Unlike other American wars, there was high participation in the Civil War by children under the age of 18. The exact number is unknown but they probably represented 5% of all soldiers and were involved in all aspects. Some had to fight on the battlefield while others, especially girls, served as scouts or nurses for the wounded. And even those who did not directly participate in the war saw their lives change because they had to take on the responsibilities of their family members who were actually at war. In 1861, President Lincoln announced that boys under eighteen could only enlist with their parental consent (“Child Soldiers” by Mintz, S., & McNeil, S.). Although it was completely forbidden to enlist under eighteen after the following year, many officers ignored it due to heavy casualties. Those boys cheated by using fake names and ages to enlist, so that their parents couldn't refuse their enlistment. If boys were not chosen to participate in training to become soldiers in war, they could still work in smaller, less appreciated jobs. Thousands of them participated as drummers, messengers or assistants to surgeons and nurses. The task of the musical children was to convey the commands of the officers, signal the reveille, the roll call or ring for drills and company taps. A more important job was that of drummer. Those children led squads into battle, so they were an easy target for enemies. The reason many of these children enlisted was to escape their normal “boring” lives, the jealousy of their older brothers, or the fear of becoming slaves like a Southern boy who said, “I can die and then become a slave to the North (qtd. in “Child Soldiers”)”. Many of…half of paper…or simply wore worn-out t-shirts or pants. In 1865, when the war ended, the children of the South were sad over their defeat, and the children of the North were happy over their victory. But they all had one thing in common: almost everyone has lost at least one relative or friend, and those children will never forget what they saw, heard and read. They are afraid for their lives. Only the fact that this bloody war had ended in their minds, the children began a normal life looking to the future and not the past. Works Cited1. Mintz, S. and S. McNeil. "Child soldiers". Digital history. (2013): n. page. Network. 19 November 2013. .2. Clapp, Lida. "Children's Lives During the Civil War." Page No. Network. November 19. 2013. .