[LCanal]

Many younger boys were also invoved, some boys as young as 11 years old. The younger boys generlly served as drummer or buggle boys. Commonly the drummer and buggle boys were 13-15 years of age.

When life was simpler, but not easier and there was no compulsory education at what age does a boy become a man and a what age would a youth be deemed to be self-sufficient? In some “primitive” societies boys become men at 12-ish and go through a right of passage and live in the men’s hut. There they take part in hunts and ritual celebrations as men.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o:p></o:p>

So we should not consider it unusual that 150+ years ago that youths now considered men should be sent by their parent to join the military. They served as midshipmen and powder monkeys in navies and as we know drummers etc. in the army. There they were not a burden on the families, got 3 squares a day and, as long as there was no war, a reasonable life for the time. A better life than could be said for the one’s that went to the then fledgling industrial revolution or worked the land. <o:p></o:p>