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Question: How did you tell rank private to colonel in the Confederate Army during the Civil war!?
Just want to see what people answer!.!.!.!.!.Www@QuestionHome@Com


Best Answer - Chosen by Asker:
It was quite easily actually!.

Officers in the Confederacy were "men of means"!.!.!.!.!. had money!.
They were landowners, professionals, etc!.
They actually HAD uniforms to wear!.

The uniforms DID vary quite a bit but they were obviously uniforms!.
Full of gold tassels, shiny buttons, sashes tied around the waist, fancy hats with feather, and such, nice real black boots!.
They wore swords, which were which were pretty much a waste, and carried smaller side arms and not rifles!.
Oh, and they had horses!.!.!.!.their own that they brought with them!.

Privates were lucky to actually HAVE a uniform, usually just a hat!. Most fought in the clothes and boots/shoes they showed up in!. They carried their own gear and rifles!. No small side arms!. They carried their own "kits", which included a bedroll or blanket with them!. None of them bothered to carry a useless sword!.
If they were lucky enough to show up WITH a horse, it was usually a mule or a draft horse that was immediately "conscripted" into duty hauling wagons and such!.

Picking out an officer even across a battlefield was REAL easy!.
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Here's officers!.
http://www!.civilwarhome!.com/csaofficerra!.!.!.

Here's enlisted men!.
http://www!.civilwarhome!.com/csaenlistedr!.!.!.

Privates didn't wear insignias!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

privates at the front!. colonels at the back!. generals behind the colonels!.

in general, officers had horses and swords!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

I believe the ranking system was the same or similar to the Union!.Www@QuestionHome@Com