continental system
Before there was an "official" system, Continental soldiers would usually wear various different colors as a type of ranking insignia. However, due to the lack of proper clothing and funds, finding the right outfit color for one's self usually proved to be difficult. General George Washington acknowledged this when he stated,
"As the Continental Army has unfortunately no uniforms, and consequently many inconvienences must arise from not being able
to distinguish the commisioned officers from the privates, it is desired that some badge of distinction be immediately provided;
for instance that field officers may have red or pink colored cockades in their hats, the captains yellow or buff, and the
subalterns green."
This system was followed for quite sometime, until later in the war, when the Continental Army began organizing a better uniform system for the troops. The slightly modified version of this method was accepted easily, and became the norm among nearly every troop. In this ranking metthod, all ranks wore a black cockade in their hats, rather than a colored one, and each class was rated with its own star-shaped insignia. For example, a major general would have two badges, where as only a minor, Brigadier general would only have one.
"As the Continental Army has unfortunately no uniforms, and consequently many inconvienences must arise from not being able
to distinguish the commisioned officers from the privates, it is desired that some badge of distinction be immediately provided;
for instance that field officers may have red or pink colored cockades in their hats, the captains yellow or buff, and the
subalterns green."
This system was followed for quite sometime, until later in the war, when the Continental Army began organizing a better uniform system for the troops. The slightly modified version of this method was accepted easily, and became the norm among nearly every troop. In this ranking metthod, all ranks wore a black cockade in their hats, rather than a colored one, and each class was rated with its own star-shaped insignia. For example, a major general would have two badges, where as only a minor, Brigadier general would only have one.
british system
The ranking system among the British army was very distinguishable, mostly due to how it incorporated the use of their widely recognized red coats. This method took use of the facings of each man's coat, thus it was very obvious to recognize and distinguish. These turned back flaps were colored according to which regiment that particular soldier belonged to, proving it to be both an easy to understand and organized method.