Civil War Facial Hair Competition

The Buckeye Copperhead blog draw my attention to a Civil War Beard facial hair competition mentioned in the Smithsonian Magazine. I’m not sure if the people at the Smithsonian (or the rest of the world) haven’t got more urgent matters to attend to. Nevertheless, after carefull consideration, and without a predilection to the North or the South, I nominate John Pope. Big beard, but not too large, combined with a stern look.

When he was a brigadier general he commanded the Army of the Mississippi and won major battles. After his promotion to major general he changed his beard into a goatee, resulting in his defeat at the Second Battle of Bull Run (Second Manassas). Conclusion: never change a winning beard!

Row 1: J. B. Hood, A. P. Hill, A. S. Johnston, R. S. Ewell, Jas. Longstreet, W. J. Hardee, Stirling Price.

Row 2: J. E. B. Stuart, G. T. Beauregard, T. J. Stonewall Jackson, R. E. Lee, Joseph E. Johnson, Fitzhugh Lee, Braxton Bragg.

Row 3: J. A. Early, J. C. Breckinridg, Leonidas Polk, Wade Hampton, E Kirby Smith, Raphael Semmes.

Row 1: H. Thomas, Philip Krarney, A.E. Burnside, Joseph Hooker, John A. Logan, G. Meade, B. McClellan.

Row 2: Irwin McDowell, N.P. Banks, U.S. Grant, W.T. Sherman, William S. Rosecrans, Daniel E. Sickles.

Row 3: David G. Farraout, John Pope, Benjamin F. Butler, Winfield S. Hancock, John Bedgwick, David D. Porter.

next episode: Rome