Facial Hair

Civil War:

Facial Hair

 

Facial hair was one of the most common forms of fashion during the Civil War era. Not only were the wavy beards and handlebar mustaches the most common trends, they were designed (especially for generals and those of higher power) to daunt the enemy by flaunting the ferocious whiskers of immense power… and the enemy ran in terror primarily because most of those beards were downright ugly!

Like many materials made of metal, razor blades were scarce during wartime. Not every soldier would necessarily have a blade of his own, and even civilians had trouble finding them for purchase. Yet the Union Army's official guidelines were quite particular 100. Where conveniences for bathing are to be had, the men should bathe once or twice a week. The feet to be washed at least twice a week. The hair kept short, and the beard neatly trimmed. 1662.The hair to be short; the beard to be worn at the pleasure of the individual; but, when worn, to be kept short and neatly trimmed.

However, this rule wasn't necessarily enforced. You may be able to discern from the fact that more than 1,662 rules existed that not all of them could possibly be enforced (the Revised United States Army Regulations of 1861 amounted to more than 500 pages of rules). As we shall see, some of the very highest ranking individuals in the Union Army ignored this rule.

            Some of these haggard haircuts include: the handlebar, a trimmed beard, the two horned beard, the burnside (side burns), the goatee, the handlebar with a goatee, the texas ranger, the almost Hitler with a goatee (Aldelbert Ames), and etc. Some of these famous leaders include Ambrose Burnside, George Crook, and Alpheus Williams (below.)

  

Also, from 1861 to 1913, the common trends among the presidents were included with facial hair. Starting from the king of trends, Abraham Lincoln, the destructor of the Confederacy, won not only the war, but also the 19^th century beard contest.

This reign of bushy magnificence ended after nearly fifty years by the infamous William Taft. Now, we all know that Taft went through a stressful time in his life but that did not phase his mustache. Though, it did sadly demotivate the latter presidents of having facial hair

http://www.businessinsider.com/best-civil-war-beards-and-mustaches-2013-11

http://h2g2.com/approved_entry/A39115334