The commonwealth. (Scotland Neck, N.C.) 1896-1929, 1898-08-18
THE MARKS Of RANK.
INSIGNIA OF POSITION AND HON.
Or IN ARMY AND NAVY.
How to Read the Shoulder Strap or
Collar Decorations Worn by Un-
Gle Sans Officers On Land
or Aboard Ship-Grant's
Joke On His Buttons.

Cincinnati Commercial Tribune
In military service throughout tht
world, both upon land and water, ther'
isa wide distinction between thu
different ranks held by the officers
Usually the rank of military or nava
man is obtained by long service or by
appointment by congress or the pres
ident. Sometimes, however, rank il
given to an officer because he has done
something which attracts the attention
of his superiors.
In order to distinguish an officer
from a common soldier, the govern.
ment has adopted various marks ol
rank which are worn by the officers
both in time of war and peace. During
the former these signs are less conspic-
uous, for during battle the sharp
shooters always try to pick off the Of
ficers, SO that the soldiers will have no
one to command them.
If any one who reads this article
should In time of peace 60 aboard a
man-of-war or in gathering of naval
officers, he would notice a great amount
of gold lace upon their uniform and
see the insignia of rank upon their
shoulders. But in wartime each Of
icer puts away his gaudy uniform.
Instead OF the shoulder straps the mark
of 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 collar a vice admiral, three stars
and one anchor a rear admiral an an
chor with star on either side COM
modore, star with an anchor on each
side a captain, silver eagle and two
anchors, and lieutenant an anchor
with two silver bars on each side.
There are also many petty and non
commissioned officers who wear the
insignia of their rank ON their sleeves,
running about the wrists. The shoul-
der straps are il inches long and II
inches wide. They are made OF dark
blue cloth, with border Of dead gold
quarter of an inch wide, the device
being embroidered inside the border.
The lowest commissioned officer in
the navy is an ensign. He wears a
single silver anchor on his shoulder
strap. It is the ambition of each en-
sign to change his stripes for those of
a lieutenant. There are many cases
on record where an ensign showed
great bravery during battle, and his
name was sent to Washington with a
recommendation from his commander
that he be promoted. Often an ensign
was sent on dangerous mission and
got his lleutenant's stripes that way.
Usually, however, he has to wait till
some officer above him Is promoted or
dies or retires, and then he moves up
in rank.
Every sailor and soldier knows that
in time OF war his superiors are watch
ing him and that If he shows himself
a brave man he stands good chance
OF being promoted. It is matter of
great pride to add an extra bar to his
shoulder straps or to have one of the
many lnsignias of rank put on his uni
form. There are, besides the honor of
being an officer, better pay with each
additional rise in rank, more comfort
able quarters and more personal liber-
ty. All these things make the soldiers
more ambitious to gain promotion.
In the army the insignia of rank Is
somewhat similar to that of the navy,
but even In active service an army Of
ficer still wears his shoulder straps.
The general is the highest officer OF
the army. His rank is shown by an
eagle with star on each side. A lien
tenant general wears three stars on his
shoulder straps, major general two,
brigadier general one, colonel sll-
yer eagle, lieutenant colonel two sill
yer leaves, major two gold leaves, a
captain four silver bars and lieuten-
ant two bars. The non-commlssioned
officers wear their devices of rank up
on their sleeves. A general may also
be distinguished by the arrangement
of the buttons on his coat. One of the
Jokes credited to General Grant was
one about the buttons on his coat. A
major general wears two rows OF but
tons, nine IN each row divided into
groups of three. One day Grant was
clad in military coat much the worse
for wear and from which all but three
buttons had been torn. An officer
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