Why red and crimson sashes?

[major bill]

Has anyone seen why general wore buff sashes, officers crimson sashes and NCOs red sashes? It would seem like any other color would be just as good as red. I should point out the Medical officers wore medium or emerald green sashes.

 

[Belle Montgomery]

Has anyone seen why general wore buff sashes, officers crimson sashes and NCOs red sashes? It would seem like any other color would be just as good as red. I should point out the Medical officers wore medium or emerald green sashes.

Maybe this will help a bit?-Click on index to site and scroll to sash:
http://howardlanham.tripod.com/color.htm

 

[major bill]

Why did the medical officers get a "special" color sash? Medical officers could have used crimson sashes to help hide blood?

 

[Belle Montgomery]

Why did the medical officers get a "special" color sash? Medical officers could have used crimson sashes to hide blood?

Try contacting this guy:
Terry Reimer
Director of Research

National Museum of Civil War Medicine

[email protected]

I emailed him for another question a while back and got a response...he's very nice!

 

[major bill]

Try contacting this guy:
Terry Reimer
Director of Research

National Museum of Civil War Medicine

[email protected]

I emailed him for another question a while back and got a response...he's very nice!

It might be worth finding out.

 

[Klaudly]

The personal opinion regarding the surgeons of both armies was that for their role they had to be easily recognized by friends and enemies.

 

[major bill]

Sounds good but not sure surgeons wore them except with their dress uniforms. A surgeon near enough to the enemy to be seen would probably not be wearing their dress uniform.

 

[Klaudly]

I think you're right

 

[major bill]

Perhaps they wore green sashes back in a time surgeons would have worn dress uniforms near the battle, but I have doubts American Army surgeons would have ever done so. Perhaps at one time most surgeons were civilians and thus wore green so as not to be confused with soldiers.

 

[CSA Today]

Walter Thompson Adair was a part Cherokee, Confederate surgeon to the 1st Cherokee Mounted Rifles. The color green sash indicates medical corps. The black cuffs signify he was a surgeon.

 

[major bill]

It is interesting other corps did not get thier own color of sashes.