16. The Union Army’s Youngest Fatality Was 13 Years Old
The American Civil War teemed with child soldiers serving in the armed forces of both sides, and it is estimated that roughly a fifth of all military personnel who served during the conflict were under 18. Indeed, more than 100,000 soldiers in the Union Army alone were aged 15 years or younger. The ranks of the underaged soldiers included Charlie King, of Westchester, Pennsylvania, who joined the 49th Pennsylvania Infantry as a drummer boy in 1861.
A few months later, the regiment fought in the Peninsula Campaign and the Seven Days Battle, during which Charlie probably saw more death and mayhem than was good for any child. In September of 1862, his regiment participated in the Maryland Campaign, which culminated in the Battle of Antietam. During that battle, the 49th Pennsylvania came under artillery fire while deployed near the East Woods, and Charlie was grievously wounded by an exploding shell. He died of his injuries three days later, and earned the dubious distinction of being the youngest military fatality of the war.