Why It Makes Sense... (1 Viewer)

[lancer]

You know you brought something interesting up Reb, I dont think Ive ever seen a picture of Stuart without his beard.

At least one such picture exsists from pre-war days (West Point?). I have seen it but do not remember where though it was probably in a bio or some photo history. Stuart did have a weak chin IMO, thus the beard. -- lancer

 

[7th OVI]

Lancer, Vanguard and UKReb, go to www.generalsandbevets.com,search Stuart and you can see 2 images of pre war Stuart with his chin exposed. Both are of him in civilian attire and have been published before.

Hope this helps.

 

[7th OVI]

Obviously that would be brevets with an "r"...

 

[VanguardFC007]

Lancer, Vanguard and UKReb, go to www.generalsandbevets.com,search Stuart and you can see 2 images of pre war Stuart with his chin exposed. Both are of him in civilian attire and have been published before.

Hope this helps.

Thanks for posting that website.

Yep, he needed the beard. Doesnt look quite as cavalier and swashbuckling without it.

 

[7th OVI]

I agree, he definitely needed the beard but maybe not one so large. It looks big enough to hide food, water, money or a small pistol. It also would get kind of itchy on the campaign trail. Just my opinion.

Thx

 

[UKReb]

It always appeared to me that the massive face of whiskers worn by quite a few ACW generals was more of a fashion trait for the Confederate Officer Corps rather than the Union and I have no idea why.

However, I do believe senior officers of the Army of the Potomac tended to imitate their commanders sartorial and facial hair tastes-eg take a look at the old photos/paintings of Union generals- there are dozens and dozens of just droopy moustaches minus the chin hair such as Chamberlain and Sickles wore that you dont find very often on pictures of the Reb officer Corps-the boys in blue I'm sure at one time were copying Little Mac even when he added a little hair below the lower lip. There are dozens of completely clean shaven faces-such as Hooker's but very few in the Confederacy. Also quite a few large side-whiskers are on show such as Burnside wore but what you dont see are very many of the bushy beards adorning the faces of Union officers- although two come to mind Belknap and Hayes and there may be a couple of others but they definitely buck what seems to have been be a Union trend of cultivating and retaining neat and tidy beards/moustaches or remaining clean shaven.

But when you look at the Reb General Corps the list of real bushy faces is almost endless such as Longstreet; Hood; Ambrose Hill; Robert Anderson; Phil Cook; Daniel Harvey Hill; Billy Mahone; James Pettigrew; Lafayette McLaws; James Smith; Albert Jenkins; Dan Ruggles; Ambrose Wright to name but a few. Some of them in fact bigger and bushier than Stuart's and yet my Union theory doesn't hold with these gentlemen of the South imitating their Commanders as both Lee and Johnston had neatly trimmed facial hair.

Just an observation that simply may have been either the height of Southern fashion or just a peculiarity for Southern generals to be smothered in facial hair. Either that or there wasn't a single decent regimental barber in the whole of the South. Interesting!
Reb

 

[jazzeum]

Here's a photo of Lincoln and McClellan showing some nice hirsute Union Generals

 

[lancer]

Give me a head with hair, long, beautiful hair...

 

[UKReb]

And here's a group that's not so hairy-well nothing like the hirsute Rebs

 

[Spitfrnd]

....Just an observation that simply may have been either the height of Southern fashion or just a peculiarity for Southern generals to be smothered in facial hair. Either that or there wasn't a single decent regimental barber in the whole of the South. Interesting!
Reb

Maybe it was the absence of hot water. I couldn't get that website to work for me BTW.

 

[7th OVI]

Well, I did a quick survey of the federal brevet generals that last names began with a "C" that have an image on that website and found that approximately 50% of them had beards and the other half did not. I do not know any reason for it nor is it probably a good statistical approach even though it lends some facts and data to the discussion. I am going to go with the fashion, hot water and good barber answer. I do not know if geography had much to do with it but it does seem like there was more facial hair south of the Mason Dixon on at least the more popular generals.

I just tried the web site and it seemed to work for me, here is the address again with the missing "r" in the appropriate place: www.generalsandbrevets.com.

thx

 

[VanguardFC007]

Its a strange coincidence. Id be surprised to hear there was actually some logical reasoning to it.

 

[Shiloh]

May also depend on the time of year and whether he was campaigning or in garrison . A lot of people who work outside in the winter grow facial hair to help stay warm. So the general could be bearded in the winter while appearing clean shaven in the summer and the same for in the field or in camp.

 

[7th OVI]

Very true, having done that myself when living in Cleveland, Ohio on the North Shore during the winter. Honestly, I have seen a few references of men "sporting a beard" to look older, mimic other soldiers, to impress girls, cover cap scars, to avoid shaving, to ful fill an agreement with other pards, and so on. I even noticed references to shaving beards to get clean, so their families would recognize them, look younger, impress girls, get an image taken, to gey rid of "bugs" and so on. Anyway, that is what electonic search came up with tonight... I wish I could grow some hair... more on the top of my head than on my chin....