This is an excellent pair of dead-real, no doubt-about-it Civil War infantry chevrons. These are made of light blue worsted wool stripes sewn to a dark blue wool background patch, which in turn would be sewn to the sleeve of the dress frock coat or the fatigue blouse. We see just one moth bite to the dark blue wool, more evident from the back than the front, between the lower two stripes near the edge of one chevron. This is not very visible from the front and not obtrusive.

Infantry companies included five sergeants: a first, or orderly, sergeant wearing three stripes and diamond, and four line sergeants, wearing these chevrons, who would act as file-closers, along with the lieutenants, standing behind the two-rank line of battle in action, trying to instill some order in the chaos of battle.

Wartime images and extant uniforms show some variety in the chevrons used, some soldier-made or using individual stripes mounted directly on the coat, and this type, which shows up in the government quartermaster photographs and were likely made on U.S. government contract.

These have great color, display very nicely, and would be an important part of an infantry collection.  [sr] [ph:L]

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