Subdued rank placement question

[Pvt Schnapps]

Since a sergeant or corporal wasn't quite as lucrative a target as an officer or first sergeant, I suspect that "subdued" rank didn't occur as often as simply not having the materials available to display rank, or not wanting to bother, or not needing to bother because the company was small enough for everyone to know who was who.

One of the reasons I think that is this excerpt from Daniel Chisholm's notebook, which I apologize for posting again: “Saturday, Jany 14th [1865] We have special orders for every non commissioned officer to have chevrons on their arms and stripes on their pants. The quarter master hasn’t any, we have to take old blouses and make them ourselves. It is laughable to see all the boys at work with their needles. You may depend some of the stitches are long.”

The following day he writes: "...We had our usual Co Inspection. The boys looked real nice in their home made chevrons and stripes if they did have to make them out of old blouses...."

Chisholm was in the 116th PVI in the Second Corps, AoP, and they were in winter quarters at the time. I think that the fact that they needed their chevrons and stripes for the next day explains the quartermaster's lack of supplies, because this was an army in easy contact with City Point and every kind of store imaginable. That very condition of supply, however, would seem to indicate that their not having chevrons and stripes before then was a matter of choice, and that the choice was accepted by their superiors, up to a point.

[Horace]

Well that’s what I’m thinking. A sergeant or corporal became a more lucrative target if the officers were blending in more, which wouldn’t be at all lucrative for said sergeants and corporals.
As you say, everyone in the company would know who was who. No need for the sharpshooters to know it as well.
Thanks for the find, Michael. That’s the first hint I’ve seen about it, and it’s a fairly strong hint, for the reasons you cited. The quartermaster didn’t have any to issue at that point, even in winter quarters.

[Shockoe Hill Cats]

Here's another example of two captains with "subdued insignia." Note the braid on their forage caps that support the rank association:

"Fort Burnham, Va. (the former Confederate Fort Harrison). Federal soldiers in front of bomb-proof headquarters" (LC-DIG-cwpb-01951).

[yeoman]

Sir, do notice the "subdued collar rank" and" Austrian Knot" on second gentleman from left.. Charles_Francis_Adams,_Jr__-_LoC_Civil_War.jpg

Image may be found here..

[yeoman]

This image, General Thomas H. Neil and group- General F.W.Russell, General Martindale, 6th Corps, please notice the General at left wears a fatigue jacket
with unusual and or subdued shoulder strap over another coat.. http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3530/3...e7e198b7_o.jpg

[Seamus]

In reply to the question, were sergeants or corporals targeted; the following is a excerpt from an article in the Christian Recorder of Philadelphia. The subject is the Eighth United States Colored Troops at the Battle of Olustee. The writer is Rufus S. Jones, Sgt. Mjr.:http://http://battleofolustee.org/le...thusct_cr.html

For the Christian Recorder.
April 16, 1864
FROM JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA.

Jacksonville, Florida, March 24th, 1864.

EXPEDITION TO FLORIDA.
"The Eighth, having been on the railroad for a short distance, was ordered to change direction to the right, and received orders to go into the fight, without unslinging knapsacks, or the sergeants taking off their sashes, which caused nearly all the first sergeants to be killed or wounded."

The Eighth suffered severely at Olustee partially due to the loss of leadership. This was their first engagement. The field officers were taken out of action early and the men were left on the field with little direction.
Also, of interest, the article seems to infer that is was common practice for the 1st Sergeants to wear their sashes on the march and to remove them prior to going into battle.