Even further back in our Military history, it was not only allowed to have a beard, in some cases it was a necessity, and sometimes even celebrated, especially in the Navy. In the earliest development of United States Military, facial hair and long hair were normal occurrences especially in combat time. Soldiers pulled their hair to the back of the neck and tied it in a firm bundle called the “clubbed” hairstyle. This hairstyle was mostly worn by cavalrymen. This rule came to a screeching halt in 1801 when commanding General of the Army, Maj. Gen. James Wilkinson rescinded that policy. Soldiers were made to shave at least three times a week and beards were no longer allowed. Mutiny was the cry shortly after Gen. Wilkinson’s decision. Men felt that cutting their hair was nothing short of mutilation. Despite the feelings of the men serving in the Army, in July 1805, the Army court-martialed Lieutenant Colonel (LTC) Thomas Butler, Jr., a 30-year Army veteran, who refused to cut his hair. A board of officers found him guilty of mutinous conduct in appearing publicly in command of troops with his hair queued. The board sentenced LTC Butler to be suspended from command, without pay, for 12 months. This was a severe sentence, given LTC Butler’s seniority and three decades of service. The two…show more content… Grant had a somewhat neatly trimmed beard. A beard could be worn “at the pleasure of the individual” according to Revised United States Army regulations of 1861, both Army and Navy held that they should be kept short and neatly trimmed, however, this was not always the case. Admiral Stephen B. Luce and Admiral David Porter grew much more wild and extreme styles of facial hair. Other examples include General William Tecumseh Sherman, General Thomas 'Stonewall' Jackson, and General Robert E Lee (sometimes known as the “Gray
