William Black (soldier)

Edward Black
Born	Edward Black[a] (1853-05-30)May 30, 1853 Indiana, U.S.
Died	June 30, 1872(1872-06-30) (aged 19)
Occupation(s)	drummer, soldier
Employer	U.S. Government
Known for	The youngest wounded soldier of the American Civil War
Military career
Allegiance	United States
Service / branch	US Army Union Army
Years of service	1861–1862
Rank	Musician
Unit	21st Indiana Regiment
Battles / wars	American Civil War

Edward Black (May 30, 1853 – June 30, 1872) was a drummer boy for the Union during the American Civil War. At twelve years old, his left hand and arm were shattered by an exploding shell. He is considered to be the youngest wounded soldier of the war.[1][2]

Early life

A resident of Indianapolis, Indiana, he was the son of George A. Black [b.1830] and Lydia A. [b.1832]. In the 1860 United States census, he is listed as Edward Black,[a] age 6, with a brother, Charles Black, age 9.^[citation needed]

U.S. military service

Enlisted July 24, 1861, as a Musician in Company L of the 21st Indiana Infantry regiment; discharged August 16, 1862.

Death

In the 1870 United States census, he is listed with his parents (George and Lydia) as age 17, birth state of Indiana, residence Indianapolis.[3] He died on June 30, 1872.

Notes

1. The Photographic History of The Civil War In Ten Volumes, Vol 9, p.67, which has his photograph, erroneously gives his first name as "William".[2]

References

1. "Civil War Soldiers Letters and Diaries Archive". www.soldierstudies.org. Retrieved June 20, 2016.
2. Miles, Dudley H., ed. (1911). The Photographic History of The Civil War In Ten Volumes. Vol. 9 Poetry and Eloquence of Blue and Gray. New York: The Review of Reviews Co. p. 67.
3. "United States Census, 1870 (database with images)". Retrieved December 6, 2020 – via FamilySearch. Indiana > Marion > Indianapolis, ward 1 > image 159 of 188; citing NARA microfilm publication M593 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, n.d.)