In reference to Lee's uniform and insignia, the Confederacy never upgraded its original specifications of 6 June 1861, so all generals, regardless of specific rank (brigadier, major, lieutenant, or full general), were authorized for the same collar and sleeve insignia. Of course, some officers personalized and embellished their uniforms. Lee consistently wore three stars, without the general's wreath; the colonel's three stars represented the last rank (colonel) he had held in the U.S. Army. For a thoughtful discussion of Lee's uniforms and insignia, see Edward D. C. Campbell, Jr., "The Fabric of Command: R. E. Lee, Confederate Insignia, and the Perception of Rank," Virginia Magazine of History and Biography 98 (April 1990): 261-290. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Sara B. Bearss [log in to unmask] Senior Editor, Dictionary of Virginia Biography The Library of Virginia 800 E. Broad Street Richmond, VA 23219-8000 Friends don't let friends split infinitives. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- -----Original Message----- From: Discussion of research and writing about Virginia history [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of John Smith at dhova Sent: Wednesday, November 17, 2010 4:51 PM To: [log in to unmask] Subject: [VA-HIST] General Officers Robert E. Lee and Ulysses S. Grant [cut] On the other hand, Robert E. Lee is continually referred to on the Web as 'General.' However, photos I can find of him show only three stars, which in the old corps was Lt. General. On the other hand, I did find one reference that Lee was indeed promoted to full (four-star) general at some point. [cut] Any help greatly appreciated. Randy Cabell ______________________________________ To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe please see the instructions at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html ______________________________________ To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe please see the instructions at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html