Quartermaster sergeant

The Continental Army created the rank in 1776 as one of the senior soldiers on an infantry regiment's staff. Von Steuben's regulations had him assist the regimental quartermaster and oversee loading the baggage on the march. Union and Confederate armies both used it, below sergeant major and above ordnance sergeant.

Each Civil War regiment or battalion had one, chosen from its sergeants, and forage was a large part of the job in cavalry and artillery. From May 1861 each Union cavalry company also had its own quartermaster sergeant, in charge of the company wagon and its property, so check whether a man was on the regimental staff or in a company.