While many men in the unit were in their 40s and 50s, there were some who enlisted in their 60s and 70s. The average age of a Graybeard was 57 years old.
Curtis King, who enlisted in November 1862, was the oldest among them. King was the son of a veteran of the Revolutionary War. Born in 1783, he made his way west through Ohio and Indiana, eventually ending up in Iowa. By the time he enlisted into the Graybeards, he had just celebrated his 80th birthday.
He had been turned away by two other units before the 37th Iowa accepted him.
King was described as being 6 feet, 2 inches tall and blind in one eye. By all accounts, he was still energetic and able, having a lot of stamina, the vigor of youth and a willingness to accept the hardship of a soldier’s life.
He left behind at least 21 children when he enlisted. He had to leave the unit in 1863 due to illness and died a few weeks later.
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While many men in the unit were in their 40s and 50s, there were some who enlisted in their 60s and 70s. The average age of a Graybeard was 57 years old.
Curtis King, who enlisted in November 1862, was the oldest among them. King was the son of a veteran of the Revolutionary War. Born in 1783, he made his way west through Ohio and Indiana, eventually ending up in Iowa. By the time he enlisted into the Graybeards, he had just celebrated his 80th birthday.
He had been turned away by two other units before the 37th Iowa accepted him.
King was described as being 6 feet, 2 inches tall and blind in one eye. By all accounts, he was still energetic and able, having a lot of stamina, the vigor of youth and a willingness to accept the hardship of a soldier’s life.
He left behind at least 21 children when he enlisted. He had to leave the unit in 1863 due to illness and died a few weeks later.
https://www.military.com/history/graybeards-were-infantry-unit-just-men-too-old-military-service.html