Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1889-01-03

rhs saeve-siv- Grades from Private sot-
tier ts wsior-tssa-rsL
In times ef peace Il Is not very prob
able that a privlEts soldier cuutd ba
s'i',t.esstveiy promoted L, the rank II .
General. brit it is possible BY recrat
Legislation. the Privata soldier who
ha- acquired a nou-commissieu.sd OH
GERS stripes and has served two years.
may. upon application. be examined
for promotion To the rank OF Second
lieutenant. and II he gets the appoint
ment, he Is then In the straight line
II promotion to the highest rank
The chances are that after thirty or
forty years ef service he will not have
risen higher than Major. and BY that
time he win be retired on account of
old age or disability. Yet there are
very few grades bs5weeu the lowest
nln-evumissioued officer and the high
est commissioned officer. which /, a;
present that OF Mai0r-tseneraL
Here are the succcssive grades. be-
ginning AZ the lowest: Corporal, -er-
genat. Second Lieutenant. First Lieu
tenant. Captain. Major. Lieutenant
Colonel. Colonel. Brigadier-eieneral.
Gaior-tieneraI
Here are eleven steps which the pri-
Vate soldier must mount before h., can
reach the prime. The first thrre are
comparatively easy. and may be
climbed inside ot three years. bat there
il likely to BE- long wait before the
First Lisutenancy Is gained
Each rank has Ia. distinguishing
mariSs. All nou-comulissiaur,i ofiicrr,
wear ''ehevruus," which ara bar. ON
each slesve. sewcff on above the elbow
honl the outer and inner seams Of the
sleeve. running oblngueIy down and
toward the centre, forming v. Tho
cOior Of the chcvrons ildicaics th..
branch of the servf,s-wAit.s for In
fantry. yellow for cavalry. red for
artillery and orange TOE the signal
corps.
I Corpor;iIs have two burs on each
sA,eve. Seryennts wear three bars.
The first. or orderly sergeant. has a
lozenge. or diamond. in addition To the
. eAt's Af NAsAE Ilii.l~NtF etftEtulAb
wears three stripes and three bars
across the top. The siguaI-corpa SEP
gennt wears crossed signal Tags on
eneh sleeve. The ordnance sergeant
has three stripes AMI u star in red
ne sergeant majors ehevrous have
three stripes above. horming an are
over the stripes. \ hospital steward
has a green half chevrun. with a cadiI-
ceu. embroidered in yellow
Commissioned officers wear shou.Ier-
straps. The groundwork Indicates the
brunch Of the service. the sam, as in
the ehevrohs. The ornaments inside,
the strap Indicate the rank
The Second Lieutenant has a plain
strap. The First Lieutenant has one
bar neaf each end Of the strap. The
Captain has two bars near each end OF
the strap. These three grades are
regimental officers. promotion being
confined to the regiment to which thev
are attached
The Aaior r. the first staff officer
eligible to n Lieutenant-C ColoueGcy in
any regiment. He wears Il geId-ein-
broid.sred Leaf near each end OF the
strap. The Lieutenant-CoI CoIoneI has a
siIver-embruAiered leaf in the same
place.
The Colonel has a siIver-embruidered
eagle In the center OF the strap. The
Brigadisr-tiene has star in the
center, and the MIIor-t.eneraI wears
two stars.
In addition to these insignia. officers
OF the medical department. have the
Letters VI = on their shoulder straps;
officers Of the pay department, the let
ers p D. officers Of the quarterulsls-
tiers department.. q D.. and officers Of
the commissary department.. e.. D.
Golden Dtns.