United States Army enlisted rank insignia 1851–1901

On June 12, 1851, the United States Army issued new uniform regulations. The new regulations set out a system of chevrons to show enlisted rank.
Chevrons had been used to show rank in the 1820s and sergeants and corporals of dragoons had worn them to show rank since 1833. A system of chevrons was devised in 1847 to show rank on fatigue jackets of all branches that were being worn during the Mexican-American War. Chevrons were also used from 1832 to 1851 to show length of service.
The 1851 regulations ended the system of different colored buttons and trim to denote branch used since 1780. Now each branch would have a colored cloth trim. The colors were light blue for infantry, red for artillery, green for mounted riflemen, orange for dragoons, crimson for ordnancemen and yellow for engineers.
The chevron system would carry on from the 1847 system with sergeants major wearing three chevrons and three arcs, quartermaster sergeants three chevrons and three ties, first sergeants threes chevrons and a lozenge, sergeants three chevrons and corporals two chevrons, with the addition of ordnance sergeants wearing three chevrons and a star. The 1847 chevrons pointed up but the 1851 chevrons pointed down. Length of service was now shown by hashmarks worn on the lower sleeve.
On March 3, 1855, two regiments of cavalry were added to the army. Yellow chevrons were used.
On August 16, 1856, enlisted hospital stewards were added to the Medical Department. Insignia had been prescribed on October 31, 1851. Instead of chevrons a green hashmark with a yellow caduceus was used.
The army was reorganized for the Civil War.
On July 29, 1861 the ranks of commissary sergeant, saddler sergeant, veterinary sergeant, hospital steward, company quartermaster sergeant and wagoner were added to the cavalry. The ranks of commissary sergeant, drum major and leader of the band and hospital steward were added to the infantry. The ranks of commissary sergeant, hospital steward and battery quartermaster sergeant were added to the artillery.
Regimental hospital stewards wore the same insignia as those in the Medical Department. No insignia was ever prescribed for the other new ranks. Photographic evidence shows that company or battery quartermaster sergeants wore three chevrons and one tie.
On August 3, 1861 the enlisted ranks of master wagoner and wagoner were added to the Quartermaster's Department. Medical cadets were added to the Medical Department. This rank is included in the total for enlisted men on the 1863 table of organization, therefore this was an enlisted rank. The Corps of Topographical Engineers gained a company of enlisted men. The regiments of dragoons and mounted riflemen were converted to cavalry regiments.
An infantry regiment was designated sharpshooters and given green chevrons. The topographic engineer company may have not been organized or was organized as a regular engineer company, making yellow chevrons a safe assumption.
Medical cadets wore officer's undress uniforms with a green shoulder strap with a strip of gold lace.
On July 5, 1862, enlisted men of ordnance were given the ranks of sergeant, corporal, private first class and private second class.
On July 29, 1862, Veterinary sergeants and principal musicians were eliminated from the cavalry. Chief buglers were changed to chief trumpeters, chief farriers and blacksmiths and teamsters were added.
On March 3, 1863, the Corps of Topographical Engineers was merged into the Corps of Engineers. The cavalry lost its teamsters and chief farriers and blacksmiths and buglers became trumpeters. The Signal Corps was organized with the enlisted ranks of sergeant, private first class and private second class.
Sergeants of the Signal Corps wore yellow chevrons with crossed signal flags and privates just the flags.
On April 28, 1863, an Invalid Corps was added to the army.
On May 15, 1863, the Invalid Corps was given light blue uniforms with dark blue trimming and therefore dark blue chevrons.
On March 18, 1864, the Invalid Corps was renamed the Veteran Reserve Corps.
On June 20, 1864, the Corps of Engineers was allowed a sergeant major and a quartermaster sergeant.
The army was given a postwar reorganization on July 28, 1866.
Medical Cadets, drum majors and leaders of the band, artificers of engineers and enlisted men in the Signal Corps were eliminated (men could be detailed from the Corps of Engineers for signal duties). Company quartermaster sergeants, artificers and wagoners were added to the infantry and Veteran Reserve Corps. Bands were added to brigades and posts.
The three chevrons and one tie for company level quartermaster sergeants was made official on December 31, 1866.
