# Youngest Civil War Grandchild? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 15, 2003, 6:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youngest-civil-war-grandchild/175389 "2003-05-15T06:49:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![mose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d07c76/32.png) [@mose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mose)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2014, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youngest-civil-war-grandchild/175389/81 "2014-06-03T14:46:51Z")
My grandfather was a civil war soldier and he died in 1958. My father was 5-years old when his father died and his father was 92-years old. My father’s older sister is still living and she is now 84-years old. And you may be thinking maybe they weren’t actually his children but I was certainly beg to differ. They both looked just like their dad. I am 58 years old and my youngest brother is 45 years old. ---
**Author:** ![gardiner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/2acd7d/32.png) [@gardiner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gardiner)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2014, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youngest-civil-war-grandchild/175389/82 "2014-07-26T21:24:32Z")
My dad is the grandson of a (Union) Civil War veteran and he is 71 - his father, my grandpa, is the SON of the veteran and he was born in 1908 (d. 2000) when my great grandfather was 67. I was just contacted by the Colonel of the Kentish Guards in East Greenwich, RI because next year they are honoring them for the 150th year of the end of the war and they are trying to reunite as many descendants as possible for the commemoration - at which time the Battle Streamers will be formally presented to the Kentish Guard company. SUPER excited to be able to attend with my dad and my children. ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2014, 10:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youngest-civil-war-grandchild/175389/83 "2014-07-27T10:33:22Z")
> [@Snickers](#): > > Holy cats. My mind is blown twice. Not only does President Tyler have at least one living grandchild (I’m uncertain if the other has died since I last posted to this thread), there are people around whose grandfathers fought in the Civil War, and _some of these people are younger than my parents_! Some of them are barely older than me! (I’m 37.) > > Wow. > [@Skammer](#): > > Lyon Tyler, grandson of the president, is an acquaintance of mine. He’s been to my house for dinner! > > Anyway, he is still alive, but unfortunately in poor health. Continuing the slight hijack: Both of President Tyler’s grandsons, Lyon and Harrison, are still living as of this date. ---
**Author:** ![DBee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@DBee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DBee)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2017, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youngest-civil-war-grandchild/175389/84 "2017-09-16T21:50:00Z")
My brother is in his 50s … how would I go about determining whether he is one of the youngest living grandchildren of the Civil War? ---
**Author:** ![DBee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a8b319/32.png) [@DBee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DBee)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2017, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youngest-civil-war-grandchild/175389/85 "2017-09-16T21:53:12Z")
How would I go about determining if my brother at age 56 is one of the youngest grandchildren of the Civil War? ---
**Author:** ![philip\_pullen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecb155/32.png) [@philip\_pullen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/philip_pullen)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2018, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youngest-civil-war-grandchild/175389/86 "2018-01-11T23:05:47Z")
there are a few of us left… my brother, who was born in 1966 is most likely the youngest grandson of a civil war vet. by the way my grandfather at this time has 9 grandchildren still living… ---
**Author:** ![buddha\_david](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ee7513/32.png) [@buddha\_david](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buddha_david)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2018, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youngest-civil-war-grandchild/175389/87 "2018-01-12T00:47:35Z")
> [@cochrane](#): > > Continuing the slight hijack: Both of President Tyler’s grandsons, Lyon and Harrison, are still living as of this date. Still alive, as of late 2017; it’s almost for certain to show up on Wiki when one of them passes. What I’d like to know, and haven’t been able to find out: How old are their youngest children? It would be awesome if one of them had a kid in 2015 or something… ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2018, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youngest-civil-war-grandchild/175389/88 "2018-03-25T17:01:29Z")
It appears that a child of a Civil War soldier is still alive: > **[7 WTF Details About Historical Events Everyone Forgets](https://www.cracked.com/article_25481_7-wtf-details-about-historical-events-everyone-forgets.html)** > > Sometimes we ignore all of the chaotic insanity that typically accompanies history. I found an obituary of an Irene Triplett from last year, but I think it’s a different Irene Triplett. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [April 1, 2018, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youngest-civil-war-grandchild/175389/89 "2018-04-01T05:03:56Z")
> [@zev\_steinhardt](#): > > According to the Dept. of Veterans Affairs, there is still one widow and 12 children of Civil War vets drawing benefits. > > Such “longevity” is not unknown. > The last dependant of a Revolutionary War vet died in 1911, 120+ years after the war ended. > The last dependant of a War of 1812 vet died in 1946. > The last dependant of a Mexican-American War vet died in 1962. > > We’ll still be paying benefits to WWI vets and dependants for at least another 30-40 years. > > Zev Steinhardt To qualify as a dependent, like the 12 children mentioned above, the child needed only to have been born to the widow, but didn’t have fathered by the veteran, wouldn’t they? Otherwise I don’t see how this is possible. ---
**Author:** ![GrayBrown](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/5f9b8f/32.png) [@GrayBrown](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrayBrown)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2018, 12:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youngest-civil-war-grandchild/175389/90 "2018-05-26T00:46:09Z")
> [@philip\_pullen](#): > > there are a few of us left… my brother, who was born in 1966 is most likely the youngest grandson of a civil war vet. by the way my grandfather at this time has 9 grandchildren still living… My grandfather, James Andrew Brown, was with the 10th Tennessee Infantry (Union) from 1863 to 1865. I am 70 years old but my younger brother was born in 1969 and turned 49 in April. He is the youngest of five siblings and numerous cousins. ---
**Author:** ![Janiemagub](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e47774/32.png) [@Janiemagub](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Janiemagub)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2025, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youngest-civil-war-grandchild/175389/91 "2025-12-15T21:46:07Z")
I am a grandchild of a civil war vet. I am 72. ---
**Author:** ![md-2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9d8465/32.png) [@md-2000](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/md-2000)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2025, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youngest-civil-war-grandchild/175389/92 "2025-12-16T01:46:49Z")
Since grandchildren are becoming rarer… How likely is the scamario today? My Canadian pension from my company basically allows for a survivor pension only to a spouse to whom I was married when I retired and began collecting a pension. I assume no such restriction applied back in the day for Civil War soldiers. (Although a reduced Canada Pension Plan, CPP, much like Social Security, does go to the person you are cohabiting with) What’s the rule today for US military pensions and other US government pensions? Does a marriage after retirement actually turn out lucrative for the spouse? How about WWI and WWII veterans’ pensions? (Don’t need answer fast. Neither does my wife) ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2025, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youngest-civil-war-grandchild/175389/93 "2025-12-16T02:19:07Z")
Welcome, and we’d love to hear more about it! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/youngest-civil-war-grandchild/175389.md?page=4)