Confederate Infantry Officer Marching

At the beginning of the civil war the officer ranks and rank insignia for the fledging Confederate Army had to be developed – the individual states that formed the Confederacy made up their own rank and insignia causing confusion and discord in the army. They were heavily influenced by their own militia traditions and those used by the regular U.S. Army. According to regulations, officers wore a combination of several rank indicators on their uniform. The primary insignia was a number of bars or stars worn on the collar of the uniform coat. The secondary insignia were Austrian knots, elaborate patterns of gold braid sewn on the lower sleeves with the number of lines indicating rank. Gold striping on the seam of the officer’s pant leg was also known to exist.