corps badge question

[shubal]

When, after the March 1863 circular, did units receive their Corps Badges in the AOP?
And more specifically, when did private purchase corps badges begin to be available?

As a prize, here is an image of one from the 77th NY. At the museum I work at we are pondering when the individual who had it might have acquired it, knowing very little about him except that he was a line officer in the '63 campaigns and moved onto a general's staff during the '64 campaigns until he was wounded at Cedar Creek.

[Jimmayo]

I believe the 1st corps had it's badge as early as 1862. The rest of the AOP followed after the March order of 1863. Many of the badges were initially cut by the men from colored cloth. I would cite a source but it has been years since I read it and I can't remember where.

I would assume when there was money to be made the sutlers wasted no time. Stanley Phillips book "Civil War Corps Badges and Other Related Awards, Badges, Medals of the Period" has a section in the back consisting of 1863 advertisments for the sale of Corps Badges. Interesting what they cost then and what they cost now. Metal badges were also cut by the soldiers from copper, coins and whatever was handy. Here is a picture of some sutler provided badges found in the Petersburg area (with the exception of the 3rd and the 9th corps badge.) The small center 9th Corps badge was made from a III cent piece.

Nice badge you have there. Little fancy for a sutler made badge and my guess is that it was made by a jewler.

[Bob 125th NYSVI]

Most of the corp badges were cloth with the metal ones (especially the private purchase ones) being the exception not the rule.

Issuance of the corp badge was uneven at best.

For example, the 125th NY was with Hay's Brigade at Centreville when ordered to catch up and join the AoP for the Gettysburg campaign. Since they were not part of the AoP when they received their orders they did not have a corp badge.

When they caught up, the Brigade was assigned to the 2nd Corp, 3rd Div., they were now a blue 'Trefiol'. However being there was a battle going on nobody worried about getting them their corp badges.

After the battle they were reassigned to the 2nd Corp, 1st Div and thus were finally issued red 'Trefoils'.

So while they AoP was pretty diligent about issuing the badges you have to be careful as to which badge is appropriate (if at all) for which battle.

[Rob Weber]

BJ Zirkle is a great source for information on this subject. I do not feel that it is appropriate for me to post his email but he his buisness is IWP Fabrications.

Rob Weber

[briangauthier]

Bob,

How did you find out about corp badge issuance? I'm curious, as I am researching the 5th Maryland during the war. They jumped about a lot, starting in the 7th corp, moving to the 2nd, then the 8th, then the 18th, and finally finishing up in the 24th corp. I would really appreciate it if you could point me in the right direction when researching the kinds of equipment a specific unit was issued at a specific time.

Thanks!

[BobSullivanPress]

I believe the first "corps badge" was actually issued to Kearny's division. The story goes that Kearny upbraided stragglers and upon finding out that they didn't belong to his division, stated that he was going to do something about identificaiton. He then ordered the creation and issue of a red lozenge (diamond) that his officers were supposed to wear. Dan Butterfield later took this idea and created the system of corps badges in the Spring of 1863, while the Army of the Potomac was in winter quarters. So I believe that technically, corps badges first made their appearance in some reviews, and the Battle of Chancellorsville was the first appearance of corps badges in battle.

Not to hijack the thread, but this leads to another question I just thought of: What did division flags and corps flags look like before corps badges?

Mods please move this thread if it is deemed significantly different.

[Mississippian]

I know the Army of the Potomac had a weird system of flags to identify the different divisions and brigades of the army. I'm not sure of the details but there are a couple pictured in the Union Echos of Glory.

Will MacDonald