On June 12, 1851, the United States Army issued new uniform regulations.War Department General Order 31, June 12, 1851 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.
US Army Chevrons 1851-1854
Center!Corps of Engineers No Insignia No InsigniaNo Insignia No InsigniaOrdnance Department No InsigniaDragoons No InsigniaNo Insignia No Insignia No Insignia No Insignia Mounted Riflemen No InsigniaNo Insignia No Insignia No Insignia No Insignia Artillery No Insignia No Insignia No Insignia No Insignia Infantry No Insignia No Insignia No Insignia On March 3, 1855, two regiments of cavalry were added to the army.10stat639 Yellow chevrons were used.Emerson, William K.. U.S. Army Soldiers and Their Chevrons: An Illustrative Catalog and History from the Revolutionary War to Present. United States: R. James Bender, 2013., p. 50
US Army Chevrons 1855
Corps of Engineers No Insignia No InsigniaNo Insignia No InsigniaOrdnance Department No InsigniaCavalryNo InsigniaNo InsigniaNo InsigniaNo InsigniaNo InsigniaDragoons No InsigniaNo Insignia No Insignia No Insignia No InsigniaMounted Riflemen No InsigniaNo Insignia No Insignia No Insignia No InsigniaArtillery No Insignia No Insignia No Insignia No InsigniaInfantry No Insignia No Insignia No Insignia On August 16, 1856, enlisted hospital stewards were added to the Medical Department.11stat51 Insignia had been prescribed on October 31, 1851.War Department General Order 53, October 31, 1851 Instead of chevrons a green hashmark with a yellow caduceus was used.
US Army Chevrons 1856-1860
Center!Medical DepartmentCorps of Engineers No Insignia No InsigniaNo Insignia No InsigniaOrdnance Department No InsigniaCavalryNo InsigniaNo InsigniaNo InsigniaNo InsigniaNo InsigniaDragoons No InsigniaNo Insignia No Insignia No Insignia No InsigniaMounted Riflemen No InsigniaNo Insignia No Insignia No Insignia No InsigniaArtillery No Insignia No Insignia No Insignia No InsigniaInfantry No Insignia No Insignia No Insignia The army was reorganized for the Civil War.
On July 29, 186112stat279 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, 186112stat287 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,OFFICIAL ARMY REGISTER, FOR 1863., p. 110a 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.Revised Regulations for the Army of the United States, 1861 with a Full Index. United States: J.B.Lippincott., 1861. Para. 1547
US Army Chevrons 1861
Quartermaster's DepartmentNo InsigniaNo InsigniaMedical DepartmentCorps of Engineers No Insignia No InsigniaNo Insignia No InsigniaCorps of Topographical EngineersNo InsigniaNo InsigniaNo InsigniaNo InsigniaOrdnance Department No InsigniaCavalryNo Insignia PrescribedNo InsigniaNo InsigniaNo Insignia PrescribedNo Insignia PrescribedNo Insignia Prescribed, Three Chevrons and one Tie WornNo InsigniaNo InsigniaNo InsigniaNo InsigniaNo InsigniaArtillery No Insignia Prescribed No Insignia No Insignia Prescribed, Three Chevrons and one Tie Worn No Insignia No InsigniaNo Insignia No InsigniaInfantry No Insignia PrescribedNo Insignia PrescribedNo Insignia No Insignia No InsigniaSharpshooters No Insignia Prescribed No Insignia PrescribedNo Insignia No Insignia No InsigniaOn July 5, 1862 On July 5, 1862,12stat505 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.
