Funeral Question

At Delilah's funeral, there is an honor guard on the steps outside the church and the men are wearing what looks like 19th-century naval hats and they carry swords. There is an outlined cross on the hats. Was this a special church-related organization? The ushers, perhaps? I noted the nurses marching in the funeral procession and know they were a fixture at traditional African-American churches, at least back then, to assist parishoners who had been overcome by emotion or the heat during services.