the reenactors age

[Hank Trent]

Re: the reenactors age

This is from Fox's Regimental Losses, Chapter VII, concerning the Union army:

The muster-rolls are provided with a column in which is entered the age of each recruit. From the figures in this column it appears that the mean age of all the soldiers was 25 years. When classed by ages, the largest class is that of 18 years, from which the classes decrease regularly to that of 45 years, beyond which age no enlistment was received. Of 1,012,273 recorded ages taken from the rolls, there were 133,475 at 18 years; 90,215 at 19 years, and so on. The number at 25 years of age was 46,626; and, at 44 years, 16,070.

Hank Trent
hanktrent@voyager.net

[Michael Comer]

Re: the reenactors age

From the very interesting information Linda posted, it looks like being a gentleman was the way to go if you wanted to live a relatively long life.

I have a question about the female avocations - what was an operative? Is this someone who worked in a factory setting?

[Emmanuel Dabney]

Re: the reenactors age

Actually, being a judge/justice was 67 years and gentlemen were 63. :-)

[PrivateRBDavis]

Re: the reenactors age

32. My first person impression is of an 18/19 year old. Despite my height and beard stubble, I've successfully passed as 18.

[LindaTrent]

Re: Operative

what was an operative? Is this someone who worked in a factory setting?

From an 1853 Webster's Dictionary, "Operative, n. A laboring man; a laborer, artisan, or workman in manufactories." I'm not quite sure how this differs from laborer or machinists, but... I assume a mechanic is one who has his own shop, like a smith, etc.

Linda Trent
lindatrent@zoomnet.net

[Dave Grieves]

Stats

Linda,

Interesting statistics. A clerk's life expectancy was 33 years, and a pauper's, 65. I wonder why the great difference.

[ChrisM(armyguy)]

Re: the reenactors age

i think that to have a healthy mix of ages is appropriate. anyone who has been in the armed services in a combat role can tell you that a few years of line work will make you look ten years older. you can imagine then from the faces of some of those men we see in the pictures that they are very weathered from exposure. This tends to happen to people on the line. I myself have been asked if im in my thirties (which im sure some of you would take as a compliment...). Even the most baby faced, acne ridden teens would appear the veteran after a season of good campaigning.


Chris "im getting too old for this army stuff" mattingly

[LindaTrent]

Re: Stats

Linda, Interesting statistics. A clerk's life expectancy was 33 years, and a pauper's, 65. I wonder why the great difference.

Hi Dave,

Hank and I were wondering the same thing, and what we came up with a possibility which is that the statistics actually show what a man was doing when he died, not necessarily what he was doing all his life. An older man, for example, who didn't work, would be more capable of spending down to nothing, and passing away penniless. Thus a pauper died at such an old age.

Just a thought.

Linda Trent

[Michael Comer]

Re: the reenactors age

Actually, being a judge/justice was 67 years and gentlemen were 63. :-)

Yes, I noticed that, but there were only 7 of them compared to 263 gentlemen which would produce a more accurate representative number I thought.

[SCSecesh]

Re: the reenactors age

So which category do you pick it your on one edge or the other - 35 to 40 or 40 to 45??

[Curt Schmidt]

Re: the reenactors age

Hallo KAmerad!

Just a quick note...

You may be more interested in the "mean age" rather than the "average age?"

Meaning,(no pun intended) with an "average;" if we have a unit of 30, with 20 50 year olds and 10 of their 15 year old sons- the picture gets skewed....with the average being 38 years old. ;-)

Curt-Heinrich Schmidt

[weed]

Re: the reenactors age

I am 52 years old, but look like my mid 30's. i have been doing HARDCORE living history for 32 years and have no plans to stop. I started with the 15th Illinois which later turned into a base unit for The Mudsills (5th Kentucky Vol's) in 1974, and finnally now with the 33d Wisconsin and Hardhead Mess

Age is a thing of mind. you are ONLY as old as you want yourself to believe!

John M. Wedeward
33d Wisconsin Vol Infantry

ps. we arestarting to get the "Reseach Articles" "BACK" on or web site (33d Wisconsin)

When I have time, I scan them and our web master who posts them.

https://www.33wis.com/articles/index.htm

"Weed"

[billwatson]

Re: the reenactors age

"Age is a thing of mind. you are ONLY as old as you want yourself to believe!"

Well, then, I'm 15.
My body, however, is 54. And my knees are apparently, respectively, 74 and 64. :-)

I can, with General Beauregard's solution, blend into the crowd quite nicely. But I'm finding it takes longer to recover physically from the more strenuous weekends, and longer to tune up ahead of them. Due to an extensive aerobic conditioning career earlier in life (muskrat trapping in January, February and March in New Jersey salt marshes for a dozen years. Almost as good as running marathons :-) ) I've got a core infrastructure of muscle and lungs that don't let me down during the weekend itself -- but I pay afterwards.

When I can't keep up or when it's clear I can't reasonably blend into the correct age bracket, I'll stop going to events where that matters, at least as a participant. But really, it seems most guys are out of shape even when they are the right weight, that is, the number of guys who can do 10 miles on a preservation march and end up ready to play baseball before dinner is pretty darn small.

[Gallinipper]

Re: the reenactors age

"Age is a thing of mind. you are ONLY as old as you want yourself to believe!"

Well said Bill! Let me in on some of that action, as long as this is turning into a "I'm really this age, but I LOOK this age" kind of thread. (Sounds like a dishwashing liquid commercial from the 60's....). OK then-- as for me, I'm 44 but I look 7!

Maybe we can take a poll on reenactor's WEIGHT next?

Rich Croxton

[Curt Schmidt]

Re: the reenactors age

Hallo Kameraden!

Just to be crabby, what does this have to do with much of anything? ;-)

I am 3,984, but listed as 37-38, well-muscled.
(5' 10", 168 pounds, black is my favorite color, and my sign is Sagitarius. Last movie seen "The Terminal." Last book read: Too many too remember. Favorite food: pizza. Turn-offs: flame baiters and trolls. Turn-on's: Private.)
:-)

Curt-Heinrich Schmidt
Hyper Sapien Mess