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  • If you like statistics...

    ...here's a great book.

    Investigations in the Military and Anthropological Statistics of American Soldiers, published by the US Sanitary Commission, 1869.

    It's a collection of all kinds of height, weight and personal statistics from the war, with a few college students and other random stuff, in more detail than I've seen before. It breaks down proportional measurements, state-by-state averages of height, age-related stuff, all kinds of cool things.

    For example, people say that height-weight statistics of soldiers may be skewed because so many were younger than reenactors. Well, here are the statistics broken down by age and height, so you can see how many soldiers in the sample, who were your age and height, weighed what you do.

    Or what about by state? Here you can look up your age and state, and see the average height of those soldiers (union only, unfortunately, and lumps those 35 and up together).

    Want to know what percentage of soldiers were bald at different ages? Here it is.

    How about the proportion of soldiers who graduated from high school, or common school, or college, broken down by where they were born? Right here.

    Want to know how many pounds a white soldier could lift in good health and poor health, and whether it was more than a black man or a student? Here you go.

    All kinds of neat stuff like that, which I've not seen elsewhere.

    Hank Trent
    hanktrent@gmail.com
    Hank Trent

  • #2
    Re: If you like statistics...

    Hank,

    You've outdone yourself. Take a gold star out of petty cash. :-)

    Ron Myzie

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    • #3
      Re: If you like statistics...

      That is amazing. Thank you!
      Becky Morgan

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: If you like statistics...

        Great stuff, Hank -- thanks!
        Michael A. Schaffner

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: If you like statistics...

          Originally posted by Hank Trent View Post
          ...It's a collection of all kinds of height, weight and personal statistics from the war, with a few college students and other random stuff, in more detail than I've seen before. It breaks down proportional measurements, state-by-state averages of height, age-related stuff, all kinds of cool things.

          For example, people say that height-weight statistics of soldiers may be skewed because so many were younger than reenactors. Well, here are the statistics broken down by age and height, so you can see how many soldiers in the sample, who were your age and height, weighed what you do.

          Hank Trent
          hanktrent@gmail.com

          Bottom Line = per my quick glance there is nary a soul north of 200 lbs. (2 @ 196 lbs) the majority about 170ish for a high average Stuff that in a handsewn, logwood-dyed roundabout, pressed against yer moobs.

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: If you like statistics...

            Holy crap! Great find.
            Just a private soldier trying to make a difference

            Patrick Peterson
            Old wore out Bugler

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: If you like statistics...

              This makes me wonder how it would compare to soldiers in later wars. Cool find!
              Luke Gilly
              Breckinridge Greys
              Lodge 661 F&AM


              "May the grass grow long on the road to hell." --an Irish toast

              Comment


              • #8
                Re: If you like statistics...

                Originally posted by OldKingCrow View Post
                Bottom Line = per my quick glance there is nary a soul north of 200 lbs. (2 @ 196 lbs) the majority about 170ish for a high average Stuff that in a handsewn, logwood-dyed roundabout, pressed against yer moobs.
                That means that even as a high school senior with a 28 inch waist, I weighed "above average" at 180 lbs. Dang!

                And we all know that I will never get that size again!
                Joe Smotherman

                Comment


                • #9
                  Re: If you like statistics...

                  Fascinating!

                  I guess we all need to operate on the supposition that we are proportionally smaller than we actually are in the field? Does this mean that we need to buy traps and muskets that are actually some percentage larger so that our relative size to equippage remains accurate?

                  Man, I would have been a beast back then!

                  "I am Abner, the largest man in the land!"
                  Andrew "Abner" Martin
                  AKM Dry Goods

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Re: If you like statistics...

                    Also, I didn't see any heights over 69 inches. Now I know someone posted some other stats on another post showing some guys over 6 feet tall, but the average guys were not as tall as the average guy today.
                    [FONT="Book Antiqua"][B][SIZE="3"]James Cannon[/SIZE][/B][/FONT]

                    [FONT="Book Antiqua"]Sons of Confederate Veterans, Henry Watkins Allen Camp #133 (Baton Rouge, LA)[/FONT]
                    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
                    [FONT="Book Antiqua"]Louisiana State Militia, 10th Brigade[/FONT]

                    [FONT="Book Antiqua"][I]“The Confederate sabreur kissed his blade homeward riding on into the mouth of hell.” [/I][/FONT]

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                    • #11
                      Re: If you like statistics...

                      wow, this really boost my ego....ALOT. Im 5'6" give or take, 135 pounds at 22 yrs of age. This really makes me feel good about myself.


                      Hunter Smith.
                      Liberty Rifles

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                      • #12
                        Re: If you like statistics...

                        wow! i'm 50 pounds heavier than my CW counterpart! Well, a guy about an inch shorter than me since the table only went to 701/2 inches. I dont think that 1 inch makes up for that weight. I think its time to seriously consider salads,
                        My best Regards,
                        Kevin Schoepfel
                        140th NYVI

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Re: If you like statistics...

                          Can someone repost the info for a soldier over 6 feet? I'm 6 1 and about 185-195. I'm relatively sure that my CW counterpart would have laughed me out of the service, but I'd still like to know, given that I'm in the process of getting more in shape, even though I know round is still a shape.:p
                          Brian Gauthier

                          Rat Tail Mess
                          Wolftever Mess
                          SCAR-Southeastern Coalition of Authentic Reenactors

                          Cry "Havoc" and let slip the dogs of war.

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