US Army Chevrons 1862 Quartermaster's DepartmentNo InsigniaNo InsigniaMedical DepartmentCorps of Engineers No Insignia No InsigniaNo Insignia No InsigniaCorps of Topographical EngineersNo InsigniaNo InsigniaNo InsigniaNo InsigniaOrdnance Department No Insignia No InsigniaCavalryNo Insignia PrescribedNo InsigniaNo Insignia PrescribedNo Insignia Prescribed, Three Chevrons and one Tie WornNo InsigniaNo InsigniaNo InsigniaNo InsigniaNo InsigniaNo InsigniaNo InsigniaArtillery No Insignia Prescribed No Insignia No Insignia Prescribed, Three Chevrons and one Tie Worn No Insignia No InsigniaNo Insignia No InsigniaInfantry No Insignia PrescribedNo Insignia PrescribedNo Insignia No Insignia No InsigniaSharpshooters No Insignia Prescribed No Insignia PrescribedNo Insignia No Insignia No Insignia On March 3, 1863, the Corps of Topographical Engineers was merged into the Corps of Engineers.12stat743 The cavalry lost its teamsters and chief farriers and blacksmiths and buglers became trumpeters.12stat787 The Signal Corps was organized with the enlisted ranks of sergeant, private first class and private second class.12stat744
Sergeants of the Signal Corps wore yellow chevrons with crossed signal flags and privates just the flags.Emerson, William K.. U.S. Army Soldiers and Their Chevrons: An Illustrative Catalog and History from the Revolutionary War to Present. United States: R. James Bender, 2013., p. 58
On April 28, 1863, an Invalid Corps was added to the army.War Department General Order 105, April 28, 1863
On May 15, 1863, the Invalid Corps was given light blue uniforms with dark blue trimming and therefore dark blue chevrons.War Department Genera Order 124, May 15, 1863
US Army Chevrons 1863 Quartermaster's DepartmentNo InsigniaNo InsigniaMedical DepartmentCorps of Engineers No Insignia No InsigniaNo Insignia No InsigniaSignal CorpsOrdnance Department No Insignia No InsigniaCavalryNo Insignia PrescribedNo InsigniaNo InsigniaNo Insignia PrescribedNo Insignia Prescribed, Three Chevrons and one Tie WornNo InsigniaNo InsigniaNo InsigniaNo InsigniaNo InsigniaArtillery No Insignia Prescribed No Insignia No Insignia Prescribed, Three Chevrons and one Tie Worn No Insignia No InsigniaNo Insignia No InsigniaInfantry No Insignia PrescribedNo Insignia PrescribedNo Insignia No Insignia No InsigniaSharpshooters No Insignia Prescribed No Insignia PrescribedNo Insignia No Insignia No InsigniaInvalid CorpsNo Insignia PrescribedNo Insignia PrescribedNo InsigniaNo InsigniaNo Insignia On March 18, 1864, the Invalid Corps was renamed the Veteran Reserve Corps.War Department General Order 111, March 18, 1864
On June 20, 1864, the Corps of Engineers was allowed a sergeant major and a quartermaster sergeant.13stat144
US Army Chevrons 1864-1865 !Quartermaster's DepartmentNo InsigniaNo InsigniaMedical DepartmentCorps of Engineers No Insignia No InsigniaNo Insignia No InsigniaSignal CorpsOrdnance Department No Insignia No InsigniaCavalryNo Insignia PrescribedNo InsigniaNo InsigniaNo Insignia PrescribedNo Insignia Prescribed, Three Chevrons and one Tie WornNo InsigniaNo InsigniaNo InsigniaNo InsigniaNo InsigniaArtillery No Insignia Prescribed No Insignia No Insignia Prescribed, Three Chevrons and one Tie Worn No Insignia No InsigniaNo Insignia No InsigniaInfantry No Insignia PrescribedNo Insignia PrescribedNo Insignia No Insignia No InsigniaSharpshooters No Insignia Prescribed No Insignia PrescribedNo Insignia No Insignia No InsigniaVeteran Reserve CorpsNo Insignia PrescribedNo Insignia PrescribedNo InsigniaNo InsigniaNo Insignia The army was given a postwar reorganization on July 28, 1866.14stat332
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.War Department General Order 100, December 31, 1866
US Army Chevrons 1866 +Quartermaster's DepartmentNo InsigniaNo InsigniaMedical DepartmentCorps of EngineersNo InsigniaNo InsigniaNo InsigniaOrdnance DepartmentNo InsigniaNo InsigniaCavalryNo Insignia PrescribedNo Insignia PrescribedNo InsigniaNo InsigniaNo InsigniaNo InsigniaNo InsigniaNo InsigniaArtilleryNo Insignia PrescribedNo InsigniaNo InsigniaNo InsigniaNo InsigniaNo InsigniaInfantryNo Insignia PrescribedNo InsigniaNo InsigniaNo InsigniaNo InsigniaNo InsigniaVeteran Reserve CorpsNo Insignia PrescribedNo InsigniaNo InsigniaNo InsigniaNo InsigniaNo InsigniaBrigade or Post BandsNo Insignia 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.War Department General Order 40, April 9, 1867
US Army Chevrons 1867 Quartermaster's DepartmentNo InsigniaNo InsigniaMedical DepartmentCorps of EngineersNo InsigniaNo InsigniaNo InsigniaOrdnance DepartmentNo InsigniaNo InsigniaCavalryNo Insignia PrescribedNo InsigniaNo InsigniaNo InsigniaNo InsigniaNo InsigniaNo InsigniaArtilleryNo InsigniaNo InsigniaNo InsigniaNo InsigniaNo InsigniaInfantryNo InsigniaNo InsigniaNo InsigniaNo InsigniaNo InsigniaVeteran Reserve CorpsNo InsigniaNo InsigniaNo InsigniaNo InsigniaNo InsigniaBrigade or Post BandsNo Insignia On October 22, 1868, enlisted men of the Corps of Engineers that were detailed to signal duty were allowed to wear signal flags.War Department General Order 88, October 22, 1868
US Army Chevrons 1868