Corp badges

[SCTiger]

Comrades:

For your excellent consideration, I found this table on Corp badges in a second hand book "The Complete Civil War" by Philip Katcher/Cassell printing /2003.

US Army Corps Badges 1863-65

Corps Badge Adopted I]notes[/i]

I Sphere 21 March 1863

II Trefoil " "
III Lozenge " "
IV Equilateral
triangle 26 March 1864
V Maltese Cross 21 March 1863
VI Greek Cross 21 March 1863 Light Div. Green
VII Crescent/star 6 Jan 1865

VIII Star w /six rays never officially adopted

IX Shield with figure
9 in centre crossed
with a foulded anchor
& cannon 4 October 1864

X 4 bastioned fort 22 May 1864
XI Crescent 21 March 1863
XII Star 21 March 1863
XIII None Adopted
XIV Acorn 26 April 1864

XV Transverse Square
cartridge box with
motto " 40 rounds" 14 Feb 1865

XVI Circle with 4 Minie'
balls, points to center
cut out of it Never officially adopted

XVII Arrow 25 March 1865

XVIII Cross with foliate
Sides June 1864

XIX 4 pointed star 18 Feb 1863 Gulf Divisions

XIX fan-leaved cross
with octagonal
centre 17 November 1864 Middle Military Div.
XX Star 26 April 1864 4th Div. Green
XXI None Adopted
XXII Quinquefoliate shape Not offiicial
XXIII Shield 25 September 1864
XXIV Heart 18 March 1865
XXV Square 20 Feb 1865


Also since these were "adoption" dates, the troops probably weren't supplied that very day with new corps badges, unless they had been wearing them "unofficially.' I have seen quite a number of Corps badges at pre 1863 events.

Also from the same book:

"The Union Army eventually fielded 25 corps, each designated with a roman numeral, i.e., IX Corps. On 21 March 1863 each member of a corps in the Army of the Potomac was assigned a unique insignia to wear on his cap, front or side or left breast so that he could be identified easily on the battlefield. the practice spread until by the end of the war most Union corps had some unique insignia. These cloth or metal badges were generally red for the first division, white for the second division and blue for the third division. Corps with added divisions used green for the fourth and orange for the fifth divisions."

[flattop32355]

General Hooker was the one who formalized the use of Corps badges after he took over the AOP from Burnside, to improve identification, but also to up the esprit of the troops. I don't believe it was a common practice until the 11th and/or 12th Corps were transferred to the West that it became usual for those troops to adopt such insignia.

[hireddutchcutthroat]

Originally Posted by flattop32355

General Hooker was the one who formalized the use of Corps badges after he took over the AOP from Burnside, to improve identification, but also to up the esprit of the troops. I don't believe it was a common practice until the 11th and/or 12th Corps were transferred to the West that it became usual for those troops to adopt such insignia.

Dont forget Hooker went with those corps when they went west.

[pvtRB_4thOVI]

I am researching corp badges so i can put an authentic one on my forage cap, but have run into a few problems. My unit belonged to the 2nd Corps, 3rd Division .I haven't seen many good examples of 3rd Division (blue) ones. the ones i have seen are sky blue, but i am still unsure of the shade of blue used. The 2nd corps ones i have seen pictures of are all red or white. If anyone has any info about what material, color to use, etc. or anything else I would appreciate it. i have some wool felt that is similar to royal blue, but considerably darker.

[hireddutchcutthroat]

There was somebody making really good repro 3rd div 2nd Corps badges abóut 6years ago. I will see if I cannot find who it was.

I found referance of the 14th Indiana (Carrolls brigade) being issued corps badges just before Chancellorsville, but have found no referance to them being issued any after that. You can intrepret this one of two ways. They were only issed them once, or they never bothered writting down issueing them again

[GreencoatCross]

There is indeed a man making correct corps badges. Contact me off the forums and I'll give you his e-mail address!

Here is an example of his work; this is a II Corps 1st Div. badge he made using a copy of an original document provided by Don Troiani. The document apparently had various versions of different badges (sketches or actual cloth samples I do not know) but he uses the "final" designs for his badges. The attached photo is an example of the larger March 1863 variety of II Corps badge.

Brian White

[Jimmayo]

Here is a little blue for you. Since many corps badges were sutler provided there may have been various shades of blue used. There are some more examples (not blue) on the following page. If memory serves me correct, this one was painted. You could always opt for a brass or silver badge.

http://www.angelfire.com/ma4/j_mayo/relics.html

The book "Civil War Battle Flags of the Union Army and Order of Battle " contains the corps badges of the 1st through the 25th corps in color. If you can find a copy at your local library or book store. It is a compilation of two volumes reprinted in 1997 by Knickerbocker press, they were originally printed in 1885 and 1887. The two volumes were essentially companion books to the OR's.

Paul Leonard
1st AL US artillery

[billwatson]

Love that compound corp badge, trefoil atop the diamond, on jim Mayo's page. Would that be 70th NY, Excelsior Brigade, originally second division, third corps, then second division, second corps? If so, that is a late-war example of an infantry horn on an extremely veteran regiment.

[pvtRB_4thOVI]

Thanks for all the help. I'll definetly have it right now!