1861 CIVIL WAR. Original Oil on Canvas of 15 Year Old Naval Soldier. Very Rare Americana.

Please note, information in this listing was provided for us by a researcher in Civil War era ephemera. This is not our area of expertise, so please ask any / all questions before bidding.

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This is apparently a rare example of an extremely young boy enlisted in the naval forces during the American Civil War. From bone construction and computer age analysis software our young soldier seems to be around 15 years old.

Rather unusual to begin with, even more unusual is that his enlistment was commemorated with an oil painting. It is estimated that of the roughly 2.1 million Union Soldiers, around 400,000 were under 18 years of age, and perhaps as many as 100,000 were 15 years of age or younger. The youngest recruits were handled delicately though. While their bravery and unique sacrifices were often celebrated through items like the famed photograph of Pvt Edwin Francis Jamieson [17 years old], which became one of the most enduring images of the Civil War; or the story of John Clem, who enlisted in 1863 at just age 12 and went on to become the youngest non-commissioned officer in the history of the United States Army, it was still thought inappropriate to glamorize the "child soldiers."

20 x 26 inches, as shown. 

The painting itself is in need of restoration as shown. It does appear to bear a signature on the lower right, but under the darkened paint / varnish, so it is difficult to say for sure. It also appears as though some parts were painted slightly later, early in the painting's life, and "over" the original painting, perhaps suggesting that the "soldierly" portions were added or enhanced, perhaps on the death of the young man in combat.