What is your age?

[Brian Wiswell]

Re: What is your age?

started when I was 43. I am 48 now and still loving it! one of our members is 74! He can't hack the longer marches but his enthusiasm is still a benifit to our unit.

Brian Wiswell

[Gus49OVI]

Re: What is your age?

Dave "Gus" Gallagher
Federal Infantry
50 y/o in April (Started in 1979)
6'1"
210 lbs (shooting for 200; on the way down... got a coat I want to fit into for AHT)
Chest - 46
Waist - 36

My GGGrandfather, Almond Scurlock, 27th OVI was listed as 6'3" and of 'slight' build

[Curt Schmidt]

Re: What is your age?

Hallo!

Over 55?

It has been said that the life expectancy at the time of the Civil War was 40.
;) :)

Curt

[EVOC]

Re: What is your age?

I believe I aged 2 years since the start of this thread. Let's start over.

[Bill]

Re: What is your age?

So far, the results seem to show a fairly even spread through the ages until you hit the 55+ bracket.

Hey Bernie,

Who'd be crazy enough to attend CPH events when they were over 55? Oh yeah, I forgot, never mind. :confused_

[flattop32355]

Re: What is your age?

So far, the results seem to show a fairly even spread through the ages until you hit the 55+ bracket.

The dip from 30-35 shouldn't surprise, as that's usually when families are dealing with young children, career, etc.

The only thing that does surprise me is that after the numbers recover at 35-40, they dip again at 40-45. It could just be the sample size, or even where the survey is taking place. Something to think about, anyway.

[Dale Beasley]

Re: What is your age?

I have a pair of Rouxbarb skin boots that are 28 years old.

[C. Hyson]

Re: What is your age?

Current age is 27. I must say that I agree wholly with Curt, in that the exception becomes the rule when we go out of our way to make it so.

[POJ]

Re: What is your age?

I am 51 years old and I am finding it harder to hide my age. I have come to the realization long ago that by the middle of '62, the vast majority of the enlisted boys over the age of 40 were done fighting. The thing is, I am not entirely ready to sit out quite yet. But I think I will know when that time comes I will need to pursue other endeavours. I don't know if I'm ready to be a civilian or a merchant, however I shall investigate other possibilities.


Scott Bos
Old Pards Mess
Corn Fed Comrades
Old Northwest Volunteers

[guad42]

Re: What is your age?

Average age so far on the AC forum for the first 180 voters is 34.8 - 39.8 yrs old! If you want I can do the numbers again when the poll closes!

My GGG Grandfather was 39 upon his enlistment in the 19th Mass in 1861, I'm in my 20s now and I figure I still have quite a few years ahead of me.

-Sam Dolan

[Stonewall_Greyfox]

Re: What is your age?

Another thing is that generally young men around the age of 18 in the period tend to look like modern young men at th age of 14 or 15. So you can be younger and still look like a 16 or 17 year old of the period.

I wouldn't say that either...it's a generalization, a presumption, an assumption...etc.

That's not a fact...one might take the same arguement the other way by looking at a few pictures of "older = age X" men, and conclude that generally men of "age X" typically appeared younger that they do today...

Let's stick to the facts...soldiers ranged from age A-Z with the average age being M.:)

Paul B.

[27thNCdrummer]

Re: What is your age?

Another thing is that generally young men around the age of 18 in the period tend to look like modern young men at th age of 14 or 15. So you can be younger and still look like a 16 or 17 year old of the period.

[Curt Schmidt]

Re: What is your age?

Hallo!

"I wouldn't say being under 18 or even 15 is historically inaccurate."

Neither am I. When it is researched and docomented, history is what it is, and if one's impression or persona is that, then it is correct or accurate for that impression's circumstance, time, and place.
Otherwise, the exception can become the rule. And we make the exceptions the rules.

Meaning, taken to its extreme a company of lads all physically appearing as "under 18" or even "under 15" would not be "historically accurate." (Unless one looks to exceptions such as the "VMI cadets" at New Market.)

And then, without historical context, the other extreme becomes possible... " I wouldn't say being over 70 or even 75 is historically inaccurate."

And that is a longer discussion, beginning with personal Mental Pictures and how one operationalizes, and puts into practice, where, "being under 18 or 15." As well as what that meant historically versus how we want to apply that to a Believeable Image and Suspending Disbelief, etc.,

And others' mileage will vary...

;) :) :)

Curt

[27thNCdrummer]

Re: What is your age?

Well a photographer taking photos of dead confederates in Petersburg in 1865 remarked that the boys appeared to be around 14. I wouldn't say being under 18 or even 15 is historically inaccurate.

[MickCole]

Re: What is your age?

When I started in the hobby, I was "young" enough to portray one of my cousins--Robert Preston Spencer, what at age 50 was the oldest man to enlist in the 25th VA Cavalry. He later transferred to the 64th VA Cavalry and was paroled at Cumberland Gap on 4/28/1865.
Now I'm 63 and tend to be as authentic as I can at mostly mainstream events--due to things like spinal stenosis and sleep apnea, I can no longer keep up with the physical requirements for campaigner events.
Mick Cole
SUVCW, SCV, 9th Texas, 37th VA