AGE WEIGHT. " 51 



those found fit for military service; niid, as in ]irecediiig cases, a careful selection has 

 been made of the most trustworthy portions of our recoi'ds. The following statement, 

 though exhibiting limited numbers, is offered with entire confidence as to its reliability. 



Table shoiring the mcnn age </ 303,148 men, all found fit for mUitary service. 



Nativity. Number. 



United States, white 196,980 



United States, colored 19, 75(i 



British Americans 14,954 



Englishmen 10, lOU 



Irishmen 30,412 



Germans .- 30,943 



Total, and mean of total j 303, 148 



Mean age. 



Years. 

 26. g-Vi 



26. 40C 

 25. 235 



27. 885 

 27. 216 

 31.029 



27. 307 



Mr. Gould's data comprise a very large proportion of volunteers, and the result 

 arrived at by him is as follows: Mean age of 1,012,273 men, of all nativities, includ- 

 ing those above and below the military age, 26.83G2 years; mean age of 9*J6,647 men, 

 all ivithin the limits of military age, namely, from 18 to 45 years, 25.8083 years.' The 

 particulars from which these conclusions ware obtained were copied fi-om the records 

 in the archi^^es of the different States, and the cautionary remarks already offered as to 

 the character of these statistics must be again recalled to the reader's notice. 



It api tears, then, that the mean age of the men of the foregoing table, who were 

 all eligible for service, was 1.471 years greater than that of the early volunteers, not- 

 withstanding that a larger number of men at the earliest ages are found among the 

 former. There is more than one reason for this. The ardor of youth, its freedom from 

 marriage ties and business entanglements, would iiaturalh* account for the presence of 

 a larger proportion of young men in the volunteer forces; while, under the enrollment- 

 law, the lot fell, according to fortune, upon all within the prescribed limits. But even 

 in the volunteer regiments, the mean age was found to increase from year to vear as 

 the war continued. Mr. Gould gives this illustration of the fact:^ 



1862. 1863. 1864. 1865. 



Average age of volunteers on last birthday 25.104 25.766 .26.067 26.321 



The first draft under the law wns carried into operation in July, 1863. 



Weight. — While the annals of recruiting contain copious details as to stature, the 

 amount of information furnished upou the subject of weight is, foi- the most part, 

 extremely meager. A principal reason for this is to be found in the fact that weight 

 is not a regulated quality in any code of laws governing the enlistment of recruits. 

 The circumference of chest thought to be indispensable as an accompaniment to certain 

 degrees of stature, is carefully laid down in the Enghsh regulations, but weight is not 

 even mentioned. It is to be presumed that the matter is left to the discretion of the 

 examining snrge<in, with whom the decision as to the other qualities named might, it is 

 thought, be also left with advantage. A due pro]Xjrtion in the weight is quite as essen- 

 tial in the soldier as a well-formed chest, and is of greater importance than lofty stat- 



' Op. oil., p. 53. »0p. oi«.,p. 88. 