On April 9, 1867, commissary sergeants were prescribed three chevrons and three more point up chevrons and regimental hospital stewards were prescribed three chevrons and an oval with a dark blue caduceus.
On October 22, 1868, enlisted men of the Corps of Engineers that were detailed to signal duty were allowed to wear signal flags.
On March 3, 1869, the rank of chief musician was added to the infantry, cavalry and artillery. Brigade and post bands and the Veteran Reserve Corps were eliminated. The only non-regimental band was now at the academy.
On July 15, 1870, regimental commissary sergeants and regimental hospital stewards were abolished.
On May 15, 1872, promotions to company level quartermaster sergeant were ceased.
On July 29, 1872, the army issued new uniform regulations. The construction of chevrons was changed. The designs were now cut from a single piece of cloth of the color of the appropriate branch. The chevrons were then laid out in stitching of heavy black thread. The Corps of Engineers switched from cavalry yellow to artillery red with the stitching done in white thread. Orange was assigned to the signal detachment. Principal musicians were given three chevrons and a bugle.
On March 3, 1873, the rank of commissary sergeant was added to the army's Subsistence Department.
Insignia was prescribed on March 20, 1873. Commissary Sergeants were to wear three gray chevrons and a gray crescent.
On June 25, 1873, saddler sergeants were given three chevrons and a saddle knife and chief trumpeters were given three chevrons, one arc and a bugle.
On March 20, 1876, the chevrons for overcoats of the infantry were changed to dark blue.
On July 24, 1876, Indian scouts were classified as privates by law.
On June 20, 1878, the Signal Corps was officially made part of the army, and it included corporals.
By 1879 there were no longer wagoners and master wagoners in the Quartermaster's Department.
On June 6, 1883, sergeants who were acting as color sergeants were allowed to add a sphere in the angle of their chevrons. At the same time farriers were allowed to wear a horseshoe.
On July 5, 1884, the rank of post quartermaster sergeant was added to the Quartermaster's Department.
Insignia was prescribed on September 12, 1884, of three chevrons in buff with a gold key and quill.
The same order changed the chevrons worn on dress coats. The chevrons would be made from gold lace placed on cloth of the appropriate color with engineers adding white stitching around the lace.
The chevrons for color sergeants are described as being for "regimental and battalion color sergeants". This would indicate that there was a color sergeant in the engineer battalion.
On October 24, 1884, the color of the infantry was changed from sky blue to white, dark blue chevrons on overcoats continued.
On July 29, 1886, 170 men were added to the army over an above its allowed strength, for clerical duties. These men were known as general service clerks and general service messengers.
On March 1, 1887, the enlisted men of the Medical Department were organized into a Hospital Corps with the ranks of hospital steward, acting hospital steward and private of the hospital corps.
Chevrons were prescribed on August 11, 1887. The colors for the Hospital Corps would be green with white stitching. Hospital stewards would wear three chevrons and one arc with a red cross in the angle, and acting hospital stewards would wear the same without the arc. The dress chevrons would not have white stitching around the gold lace and there crosses would remain red.
The shade of yellow used by the cavalry was changed to a much darker hue.
On October 2, 1888, the Signal Corps was reduced in size. This eliminated the ranks of private first class and private second class and added the rank of private.
On February 16, 1889, the chevrons for the Signal Corps were changed to black braid without the flags. There were no dress chevrons.
On August 11, 1890, Indian scouts were given white chevrons with red stitching. Dress chevrons added red stitching around the lace.
On October 1, 1890, corporals and privates were eliminated from the Signal Corps and sergeants first class were added.
On October 10, 1890 a detachment that had been part of the artillery but was serving at the Military Academy was transferred to the Quartermaster's Department. Presumably they continued to wear red chevrons.
On August 20, 1891, the chevrons for the Signal Corps were changed again to conventional black cloth with white stitching and dress chevrons were authorized with gold lace on black cloth. A torch and crossed flags were placed in the angle of the chevrons. Sergeants first class were given three chevrons and an arc.
Privates serving a trial period to see if they could be promoted to corporal, now as lance corporals, were allowed to wear one chevron.
On August 6, 1894, general service clerks and general service messengers were eliminated from the army.
Tables of organization for 1895 show both Indian scouts and Indian soldiers organized as cavalry.
Musicians and saddlers were eliminated from Indian scouts in 1896.
