Virginia red battle bars?

[major bill]

Is it possible that the 10th Virginia wore red stripes of cloth on their arms for each battle they were in? For details about this see Gary Yee's article Sharpshooter as Prisoners in the Fall 2006 Military Collector & Historians magazine.

This does appear what 10th Virginia Sgt. George Miley said in a letter wrote on April 28, 1864. "Our Brig. Genl. has an idea that his troops, should be marked that they may be distinguished from all others, and requires us to war a badge on our right arm with a red bar for each battle in which each one had participated."

This was not an original idea and Steuart's Brigade of Ewell's Corps appears to have possibly wore a color stripe for each battle they were in. If this did or did not happen is a bit sketchy.

 

[major bill]

Gary Yee is very reliable but I still have to wonder about this. Some men would have a bunch of red stripes on their right arm. A few might have red stripes from shoulder to wrist.

 

[Klaudly]

Never read anythingsabout red stripes on arms

 

[major bill]

I have seen red badges worn by other Confederate units as a means of identifying the unit. The concept of a stripe for each battle is an interesting concept.