Alan,

The terms "green" and "veteran" to me, do seem to be more appropriate than elite. My chief interest has been Virginia units in the war. I have read Michael Cavanaugh's book on the Richmond Otey Battery which he terms "elite". His reasoning seems to be, as I posted earlier, the fact that upper crust of society enlisted in the unit. also experienced men who had previously held officers' commissions and held NCO status enlisted in the battery as privates. However the battery spent the first two years of its service in the mountains of western Virginia and east Tennessee gaining much needed experience. During this time they became veterans. At The Crater the men of the battery manned guns abandonded by another battery and fought tenaciously during the fight. The battery had only 5 desertions during the war. Now that is a record! A reliable unit and a veteran one but as to elite, I don't know. Anyway, I guess it's all subjective, and opinions vary.

Len