This post is made based upon observations that I have noticed on Louisiana soldiers who held the rank of Sergeant. Now, not all photos of Sergeants have this curiosity, but I have seen this on members of Louisiana companies that were organized from the southern, more Creole and Acadian portions of the State.

There is a photo of two member of the Orleans Guard in Echoes of Glory where both members have the typical black trim on their jackets, but the one that is listed as being a Sergeant has a second row of tape on the cuff, making two rows of pointed cuff trim, rather than one. Then, there is another photo of a member of the 18th Louisiana who also has not just one, but two rows of gold gilt tape on his pointed cuff, and he too is a Sergeant. Because there are two photos of members of different regiments, both of whom are Sergeants and both of whom have double row of cuff trim, is this some sort of system of rank that these Louisiana companies were copying from the French, Austrians, etc.?

Nic Clark
Chasseurs de Chalmette