RANK. Army rank is somewhat confusing from its varieties, and from the fact that the same officer may hold at once three different ranks. The first and only rank up to the grade of capt. is regimental or substantative rank. Above this, officers may advance in two ways: first up to the rank of lieut.col. by substantative or regimental rank; second, up to col. by obtaining rank in the army, generally called brevet rank, and above that by army rank through the several grades of general officers. In his regiment. the officer holds only his regimental rank, whatever his brevet rank may be; but among officers of the army generally he takes precedence according to his brevet rank. In describing an officer who has brevet rank. his regimental rank is placed first—as, capt. and brevet lieut.col. Brown, which means that an officer named Brown, who holds rank in a regiment as capt., has for his services been promoted in the army to be lieut.col. Officers of the foot-guards have higher rank in the army. See FOOT-GUARDS. Another class of rank is relative rank, which attaches to certain officers. Thus rapt. Brown aforesaid, in addition to regimental rank as capt., and army rank as lieut.col., may pos
sibly hold a staff appointment which confers on him the relative rank of col. Local ran-lc is a common expedient for advancing comparatively junior officers to important duties, a higher rank than that properly held in the army beingassigned to an individual within certain geographical limits, as in the East Indies, the Crimea, etc. Tenzporarg rank is similarly limited by time, and is conferred usually for the period during winch some appointment is held, as the officer acting as director of ordnance ranks as maj.gen. while so employed. Honorary rank carries neither duty nor emoluments; it is corn monly given to the amount of one step to an officer who has served the time necessary; for retirement; thus, a rapt., after thirty years' service, may retire (on t•he pay of cant.) with the honorary rank of maj. Officers who have quitted the army are also allowed to retain as honorary the last rank they held.
Easy rank has no irregularities: it is plainly what it professes to be. The marines rank with corresponding grades in the army, and their and the army rank, as compared with the navy, will be shown under RELATIVE RANK (q.v.).