Beard-O-Rama: And the Winner Is….
Congratulations to the winner of our first-ever Ambrose Burnside Memorial Beard-O-Rama Bracket: Col. Percy Wyndham of the 1st New Jersey Cavalry!
Wyndham captured the championship with 59% of the vote over Col. John Shackleford “Shack” Green of the 6th Virginia Volunteer Cavalry.
Thank you to everyone who voted over the past month. We hope you had as much fun as we did!
Assuming Wyndham survived the war, did he maintain this look in later life? And images of him postwar known to exist?
It was rigged! His wife kept pulling on all three points!
Sir Percy’s life and death are certainly interesting, as is his assorted military service around the world. A worthy inaugural winner of this award, and many thanks for this contest!
Wow, a contestant without a full beard wins the Beard-O-Rama competition!
I look at the Civil War general’s beard as a non-verbal statement of strategy from one general to another. Wyndham’s alleged “beard” has no lines of support connecting to the supply depot on the top of his head. The three independent wings leave open multiple fronts for crushing assaults. While similar in strategy to Sherman’s when he departed Savannah, Georgia, that is, one wing marching obliquely left towards Augusta, one wing marching obliquely right, towards Charleston, and the center (goatee) marching to Columbia, it increases the attack surface and leaves each wing unsupported should they meet a punishing razor sharp attack, ala Bentonville, day 1. A full beard, exhibiting fewer weak points yielding the enemy fewer opportunities for success, as well as outnumbering the foe, gives the most chance of victory. How do you shave off Green’s beard, where do you start? Wyndham’s facial hair can be cut down from multiple sides.
Congrats Sir Percy. A good contest.
I concur! That IS a very impressive face full of hair! It must have taken a lot of work.
How do you win a best beard contest while not having an actual beard. Interesting times.