sargant

-- and the first-lieutenant, who cared more about his lower deck being clean than fifty human beings 'lives, said he would; so they called the sargant o' marines, and orders him to bring up two ship's muskets and some ball cartridge, and they goes on deck with the cat in their arms.

The King's Own Frederick Marryat 1820

I personally know what goes on, and a staff sargant the makes comments like these, abuses the whites the worst and if he is making comments like this publically, then just imagine his actions against our young men that leave their homes to defend our country ... they don't deserve to be abused by prejudice people like this!

Source: Obama Tells Donors That Losing Pennsylvania By Less Than 10 Points Will Be "Victory" 2009

But when the sargant o 'marines comes up, and loads the muskets with ball cartridges, then the men begins to grumble; howsomever, the master throws the cat overboard off the lee-quarter, and the waterman, as soon as he sees her splash in the water, backs astarn to take her into the boat, but the first-lieutenant tells him to get out of the way, if he doesn't want a bullet through his boat -- so he pulls ahead again.

The King's Own Frederick Marryat 1820