Edited by Matthew M. Brown and Michael W. Coffey
The Junior Reserves were 17-year-old boys drafted
in the last year of the Civil War, as the Confederacy
faced a disastrous shortfall in manpower. Between
the spring and fall of 1864, North Carolina raised
eight battalions of Junior Reserves that were later consolidated into three regiments and one independent battalion. These young men were originally intended
to guard bridges and depots in North Carolina, but the exigencies of the war drew them into combat. The Junior Reserves saw action in a
number of minor clashes in eastern North Carolina and southeastern Virginia, as well
as in the battles of Fort Fisher and Bentonville.
An authoritative 120-page history of the Junior Reserves begins the volume. The history
is followed by a complete roster and service records of the officers and men that served
in the Junior Reserves. A thorough index completes the volume.
Hardbound. Pp. xvi, 509. Illus. Index. (2009)
