“Powder Boy” James V. Johnston, 1864. Young Jimmie Johnston was aboard the U.S. gunboat Forest Rose with his mother when it was attacked by a Confederate force in Feb. 1864. When the gunboat’s regular powder monkey, who carried powder to the gunners, was killed early in the battle, Jimmie took his place until the Confederates were repelled. The crew presented this uniform to the six-and-a-half-year-old boy they called “Admiral Johnston” for his bravery. Missouri History Museum.

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