Samuel Fletcher, the Teen Union Soldier Who Survived Against All Odds

Over 250 years of American history, there have been hundreds of thousands—even millions—of patriots who did not receive monuments, holidays, or statues. Among them is Samuel Fletcher, the plucky teenager who joined the Union Army and survived two seemingly impossible crises.

Samuel Fletcher lied about his age so he could enlist as a soldier in the Union Army during the Civil War. After one battle, he lay on the battlefield for days with a serious head injury, but he survived. Then Confederate forces captured him and sent him to an infamously inhumane Confederate POW prison, and he survived. Young Sam was not only an ardent patriot but one of the toughest soldiers who fought for freedom in America’s bloodiest war.

At the young age of 14, Samuel Fletcher enlisted in the Army in 1862. It was not totally unusual to find young teens enlisting in the army in the 19th century to be drummers, a role that was often reserved for youth not yet old enough to be soldiers (check out the link below for stories of brave drummers). Fletcher, however, wanted to be a soldier in combat, so he fudged his true age for the authorities. He served for two years and then reenlisted in the 5th New York Artillery in 1864, at this time claiming to be 20 years old, or four years older than his true age.

And while Samuel Fletcher was a boy by modern standards, he was more resilient than many grown men. Andersonville National Historic Site explains:

On June 5, 1864, during fighting near Piedmont, Virginia, Fletcher was struck by a bullet that passed through his face. Wounded and unable to move, he remained on the battlefield for three days before being discovered alive and taken to a field hospital. His recovery was short-lived. Just two days later, Confederate forces overran the hospital, capturing the wounded soldiers and medical staff.

There were 150 military prisons during the Civil War, but Fletcher ended up in the most deadly one in July 1864: Andersonville Prison. Of 45,000 Union soldiers held there during the war, about 13,000 died.

Samuel Fletcher was only 14 when he enlisted in the Union Army. He survived a serious face wound and imprisonment at the most infamous Confederate military prison. Image from Andersonville National Historic Site. pic.twitter.com/vRGAHkjP4G
— Catherine Salgado (@CatSalgado32) June 25, 2026

Not only was Fletcher at a prison infamous for its horrible conditions, but he arrived there during its deadliest period, according to the Andersonville National Historic Site. The late summer and early fall of 1864 produced the highest mortality rates at Andersonville than at any other time during its 14 months of operation. And yet Fletcher survived.

The historic site explains what happened to Fletcher at the end of the war and afterwards:

Although little is known about his personal experiences, Fletcher survived the harsh conditions. In November 1864, he was transferred to Camp Lawton near Millen, Georgia, and later sent to Florence, South Carolina. From Florence, he was exchanged and returned to Union control.
Following the war, Fletcher settled in New York, where he worked as a hatter. Fifty years after his imprisonment, he returned to Andersonville to attend the dedication of New York's state monument in April 1914. His visit served as a reminder of both his youthful service and his remarkable survival. Samuel Fletcher died in 1920, leaving behind a story that reflects the sacrifices and resilience of some of the Civil War's youngest soldiers.

Throughout American history, children and teenagers have stepped up to help defend freedom and justice when many adults were attacking them. Samuel Fletcher should be an inspiration to American youth now as we fight the Confederates’ political party, the Democrats, in a culture war to determine if America will remain the land of free and the home of the brave.

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