Average Reb

[HCSmitty]

Does anybody have any statistics on Reb. What was the average height, average weight? And any other neat info would be appreciated.


Hunter Smith

[Cove Rebel]

Smitty I'll have to find the document but someone posted a link on here that showed a study of an Arkansas unit at muster and the average height was about 5'8". I don't have that link but I'll look for it.

If I had to bet, I'd say Curt or Ross will have that link. They seem to be the gurus. :D

[Cove Rebel]

I didn't find the link to the Arkansas unit study, but did find a good reference.

Google "height study civil war". You should come up with a result that includes a book 'American Economic Growth & Standards of Living Before the Civil War' as one of the results (link was too long to paste). Check out page 148 para 3.4.1

[sbl]

Please don't take this as a "go look it up" answer. If you don't already have it, its a good source.

The Life of Johnny Reb: The Common Soldier of the Confederacy (Paperback)
by Bell Irvin Wiley (Author) "DURING the thirty-five years that have elapsed since the first publication of The Life of Johnny Reb I have continued to read, for pleasure and..." (more)

http://www.amazon.com/Life-Johnny-Reb-Soldier-Confederacy/dp/0807104752

The price is right to!

14 new from $4.24 66 used from $0.55

[Curt-Heinrich Schmidt]

Hallo!

I believe that may have been the "stats" for the Confederate 8th Missouri?

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y104/Michael1787/CWheightchart.gif

I do recall a listing (once) that listed (some) state-by-state comparisons that looked into the regional and state ethnicity of the soliders as a factor of height and weight (some ethnicities/nationalities being taller or shorter than others due to genetics, diet, etc.).

I do not have it any longer. (A problem of having relied on boards and fora as reference data storage only to find crashes and reincarnations do not always "save" everything...).

And in general, "Confederate" records are skimpier due to more random record keeping (such as not all muster or enlistment forms ask for height and weight) and wartime and end-of-war loses.

CHS
Not at all a Guru, but maybe a High Priest on some days, Mess ;) :)

[Cove Rebel]

Hallo!

I believe that may have been the "stats" for the Confederate 8th Missouri?



I stand corrected oh High Priest! :D

[HCSmitty]

Well what about weight???


Hunter Smith

[Cove Rebel]

Here's a link to another thread on the same subject. Note Curt's comments on height/weight about 3/4 of the way down the first page. The study he cites says about 143lbs.

http://www.cwreenactors.com/forum/showthread.php?p=61736#poststop

I recommend looking up Curt's reference in his post (Fox's) and read that.

[Phil]

One of the problems with "average" impressions as well as average data is that like virtually every other part of an impression, things like height, weight and age vary by unit. Something I came across in researching CS infantry units is that some of the units raised in 1862 were older, taller and heavier than the "boys of '61". The married men with families who had more to consider when enlisting were joining the ranks.

[ILYankee5]

According to valuetrac.com, this is what is being shown.

Average age at time of enlistment: 25.8 years.
Average height at time of enlistment: 5'8"
Average weight at time of enlistment: 143.5 lbs.

I will deffinately have to agree with Mr. Graf on when finding any "averages" during the Civil War. Another example, look at Sherman's March. As the Union Army went througout Georgia, countless accounts of the men of the Union Army were saying they were fighting little boys and old men (craddle to grave).