Lieutenant Colonel insignia badge

halfmoon

Cadet
Joined
Jun 29, 2016
Under Badges to Distinguish Rank, the 1851 Regulations for Uniform and Dress of the Army seem to always say the same quotes regarding a Lieutenant Colonels silver insignia...it says "the same as for a Colonel, according to corps, but substituting for the eagle, a silver embroidered leaf." I have found a silver brass gilt lieutenant colonel's insignia badge found in a 1847-1851 military camp but can not find any documentation on it. The Regulations only mention it as a "silver embroidered leaf". Where can I find documentation of a silver brass gilt insignia or does it exists?
 
Are you interested in the shoulder straps worn by lieutenant colonels or just the medal oak leaf?
 
I'm interested in just the medal oak leaf, they mention it as "embroidered" on a shoulder strap but never as a "medal" so I started looking for references in the 1836, '41, '47,'51,'57 and '61 regulations and nowhere do they mention a "medal" for Lieutenant Colonel or a Major for that matter. Just seems odd!
 
Epaulettes were specified for all Officers in 1832 and at that time the only grade insignia were the stars for General Officers and eagles for Colonels. Epaulettes for Lieutenant Colonels, Majors, Captains and Lieutenants had no insignia--the length and size of the fringe showing the difference of grade. Shoulder straps were adopted to replace the epaulette for field duty in 1836 and at that time Majors were authorized leaves, captains were authorized two bars and first lieutenants were authorized one bars on the shoulder strap. I guess my question is, when did they start using the "medal" version for a lieutenant colonel, would I assume it to be 1836?
 
Under Badges to Distinguish Rank, the 1851 Regulations for Uniform and Dress of the Army seem to always say the same quotes regarding a Lieutenant Colonels silver insignia...it says "the same as for a Colonel, according to corps, but substituting for the eagle, a silver embroidered leaf." I have found a silver brass gilt lieutenant colonel's insignia badge found in a 1847-1851 military camp but can not find any documentation on it. The Regulations only mention it as a "silver embroidered leaf". Where can I find documentation of a silver brass gilt insignia or does it exists?
Please post a picture of your find and we might be able to help a bit more.
 
That is an interesting piece, more in line with the more modern version, though without the border. There were many private purchase outlets that made different versions though the regulation version is much different, both on the epaulet and shoulder strap.
4 - insignia.jpg


No doubt you have a version that was later adopted as a standard since the metal version of the above would be fragile and difficult to produce.
 
I agree, but finding documentation of the "metal version" has been a chore! The epaulet you see in the background was found in the very camp the Lieutenant Colonel insignia was found, it has clipped corners and issued only for Dragoon and Light Artillery, super rare to find them intact but it was found in a camp in the woods where the plow never been introduced. Found many other artifacts in the camp giving me the impression it was occupied somewhere between 1847-1851 narrowing down the probable Lieutenant Colonel who occupied this camp outside Fort Leavenworth a few miles. The 1851 regulations shows a great example of this exact epaulet with the clipped corners. I have to assume the insignia is from the same period as well which has created a frenzy of research to figure out who this individual was that wore it.
 
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