Evening star., 1898-05-28
DISTINCTIONS OF RANK.
Insignia of Position and Honor 1
the Army and Navy.

Insignia of Position and Honor in
the Army and Navy.
From the Cincinnati Commercial Tribune.
In military service throughout the world
both upon land and water, here is a wide
distinction between the different ranks
Eeld by the officers. Usually the rank of
military or naval man is obtained by long
service or ty appointment by Congress Or
the President. Sometimes, however. rank
Is given to an officer because he has done
something which attracts the attention of
his supe riors.
In order to distinguish an officer from
common soldier. the government has adopt
cd various marks of rank. which are worn
by the officers, both in time of war and
peace: during the former these signs
less conspicuous, for during a battle the
sharpshooters always try to pick off the
officers. so that the soldiers will nave no
one to command them.
If any one who reads this article should,
IN time or peace, go aboard a man-Of-War
or in a gathering of naval officers, he
would notice a great amount of gold lace
uI"n their uniforms aid see the insignia of
rank uron their shoulders. But IN war
time ca IN officer puts away his gaIiy uni
fern Instead of the shoulder straps the
mark cf rank is worn upon the collar of
the coat. An admiral the highest officer
in the navy, wears four silver stars and
two anchors upon his shoulder straps or
CcIldf vice aurnlrdi three stars ana one
aEchCr; rear admiral, an anchor with a
star on either side: a commodore, q star,
with an anchor on either side: captain. a
silver eagle and two anchors, and a lieu
tenant. ar anchor with two silver bars
each side. There are also many petty ard
nGn-co-nmissioned officers who wear the
insignia of their rank on their sleeves
above the elbow. The higher officers also
wear gold hands upon their sleeves, run
n:ng about the wrists. The shoulder straps
are four and a half inches long by one and
half inches wide; they are made CT dark
blue cloth. with a border OF dead gold Il
quarter of an inch wide. the device being
embroidered inside the border
The lowest commissioned officer In the
navy is an ensign. He wears single Sill
yer anchor his shoulder strap 1t IS
the ambition of each ensign to change his
stripes for those of lieutenant. There
were many cases during our last war
where ar ensign showed great bravery dur
ing a battle, and his name was sent to
Washington with recommendation from
his commander that he be promoted. Often
an ensign was sent on a DANGEROUS mission
and got his licutenant's stripes that way
Usually, however, he has to wait till some
officer above him is promoted. dies, or
retires and then he moves up.in rank.
Evers sailor and soldier knows that in
time of war his superiors are watching
him. and that if he shows himself brave
man he stands good chance of being pro-
NOTED. 1t is Il matter of great pride to ad
an extra bar to his shoulder straps or 10
rave one of the many insgnias of rank
put on his uniform. There is. besides the
honor of being an officer, better pay with
each additional raise in rank more COM
Portable quarters and more personal lib
erty- All these things make the soldiers
mere ambitious to gain promotion.
In the army the insignia of rank is some
what similar to that of the navy. but even
in active service an army officer still wears
his shoulder straps. The general is trc
highest officer of the army. His rank is
Shown by an eagle with star on each
side y lieutenant general wears three
stars on his shoulder straps: a major gen.
erai two: brfgadier general one: a col
onei, silver eagle: lieutenant colonel
TWO SILVER leaves: major. two gold leaves;
q captain, four silver bars and a lieuten-
art. two bars. The nOll-commissiOned Off
GERS wear their devices of rank upon their
sleeves. general may also be distin-
sulshed by the ar: angement of the buttons
on f'S coat One of the Jokes credited TO
General Grant was one about the buttons
on his coat. major general wears two
rows of buttons, nine in each row and
each row divided into groups of three On,
cay Grant was clad in military coat much
the worse for wear. and from which all but
three buttons had been torn An officer
Drought him word that he had Just been
promoted to the rank of major general
Well. said Grant, pointing to the sroun
OF three buttons, you see I have antir-
Uniform"
i'OSibtS tilt cIance which soldier
sailor has of becoming an officer and wear
ing an insignia of rank there is another
thlng which he works for during war time
but this is confined principally to the navy:
IL IS the matter pf orize money 1t is the
rule OF the United States navy that when
the crew of vessel captures another shin
the prize is to be sold and a part OF the
proceeds divided among the officers ard
sailors If the captured ship was equal In
hGhting strength to the captor. all he
prize money goes to the victors but If the
prize was weaker. half goes to the govern
neht ard the remaining talf is divided
among the crew and officers
IN such division the commissioned on,
GERS come in for a larger share. so ir q
wen 10 be as high an officer as possible
he commander of a fleet receives one
twentieth of all the prize money awarlao
u any snip in his command The caDtafn
o. single vessel receives one-tenth Of the
money awarded to his vessel. bnt per.
ilothihg from the prizes Of any of the other
SHIPS or the fleet to which he helonps
Inc remaining officers and members of tbe
crew or the vessel which has made the
cspture receive prize money in accordance
with their rank and pay. The lower a man
IS IN the navy the less prize money he gets
a common sailor may get 500 as mis- share
Nhere II he was a lieutenant he might
receive twice that sum.