Senior Citizen Soldiers In The US Civil War
Children fought in the Civil War, and so did old men. When the conflict erupted in 1861, Northern recruiters were flooded with volunteers eager to do their bit to preserve the Union and crush the rebellion. However, the months dragged on, and the casualties mounted – more than anybody had thought possible at war’s outbreak. As sober reality set in that the war would be longer, tougher, and deadlier than initially expected, volunteer numbers began to decline. In Iowa, as recruitment figures dwindled, a fifty-year-old farmer named George W. Kincaid had an idea. To rekindle some enthusiasm for service, and simultaneously prod able-bodied young men to do their bit, he proposed the formation of a regiment of men past normal military age.
The idea was approved by Iowa’s governor, and US Secretary of War Edwin Stanton applauded the notion. Accordingly, Kincaid was named colonel of a new unit, the 37th Iowa Infantry Regiment, comprised of men aged above 45. More than 1000 men signed up. Most were in their forties, fifties, and sixties, but quite a few were in their seventies, and at least one, Curtis King, was eighty-years-old when he enlisted. The regiment’s average age was 57 years. The men had to be in good health and able to perform military duties. It was understood that such duties would be light, in the rear rather than on the front lines, but they still needed to be able to fight if necessary.