On March 8, 1898, saddlers and farriers and blacksmiths were added to the artillery.
On April 26, 1898, company level quartermaster sergeants returned to the infantry, cavalry and artillery. The artillery gained veterinary sergeants and the Corps of Engineers gained first sergeants. The Signal Corps gained corporals and privates were once again split into first and second class. Lance corporals were authorized.
On May 23, 1898, the color for the infantry was changed back to light blue on new khaki field uniforms. It is possible that enlisted men of the infantry wore light blue chevron on these uniforms. However the use of the khaki uniform by enlisted men at this time is unclear.
On June 3, 1898, dress uniforms and therefore dress chevrons were eliminated for enlisted men of the Medical Department.
On July 7, 1898, cooks were added to the infantry, cavalry, artillery and Signal Corps.
On July 23, 1898, three chevrons and one tie were once again prescribed for company level quartermaster sergeants, three chevrons and a horseshoe was prescribed for veterinary sergeants and crossed flags and a torch was prescribed for signal privates first class.
On July 25, 1898, chevrons were authorized to be worn on shirts.
Indian soldiers are no longer on the tables of organization beginning in 1898. Indian scouts are only listed as privates until 1909 when they are listed as just enlisted men. It appears that at least the noncommissioned officers were considered cavalry from this point on.
On March 2, 1899, the ranks of saddler sergeant and veterinary sergeant were abolished. The title of commissary sergeant was changed to post commissary sergeant and regimental commissary sergeants were added to the infantry and cavalry. The artillery gained electrician sergeants, chief trumpeters and stable sergeants. The infantry gained battalion sergeants major and the cavalry squadron sergeants major. Drum majors were added to the infantry, cavalry and artillery. The cavalry gained principal musicians. Wagoners were removed from the infantry and artillery and farriers and blacksmiths of artillery were replaced with mechanics.
On April 24, 1899, chevrons were prescribed for the new ranks. Regimental commissary sergeants wore three chevrons, three ties and a crescent. Electrician sergeants wore three red, artillery chevrons but with white stitching and forked lightning in white. Battalion and squadron sergeants major wore three chevrons and two arcs and this now applied to the sergeant major of the engineer battalion. Drum majors wore three chevrons and crossed batons. Chief musicians were finally prescribed three chevrons two arcs and a bugle. No insignia was prescribed for stable sergeants. Cooks were given a cooks cap, saddlers a saddler's knife and both mechanics and artificers were prescribed crossed hammers.
On September 14, 1899, the chevrons on the khaki uniforms were clarified. They were to be the same as the cloth chevrons on blue uniforms with khaki inserts instead of blue. The color for the infantry was changed back to white.
On January 6, 1900, the chevrons on infantry overcoats were changed from dark blue to white.
On June 6, 1900, the detachment at the Military Academy gained the ranks of first sergeant and cook.
On October 4, 1900, the academy detachment was ordered to wear buff colored chevrons.
On February 2, 1901, the army underwent a major reorganization. Color sergeant became an official rank in the infantry and cavalry. The position was eliminated in the artillery and the Corps of Engineers. The artillery regiments were abolished and replaced with a Corps of Artillery. Regimental sergeants major of artillery became sergeants major senior grade and battalion sergeants major became sergeants major junior grade. The ranks of chief musician, principal musician, company quartermaster sergeant and cook were added to the Corps of Engineers.
On February 21, 1901, the red Geneva cross on the chevrons of hospital stewards was replaced with a Maltese cross in green with white piping and privates of the Hospital Corps wore the cross alone.
On February 25, 1901, the insignia for color sergeants was changed to three chevrons and a star. The same design that had been used by ordnance sergeants since 1851. Ordnance sergeants replaced the star with a bursting bomb. Stable sergeants were finally given insignia of three chevrons and a horse's head.
Battalion quartermaster sergeants of the Corps of Engineers were reduced to two ties.
On November 2, 1901, privates of the hospital corps were allowed a try out period to become acting hospital stewards with the title of lance acting hospital steward. During this period they were allowed to wear one chevron with the Maltese cross.
On July 17, 1902, the army issued new uniform regulations with a new concept of chevrons. The new chevrons were much smaller and point up. This brought an end to this era of enlisted rank insignia.