The Civil War was the last American conflict in which very young soldiers regularly rose to high rank. Many a youth of 16 or younger managed to enlist, in the absence of public birth records, and political influence secured commissions for a few before they reached the legal military age of 18. Those who survived three or four years of battlefield attrition often rose to the command of companies, and occasionally regiments, before they were even old enough to vote. Favored young officers, especially those serving on the staffs of division, corps or army commanders, sometimes enjoyed meteoric promotions to brigadier general like George Armstrong Custer, Wesley Merritt, and Elon Farnsworth. This book delves into the lives of 30 exceptional officers (15 Union and 15 Confederate) who attained the rank of brigadier general before they reached the age of 30.
