Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Upside Down Chevrons

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Upside Down Chevrons

    I just received a delightful book by Michael A. Peake called Blood Shed In This War: Civil War Illustrations by Captain Adolph Metzner, 32nd Indiana. In addition to giving an overview of Metzner's life and the history of the 32nd, the book contains beautiful reproductions of Metzner's wartime drawings and paintings of his unit in camp and in the field.

    A curious feature of the illustrations is that they invariably show NCO chevrons pointing up. You can see an example of this on Amazon's page for the book (zoom in on the soldier to the left of the officer firing a pistol on the cover): http://www.amazon.com/Blood-Shed-Thi.../dp/0871952696

    My first reaction was that this had to have been a mistake, but Metzner was a company commander in the unit and made these drawings and paintings at the time. A possible explanation is that a number of the men of the 32nd had served in the 3-month 11th Indiana Zouaves, who wore their chevrons this way (as did some pre-war "Zouave Cadet" units according to Philip Katcher's American Civil War Armies, Vol 5), and that these men continued the practice throughout the war.

    I don't know whether this argument is undermined or reinforced by the fact that Metzner also shows cavalry and artillery NCOs with upside down chevrons. Maybe the practice in his own company affected his perceptions of others.

    Or maybe this wasn't the only unit (apart from Marines) that did this. I know a previous discussion here turned up a photograph showing a soldier in camp with inverted chevrons.

    My question is, does anyone know of any other units, with the exception of Marines and early war Zouaves, who wore their chevrons upside down?
    Michael A. Schaffner

  • #2
    Re: Upside Down Chevrons

    One thing to keep in mind is Mexican War uniform regulations(Army Uniform Regulations of 1847) had chevrons pointed up and was only changed in the Uniform regs of 1851 to point down, so there was a precedent in the Army for that, albeit 10 years old. Also, Militia units were very non-standard to the Army in uniforms during the early war period, remember many pre-war Indiana militia units went to war wearing gray.
    Frank Siltman
    24th Mo Vol Inf
    Cannoneer, US Army FA Museum Gun Crew
    Member, Oklahoma Civil War Sesquicentennial Commission
    Company of Military Historians
    Lawton/Fort Sill, OK

    Pacifism is a shifty doctrine under which a man accepts the benefits of the social group without being willing to pay -- and claims a halo for his dishonesty.— Robert A. Heinlein

    Comment


    • #3
      Re: Upside Down Chevrons

      Here are some from the Brady Archive photos not sure of the unit I will see if I have it. Also, note the top entry trousers discussed in another thread.



      Click image for larger version

Name:	Chevrons and Trousers.jpg
Views:	2
Size:	110.0 KB
ID:	222758
      Last edited by Cameron; 01-30-2012, 04:31 PM.
      Cameron Stinnett

      A E K D B

      Comment


      • #4
        Re: Upside Down Chevrons

        Originally posted by Cameron View Post
        Here are some from the Brady Archive photos not sure of the unit I will see if I have it. Also, note the top entry trousers discussed in another thread.



        [ATTACH=CONFIG]37126[/ATTACH]
        Thanks for finding that. I checked the LOC site and here it is: http://lcweb2.loc.gov/master/pnp/cph...0/3c17701u.tif

        Unfortunately the caption doesn't identify a unit or a particular time, but it's still an interesting picture. While the fellow on the left has chevrons pointed up, the NCOs across the street have them pointed down, though they're still interesting in being somewhat oversized (cut from cloth in the field?). There's a nice assortment of other details as well, including many men with boots, forage caps with brass, and a variety of coats.
        Michael A. Schaffner

        Comment


        • #5
          Re: Upside Down Chevrons

          If I remember right there is another shot of this company street from the other direction. If I remember right, it one of the young soldier chopping wood, and a few soldiers to include a black servant, one holding a large knife, one with what looks like his blouse tucked into this trousers.
          Aka
          Wm Green :D
          Illegitimi non carborundum
          (Don’t let the bastards grind you down!)

          Dreaming of the following and other events

          Picket Post
          Perryville

          The like to do a winter camp.....hint hint...

          Comment


          • #6
            Re: Upside Down Chevrons

            Originally posted by Huck View Post
            If I remember right there is another shot of this company street from the other direction. If I remember right, it one of the young soldier chopping wood, and a few soldiers to include a black servant, one holding a large knife, one with what looks like his blouse tucked into this trousers.
            It's from the same side of the street and contains some of the same individuals:

            The safest and most inclusive global community of photography enthusiasts. The best place for inspiration, connection, and sharing!


            I think that is just a wool shirt tucked into the trousers. I like the big grin on the black guy and the guy with the axe appears to have two interior coat pockets instead of just the one. The first sergeant on the far left is wearing his chevrons correctly.
            Nathan Bruff

            [email]Nbruff@gmail.com[/email]

            Comment


            • #7
              Re: Upside Down Chevrons

              I posted these same images in another thread here

              Check out the forage cap turned backwards.
              Cameron Stinnett

              A E K D B

              Comment

              Working...
              X