"How To"
Create and Train Your Color Guard Unit

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American   Rank   Insignia

When newly appointed Commander-in-Chief, George Washington found the army besieging the British forces in the city of Boston, he noted it was wholly wanting for organization.  Among the things urgently needed was a system of distinctive rank insignia.  Existing uniforms were few.  Some Militia units had uniforms.  Some of the veterans of the French and Indian War (1754-1763) were wearing those old style uniforms.  For the most part, the army was in civilian clothes.  In the New England Army, company grade officers were elected by their own men and wore no rank insignia at all!  The need to correct this confusion was apparent.  Washington was also aware that whatever method was selected, the insignia had to be easily manufactured and from materials that were readily available.

In mid-July, 1775, Washington issued orders that various coloted sashes could be worn by General Officers, their Aides and Brigade Majors.  These were made out of ribbon and worn over the right shoulder between their waist coat and regimental coat.  Later, the sash was worn around the waists.

Commander-in Chief: Light Blue    Major Generals: Purple
Brigadier Generals: Pink          Aides, Brigade Majors: Green

For other Officers cockades were to be worn in their hats.

Field Officers: Red or Pink       Captains: Yellow
Lieutenants: Green

These regulations were strictly enforced.  Lieutenant Holcomb of Colonel Johnson's Regiment was arrested and tried by court martial for

"Assuming the rank of Captain, wearing the yellow cockade and mounting the Guard in that capacity."

The Lieutenant defended himself by explaining that it was his understanding of the regulations.  The Board accepted his reason and merely cautioned and released him.  Because of the confusion expressed by the Lieutenant, the regulations were amended, and the Cockade to be worn by all Captains was changed to white or buff in lieu of yellow.

The non-commissioned officers were ordered to sew strips of cloth on the right shoulders of their coats.  Red designated all Sergeants and green designated the rank of Corporals.

In the British Army, as with most European Armies of the day, officers wore epaulettes, usually made of gold bullion.  General Washington and many of his senior officers, who possessed sets, wore them in addition to the prescribed sashes.

As the war progressed, the American Army became more sophisticated and rank insignia was informally amended.  Officers tended to wear a tricorn hat that is slightly different from the style worn by the enlisted men.  It is more akin to a bicorn.  As a line officer (Major or lower rank), the sword belt is worn over the right shoulder.  Lieutenant Colonels and above wore either a waist sword belt or wore the belt under their coats.  Some officers also wore a gorget, a hold over from the days when officers were "knights" and wore suits of armor.  Later, in the 17th century, officers wore only a breast plate as the symbol of their rank.  The gorget has continued in use and was worn as late as World War II.

It was common in the infantry for those officers who could afford a horse to wear riding boots.  Many officers of the line opted to wear the foot gear and gaiters (leggings) prescribed for their Regiments.  It was also common for an officer in the infantry to carry a spontoon - a spear like weapon that was more a symbol of rank than a weapon.  It was found that an officer (including sergeants) could not load and fire their own muskets while attempting to control the efforst of their unit.  Hence, the spontoon for officers and halberd for sergeants, was a very convenient weapon, particularly in close combat.

Another distinction was what was not worn by officers.  They usually did not wear knapsacks, haversacks, bedrolls or canteens.  Their equipment was carried in the baggage train or on their horse.

During any conflict, there is a tradition known as the "spoils of war."   During the Revolution, it was a general practice to allow captured troops, both officers and men to keep their personal effects, so long as they could carry them to the prisoner of war camp.  It was also the practice of the British officers to carry with them uniforms and camp equipment for a long campaign.   Hence, it was not unusual for an officer to carry several uniforms, extra hats, boots and such items that were next to impossible to acquire in America.  When captured, as many were, their "extra uniforms, etc." became a spoil of war.   Often American officers would obtain complete uniforms, except for the coat, which obviously could not be used from such officers.

Major Caleb Gibbs, Commandant of General Washington's personal guard (The Life Guards) was dispatched as escort to Lt. Colonel Alexander Hamilton to Albany New York in an attempt to expedite the movement of troops from the Saratoga area after they captured General Burgoyne and his 6,000 man army.  While at General Schulyer's headquarters, Gibbs obtained from General Daniel Morgan a set of small clothes, boots and a gorget.  These had been in the baggage of Lieutenant William Digby of His Majesty's 53rd Regiment.  Somewhere between Albany and Valley Forge Gibbs had the blank gorget engraved.  He choose the initials "G W" for the Commander-in-Chief, and below in smaller letters the colorful motto of the Life Guards "Conquer or Die."  To distinguish the monogram "G W" from the official cypher of King George, III, which was "G R" for George, Regent, Gibbs instructed the engraver to use a lower case "G."  Hence his gorget had the letters "g W" on it.  From a comment written by Gibbs, Washington did not appreciate the fact that King George got a capital "G" while he did not.   We mention this story only to illustrate how insignia was acquired and used.

This system of rank insignia remained in effect until June 1780.  General Jebediah Huntington suggested in October, 1779 to General Washington that several changes be made.  In 1780 the new regulations were published and remained in effect until the end of the war.

For General Officers, the number of silver stars on their gold epaulettes were designated and plumes were placed on their hats.  A black and white plume and two starts for Major General, a white plume and one start for Brigadier Generals.   No reference to the insignia that was to be worn by the Commander-in-Chief, however a set of his epaulettes survived containing three silver stars.

Plumes were also prescribed for various staff officers  The Commander-in-Chief's Aide-de-Camp carried the rank of Lieutenant Colonel (except Major Gibbs) and wore white and green plumes.  Aides of Major and Brigadier Generals wore green plumes.  A blue plume indicated that the wearer was a Brigade Inspector.   The Adjutant General and his Aides wore red and green plumes.

The field-grade officers, Colonels, Lieutenant Colonels and Majors were to wear two epaulettes.  Company-grade officers, Captains and Lieutenants were to wear only one epaulette.  Captains on their right shoulder, Lieutenants on their left.  Silver epaulettes were prescribed for the Infantry and Cavalry and gold for the Artillery.

In March of 1779, Washington issued General Orders regarding the rank insignia for the non-commissioned officers.  Infantry sergeants and corporals were to wear white worsted epaulettes.  Sergeants and corporals of the Cavalry were to wear blue epaulettes.  Sergeants were to wear two epaulettes, while corporals only one, on the right shoulder.  These regulations make no mention of regulations for specialists.