The Legacy of Civil War Veterans: The 1920s Beyond
The American Civil War, fought from 1861 to 1865, produced a staggering number of casualties. Yet, a significant portion of the surviving veterans lived on to witness significant changes in American and global history. This article explores the number of Civil War veterans still alive in the 1920s and the sources that provide insight into their lives and circumstances.
Survival Rates and Attrition
The civil war in Russia between 1917 and 1922 also saw immense casualties. While not the focus of this piece, it is important to note that other conflicts during this period may have contributed to the understanding of attrition rates and the survival of soldiers. According to various estimates, approximately 2.15 million servicemen survived the American Civil War. Half of those, or about one million, had already passed away by the year 1900, leading to a sharp decline in numbers over the following decades.
For example, out of the estimated 55,000 surviving veterans of the Battle of Gettysburg, only about 10,500 could attend the 50th anniversary event in 1913. By the time of the 75th anniversary in 1938, the number attending had dropped to approximately 5,345. This stark decline in attendance is reflective of the high attrition rates among Civil War veterans who lived to be in their late 70s and 80s by the 1920s.
Government and Heritage Associations
The U.S. government did not officially close the books on the Civil War until 2020. This process involved finalizing the death benefits of Civil War veterans. One notable example is Irene Triplett, who inherited her father's pension in 1938 due to his cognitive impairments and continued to receive payments until her own death on May 31, 2020.
The Union Army Heritage and Education Center (UAHEC) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, is a significant resource for understanding the legacy of Civil War veterans. Additionally, the National Archives hold invaluable records, including pension records and service records, which can provide detailed information about the lives and post-war circumstances of Civil War veterans. For Confederate service records, many such documents may not have survived, while archival lists of pensions granted to former CSA soldiers and their families can often be found with the appropriate state archives.
Estimating the Number of Survivors in the 1920s
Around the 1920s, most Civil War veterans would have been in their 70s and 80s. Given that life expectancy was significantly lower back then due to various factors, the remaining veterans would have been a demographic of the elderly. Using a point of comparison, we can estimate the number of survivors: the Vietnam War veterans, who served from 1965 to 1973, were also in their 70s and 80s by 2020. Similarly, the 1920s would have been a crucial period for many of the Civil War veterans, with many still alive but aging.
The American Civil War Veterans Association held a final hero call in 1938, at which around 10,000 survivors were identified. Only 2,500 of them attended the event, with the average age of the attendees being approximately 92. This serves as a snapshot of the number of Civil War veterans still alive in the 1920s, though it is not clear if the data includes the Sons of the GAR (Grand Army of the Republic).
In conclusion, the 1920s saw a significant decline in the number of Civil War veterans, with many entering their final years of life. The sources mentioned provide a valuable insight into the lives of these veterans and their legacy in American history. Researchers and historians can use these resources to better understand the demographics and circumstances of Civil War veterans in the post-war era.