Of Age: Boy Soldiers and Military Power in the Civil War Era.

"Of Age: Boy Soldiers and Military Power in the Civil War Era" by Frances M. Clarke and Rebecca Jo Plant is a groundbreaking study that challenges long-held beliefs about underage soldiers in the Union and Confederate armies during the Civil War. The authors examine the broader context of the nineteenth century, showing how parents accepted minors above the age of eighteen to serve in local militia or volunteer forces but were reluctant to allow anyone under twenty-one to serve in the regular army without their consent. The book argues that roughly 10 percent of soldiers, around 180,000 on the Union side and 20,000 on the Confederate side, were underage volunteers. The authors also explore the conflicts between parents and the federal government over children who enlisted without parental consent, highlighting the underlying struggles over the centralization of legal and military power. Overall, "Of Age" provides a comprehensive and thought-provoking analysis of the experiences of boy soldiers during the Civil War and challenges assumptions about youth, military service, federal power, and the impact of violence on society. [Extracted from the article]