"NCO chevrons on US troops circa 1830- 1850" Topic
7 Posts
All members in good standing are free to post here. Opinions expressed here are solely those of the posters, and have not been cleared with nor are they endorsed by The Miniatures Page.
Please remember not to make new product announcements on the forum. Our advertisers pay for the privilege of making such announcements.
For more information, see the TMP FAQ.
Back to the 18th Century Discussion Message Board Back to the 19th Century Painting Guides Message Board
Areas of Interest18th Century
19th Century
Featured Hobby News Article
Featured Recent Link
Featured Ruleset
Rating: 
Featured Showcase Article The Acolyte Vampires return - based, now, and ready for the game table.
Featured Profile Article Our Man in Southern California, Wyatt the Odd, reports on the Gamex 2005 convention.
|
| malamute | 02 Sep 2009 1:41 a.m. PST |
When did the US army start using rank chevrons on shell jackets for NCO's?
Did they wear them in the Mex/American war? or earlier Seminole wars?
If so would they be inverted with the point of the stripes upwards? |
| Dn Jackson | 02 Sep 2009 4:48 a.m. PST |
I would have to check, but going strictly from memory…the US Marine Corps was still using the half chevron on the lower sleeve until the 1860 regulations came out. Not too sure about the Army but will try and have a look in a bit. |
Frederick  | 02 Sep 2009 5:43 a.m. PST |
The US Army started using chevrons as a rank designation in 1821. They were worn point-down and in branch colour. The switch to point up happened, as I recall, in 1902. Certainly, during the Mex/Am and Seminiole Wars, would have been point down |
| malamute | 02 Sep 2009 7:38 a.m. PST |
Frederick, thanks for the info, would they have been worn on both sleeves and above the elbow? |
| Frederick | 02 Sep 2009 9:12 a.m. PST |
Correct – they were worn on both sleeves as opposed to the curious British practice for a while of wearing them on one sleeve only – also, above elbows – as well, some of them were quite large compared to modern day chevrons link |
| RockyRusso | 02 Sep 2009 10:35 a.m. PST |
Hi The brits found they could save money on cloth? R |
| Jeffersonian | 02 Sep 2009 11:27 a.m. PST |
According to Gergory Urwin's "The United States Infantry: An Illustrated History 1775-1918" and his companion book on the cavalry, Foot troops were first ordered to wear chevrons with the point up in the regulations of 1821. When the first regiment of dragoons was authorized in 1833, it was to wear chevrons with the point down. So it remained until the Mexican War, when according to pictorical evidence, the infantry had unofficially begun wearing their chevrons point down in emulation of the dragoons. The regulations of 1847 again specified chevrons with the points up for infantry, but the regulations of 1851 restored points-down chevrons and so it remained through the Spanish American War period. I'm not sure about the artillery. |
|
