- Drummer boy (military)
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Drummer boys were children recruited as military drummers for use on the battlefield.
Armies regularly recruited young boys for this service, well into the nineteenth century. The drums were an important part of the battlefield communications system, with various drum rolls used to signal different commands from officers to troops.[1]
Twelve-year old drummer boy William Black was the youngest recorded person wounded in battle during the American Civil War. Boys 7-9 were drummer boys.
See also
References
- ^ U.S. Civil War History & Genealogy - The Drummer Boys, genealogyforum.com
Categories:- Army history
- Children in war
- Military history stubs
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