Union Insignia of the Civil War

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Contents 1 Union Insignia 2 U.S. Army 2.1 U.S. Army Enlisted 3 U.S. Navy 4 U.S. Marine Corps 4.1 U.S. Marine Corps Enlisted

Union Insignia

By the 1860's the Federal Army had had nearly ninety years to become large and diversified. Enlisted rank insignia, too, had become large and diversified. Chevrons covering the entire outer sleeve, in dashing colors. The several branches of the Army had their respective jobs and used their troops in varying manners. The insignia show, this.

Special thanks for the hard work and design that was used to create these pages needs to be given to Rod Ploessl. Without his contribution to our site we would have to go without a page on Civil War Insignia. Please visit his web site: United States Army Insignia Home Page at: http://usarmyinsigniahomepage.110mb.com/

U.S. Army

Commissioned Officers of the United States Army
Grade	9	8	7	6	5	4	3	2	1
Uniform Collar
	Lieutenant General	Major General	Brigadier General	Colonel infantry	Lieutenant Colonel staff	Major artillery	Captain infantry	1st Lieutenant cavalry	2nd Lieutenant artillery

Commissioned Officers Hat Insignia, United States Army
Hat Insignia
	General Officer	Staff Officer	Infantry	Artillery	Cavalry	Sharpshooter	Corps of Engineers	Topographical Engineers	Ordinance	Signal Corps

U.S. Army Enlisted

Service stripes were worn on the uniform's lower sleeve below the insignia of rank; each stripe denotes five years of service. Scarlet or light-blue trim around a stripe indicates service in wartime.

Cap badges, generally, identified the branch and regiment to which the wearer belonged. The badges were defined by regulation and policy, but in a vast war enforcement often seems less important. Officers purchased their own uniforms and insignia and could be inventive. Their cap badges were embroidered with silver and gold wire, sometimes following Army dictates and sometimes not.

Enlisted troops were issued their uniforms and insignia. Their cap badges were of stamped brass, in some cases they included their regiment number and company letter. Although of less frequency, they were also prone to imaginative substitutions.

Infantry
Grade	7	6	5	4	3	2	1
Rank	Sergeant-Major	Quartermaster Sergeant	First Sergeant	Sergeant	Corporal	Musician	Private	Hat Insignia

Artillery
Grade	7	6	5	4	4	3	2	1
Rank	Sergeant-Major	Regimental Quartermaster Sergeant	First Sergeant	Battery Quartermaster Sergeant	Sergeant	Corporal	Pioneer	Private	Hat Insignia

Cavalry
Grade	7	6	5	4	4	3	2	1
Rank	Sergeant-Major	Regimental Quartermaster Sergeant	First Sergeant	Company Quartermaster Sergeant	Sergeant	Ferrier / Blacksmith	Corporal	Private / Bugler	Hat Insignia

Sharpshooter
Grade	7	6	5	4	3	2
Rank	Sergeant-Major	Quartermaster Sergeant	First Sergeant	Sergeant	Corporal	Private	Hat Insignia

Other Enlisted Ranks
Grade	7	7	7	5	5	4	3	2	2
Rank	Hospital Steward	Ordinance Sergeant	Sergeant Engineers	Sergeant Signal Corps	Corporal Engineers	Sergeant Ordinance	Corporal Ordinance	Private Signal Corps	Private Ambulance Corps	Hat Insignia
										Engineers Ordinance Signal Corps

U.S. Navy

Commissioned Officers of the United States Navy
Grade	8	7	6	5	4	3	2	1
1861
	Flag Officer	Captain	Commander	Lieutenant as commander	Lieutenant as executive	Lieutenant	Master	Passed Midshipman
1862
	Flag Officer	Commodore	Captain	Commander	LT Commander	Lieutenant	Master	Ensign

U.S. Marine Corps

Commissioned Officers of the United States Marine Corps
Grade	6	5	4	3	2	1
Title	Colonel	Lieutenant Colonel	Major	Captain	1st Lieutenant	2nd Lieutenant	Hat Insignia
Shoulder Strap

U.S. Marine Corps Enlisted

Enlisted ranks of the United States Marine Corps
Grade	7	6	5	4	3	2	1
Rank	Sergeant-Major	Quartermaster Sergeant	Drum Major / Ordinance Sergeant	First Sergeant	Sergeant	Corporal	Private/Musician	Hat Insignia
Uniform Sleeve

The contents of this page are used with permission. Images Designed by RWD Ploessl. United States Army Insignia Home Page