Insignia Why do NCO chevrons point down?

major bill

Brev. Brig. Gen'l
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Aug 25, 2012
During the Civil War the NCOs of both the Union and Confederacy wore their chevrons pointed down, but was there a reason for them to point down instead of up?

Before the Civil War The US Army usually wore NCO chevrons which pointed up, for example during the Mexican American War NCOs wore chevron points up. By World War One the Army returned to chevrons pointing up. Even at the start of the Civil War some militias wore chevrons point up while the US Army wearing chevrons point down.

So chevrons points down, chevrons points up, why did the US Army yo-yo on the direction?
 
The first chevrons for NCOs in the Army started in 1821. It appears that the US Army changed the chevrons to point down in 1851. In 1902 this changed and NCO chevrons pointed up again.
 
My guess would be Fashion...
If I was to study it I would look at how the Brits, Prussians and French did it.
The US army have in some periods been inspired by british traditions and methods. In other periods the French and in other the Prussians.

In the 1850ties the inspiration in both uniforms and drill was the french.

There might be an explanation there.
 
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Chevrons were originally thecimage of two long horned goats butting heads. Thus, the name is derived from the Latin name for goat. Like so many words in the military dictionary, chevron is French. I have to agree with the Victorians, point up looks better on a sleeve.
 
Chevrons were originally thecimage of two long horned goats butting heads. Thus, the name is derived from the Latin name for goat. Like so many words in the military dictionary, chevron is French. I have to agree with the Victorians, point up looks better on a sleeve.
I have to disagree, the first known usage of the term, was in the 14th century and translated meant rafter as in the shape of a roof, at least this is what I was taught in ROTC.
 
I have to disagree, the first known usage of the term, was in the 14th century and translated meant rafter as in the shape of a roof, at least this is what I was taught in ROTC.

Interesting and some thing I have never read. I might want to give some thought and a bit of research.
 
The Navy always did point down, and still does.
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I do not see where chevrons or inverted chevrons were popular with many wold armies at the time of the Civil War. Great Britain used inverted chevrons for NCO s during this period.
 
I do not see where chevrons or inverted chevrons were popular with many wold armies at the time of the Civil War. Great Britain used inverted chevrons for NCO s during this period.
I believe the genesis came from both French and British influence around the time of the Revolutionary War. Thayer then used chevrons at West Point in the early 1800s to denote cadet rank and it influenced the Army & Marines regulars.
 
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