Show what the insignia on uniforms means in times of pence peace by means of the amount of gold braid and shiny buttons displayed the average man could usually guess the rank of an officer within a few grades but in the stern days of war when officers and men are dad clad alike in businesslike khaki therb Is little to tell a private from a major there Is of course a method in this for it would not do in modern warfare to make officers conspicuous to the enemy in all branches of the service infantry cavalry and artillery the same symbols or insignia of rank are used the corporal at the bottom of the scale of off officers leers is distinguished from the private by the chevron consisting of two bars on the right sleeve in the case of the sergeants sergeant next nest highest in rank the chevron Is of three inverted V shaped bars all enlisted men including these noncom non com off leers wear on one side of their coats or blouses a bronze button with the number of their organization and in relief crossed rifles for the infantry crossed sabers for the cavalry and crossed cannon for foi the artillery coast and field afield artillerymen artilleryman artillery men may be distinguished by the fact that i in the case of the former in addition to the cannon there Is a shell nt at the point of intersection of the cannon the second lieutenant lowest in tank rank of the commissioned officers may be distinguished from the enlisted man despite the fact that lie he wears no insignia on his shoulder straps by the gold marking on his collar this symbol BS as in the case of the enlisted men Is of bf crossed rifles sabers or cannon according to the bra branch rich of the service and is worn wom by all regimental officers on the other side of the collar are the letters U S la in gold infantry officers may be distinguished by the fact that the latter wear canvas leggings while the off leeis ceis have tan leather leggings first lieutenants have a silver bar on their I 1 sh eh st straps r a p 8 while w hile captains have two bars of the field officers gerR the major wears a gold leaf and the colonel a silver eagle the brigadier general has one silver star rind and the major jeneral general ft atsik s A the highest officer in our army at present has two silver stars the campaign hats bats broad brimmed felt hats with stiff brims afford another clue to the arm to which the wearer belongs the hats of all enlisted men anre alike but the hat cord around the crown reveals by its color the brunch branch of the berva 1 p tee ice to which the man belongs A blue cord card siant fles infantry a yellow cord cavalry and a red cord ar tillery artillery either coast or field the men of the quartermasters corps have buff the engineering corps red and white the signal corps orange antl ant white and the hospital corps maroon an dwhite hat bat cords officers of all branches wear jold gold and aind black hat cords the insignia on their collars being the only indications of rank the insignia of the quartermasters teris corps Is a winged wheel crossed by a 0 key and sword of the tha engineering corps three turrets and of the signal corps crossed flags there are a few other em beems but these are the most important in addition to the hat cords used in the service there tire are frequently seen on the streets the red white and blue cords of the men who li have ave been at plattsburg Platts burg or other camps but who anre not actually in the service the home defense men wear green greeh and white lint hat cords and slate colored uniforms to distinguish them from the regul regulars pra new york sun |