# Were there any Civil War veterans who lived to get their driver's license? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 16, 2015, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-there-any-civil-war-veterans-who-lived-to-get-their-drivers-license/715099 "2015-03-16T07:07:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Hingle\_McCringleberry](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/7c8e57/32.png) [@Hingle\_McCringleberry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hingle_McCringleberry)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2015, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-there-any-civil-war-veterans-who-lived-to-get-their-drivers-license/715099/1 "2015-03-16T07:07:53Z")
This has been bugging me all day. I know that a drummer boy named John Clem (1851 - 1937) eventually became a car salesman around 1914 but I don’t know of anyone who ended up with a license :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Donnerwetter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Donnerwetter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Donnerwetter)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2015, 8:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-there-any-civil-war-veterans-who-lived-to-get-their-drivers-license/715099/2 "2015-03-16T08:27:57Z")
I’m pretty sure that there were at least a handful of Civil War veterans who learned to drive a motor vehicle in the early 1900s. When I look at pictures of veterans of the Battle of Gettysburg at their 50th reunion in 1913, I find that many of them still looked pretty spry. ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2015, 9:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-there-any-civil-war-veterans-who-lived-to-get-their-drivers-license/715099/3 "2015-03-16T09:10:05Z")
> [@Donnerwetter](#): > > I’m pretty sure that there were at least a handful of Civil War veterans who learned to drive a motor vehicle in the early 1900s. When I look at pictures of veterans of the Battle of Gettysburg at their 50th reunion in 1913, I find that many of them still looked pretty spry. The question then becomes whether any of these handful of veterans drove in a state which actually required drivers to be licensed. It was only at the turn of the 20th century that driver’s licences came into use in the US, and even then states were slow to adopt them. Some states didn’t require drivers to have licences until the 1950s. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2015, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-there-any-civil-war-veterans-who-lived-to-get-their-drivers-license/715099/4 "2015-03-16T13:28:47Z")
The Grand Army of the Republic – an organization for Union veterans – held encampments as late as 1949, so they certainly had members who could have gotten licenses. I’ve also seen sound film of Confederate veterans, so they existed in 1930. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2015, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-there-any-civil-war-veterans-who-lived-to-get-their-drivers-license/715099/5 "2015-03-16T13:34:49Z")
Agreed it is likely at least some did - I’ve never read that for sure, though. The last vet died in 1956, so there was certainly time: [Albert Woolson - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Woolson) ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2015, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-there-any-civil-war-veterans-who-lived-to-get-their-drivers-license/715099/6 "2015-03-16T13:35:59Z")
Of course there were! You can see Robert E. Lee’s and Ulysses Grant’s right here art the top! [https://www.google.com/search?q=Civil+War+Driver’s+License&biw=1920&bih=932&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=LNoGVb-GLfOasQS514HAAQ&ved=0CCUQsAQ&dpr=1](https://www.google.com/search?q=Civil+War+Driver's+License&biw=1920&bih=932&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=LNoGVb-GLfOasQS514HAAQ&ved=0CCUQsAQ&dpr=1) Seriously, though, if anyplace would help, you’d think it would be this book. The preview’s index, though, doesn’t have any entries for “Driver’s License” or “Automobile” > **[Last of the Blue and Gray: Old Men, Stolen Glory, and the Mystery That Outlived...](https://www.amazon.com/Last-Blue-Gray-Mystery-Outlived/dp/1588343952)** > > Last of the Blue and Gray: Old Men, Stolen Glory, and the Mystery That Outlived the Civil War \[Serrano, Richard A.\] on Amazon.com. \*FREE\* shipping on qualifying offers. Last of the Blue and Gray: Old Men, Stolen Glory, and the Mystery That Outlived... ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2015, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-there-any-civil-war-veterans-who-lived-to-get-their-drivers-license/715099/7 "2015-03-16T15:41:31Z")
Found one. [John H. Huyck](http://www.cityofhawarden.com/wp-content/uploads/Chapter-44-Patriotism-and-Heroes1.pdf). This obituary says Huyck served in the Civil War and also mentions he stopped driving at 93 when the state would not renew his drivers license. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2015, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-there-any-civil-war-veterans-who-lived-to-get-their-drivers-license/715099/8 "2015-03-16T15:54:01Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Found one. Cool find. 🆒 How’d you dig that one up? ---
**Author:** ![Donnerwetter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Donnerwetter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Donnerwetter)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2015, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-there-any-civil-war-veterans-who-lived-to-get-their-drivers-license/715099/9 "2015-03-16T16:10:37Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#): > > Found one. > > [John H. Huyck](http://www.cityofhawarden.com/wp-content/uploads/Chapter-44-Patriotism-and-Heroes1.pdf). This obituary says Huyck served in the Civil War and also mentions he stopped driving at 93 when the state would not renew his drivers license. That’s at least a 7th Dan in google-fu! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2015, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-there-any-civil-war-veterans-who-lived-to-get-their-drivers-license/715099/10 "2015-03-16T16:32:19Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > I’ve also seen sound film of Confederate veterans, so they existed in 1930. I doubt they drove [this,](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lincoln_Motor_Company) though. ---
**Author:** ![skdo23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@skdo23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/skdo23)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2015, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-there-any-civil-war-veterans-who-lived-to-get-their-drivers-license/715099/11 "2015-04-16T18:47:23Z")
Not exactly what the OP is looking for, but a good example of a [Civil War Vet interacting with 20th century technology.](http://dailysanctuary.com/a-rare-photos-from-the-past/77/?utm_campaign=adb_RarePhotos&utm_medium=rare_photos&utm_source=adb_rare_photos&utm_term=DS&utm_content=188685) ---
**Author:** ![Donnerwetter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b2d939/32.png) [@Donnerwetter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Donnerwetter)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2015, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-there-any-civil-war-veterans-who-lived-to-get-their-drivers-license/715099/12 "2015-04-16T19:01:29Z")
> [@skdo23](#): > > Not exactly what the OP is looking for, but a good example of a [Civil War Vet interacting with 20th century technology.](http://dailysanctuary.com/a-rare-photos-from-the-past/77/?utm_campaign=adb_RarePhotos&utm_medium=rare_photos&utm_source=adb_rare_photos&utm_term=DS&utm_content=188685) Looks like [this gentleman](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Lundy) had a little scam going. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![skdo23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@skdo23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/skdo23)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2015, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-there-any-civil-war-veterans-who-lived-to-get-their-drivers-license/715099/13 "2015-04-16T19:05:39Z")
> [@Donnerwetter](#): > > Looks like [this gentleman](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Lundy) had a little scam going. 😃 :smack::smack::smack::smack::smack::smack::smack::smack::smack::smack::smack: ---
**Author:** ![dasmoocher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/dbc845/32.png) [@dasmoocher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dasmoocher)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2015, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/were-there-any-civil-war-veterans-who-lived-to-get-their-drivers-license/715099/14 "2015-04-16T19:32:37Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > Cool find. 🆒 > > How’d you dig that one up? You really didn’t dig him up? :eek: