Guards, Detroit Free Press, September 18 1859, p. 1, col. 3.

[iii] Emmet Rifle”, Detroit Free Press, June 21 1859, p. 1, col. 1.

[iv] “The Military Review”, Detroit Free Press, October 27 1859, p.1, col. 1.
 
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I did a couple from Detroit so why not some from the western part of Michigan?

The Young American Guard, a.k.a. The Young American Light Guard, a.k.a. Young American Militia (Grand Rapids, Kent County) was a ‘boy’ company that formed in 1860 at the primary school from the older boys. They had a drill room which was located above the store of John E. Earle. Their uniforms were blue jackets with belts and white trousers. Gray caps were worn.https://civilwartalk.com/#_edn1 After the 1860 Fourth of July parade they disappeared from the local newspapers and it is not sure if they disbanded or simply were not reported on. This company should not be confused with the Young American Hose Co. No. 1 which was a fire company in Grand Rapids at that time.

The Juvenile Light Infantry, a.k.a. Juvenile Cadets, or Union Cadets (Grand Rapids, Kent County) were a “boy” company that formed in 1860 at the primary school from the younger boys of that school. They wore white uniforms with blue trim, and white ‘chip’ hats with rims turned up with a star on the front.[ii] The term chip hat likely refers to a wide brimmed hat made of chips, chips being palm leaves strips or wood strips. In lieu of rifles they were armed with pikes which were four-foot long turned wooden rods. They were a short-lived company, perhaps formed to march in this single parade.


https://civilwartalk.com/#_ednref1 “Brief Mention”, Grand Rapids Daily Eagle, July 5 1858, p. 1, col.1. Young American Guard, signed 7th, Grand Rapids Daily Enquirer, June 16, 1860, p. 3, col. 1.

[ii] “Brief Mention”, Grand Rapids Daily Eagle, July 5 1858, p.1, col. 1.
 
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