American Civil War Corps Badges - Simple English Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Corps badges in the American Civil War were originally worn by soldiers of the Union Army on the top of their army forage cap, left side of the hat, or over their left chest pocket. The idea was suggested by Major Geneneral Philip Kearny.^[1] During a battle he reprimanded officers that turned out to not be under his command.^[1] To prevent that from happening again, he ordered the men in his division to sew a 2 inches (51 mm) square of red cloth on their hats.^[1] This idea was adopted by Major General Joseph Hooker after he assumed command of the Army of the Potomac. This was so any soldier could be identified at a distance.

Corps badges[change | change source]

Maj. Gen. Daniel Butterfield, Hooker's chief of staff, was assigned the task of designing a distinctive shape for each corps badge. Butterfield also decided that each division in the corps should have a variation of the corps badge in a different color. Division badges were colored as follows:

1. Red — First division of corps
2. White — Second division of corps
3. Blue — Third division of corps

These were used in the United States' Army of the Potomac. These rules were adopted by other Union Armies, however it was not universal. For example, the XIII Corps never adopted a badge. Also, the XIX Corps had the first division wear a red badge, the second division wear a blue badge, and the third division wear white.

For Army corps that had more than three divisions, the standardization was lost:

1. Green — Fourth division of VI, IX, and XX Corps
2. Yellow — Fourth division of XV Corps (reportedly Orange was also used for a 5th Division Badge)
3. Multicolor — Headquarters or artillery elements (certain corps)

The badges for enlisted men were cut from colored cloth. Officer's badges were privately made and of a higher quality. Metallic badges were often made by jewelers and were personalized for the user. The badges eventually became part of the Army regulations and a great source of regimental pride.^[2]

• Corps badges
• Corps flags

I II III IV V VI VII VIII IX X XI XII XIV XV XVI XVII XVIII

XIX XX XXI XXII XXIII XXIV XXV Cavalry corps

• See also
• External links

Corps badges gallery[change | change source]

• 
  Union Army, I Corps, 1st Division Badge,
• 
  Union Army, II Corps, 3rd Division Badge
• 
  Union Army, III Corps, 3rd Division Badge
• 
  Union Army, IV Corps, 3rd Division Badge
• 
  Union Army, V Corps, 1st Division Badge
• 
  Union Army, VI Corps, 1st Division Badge
• 
  Union Army, VII Corps, 3rd Division Badge
• 
  Union Army, VIII Corps, 3rd Division Badge
• 
  Union Army, IX Corps, 1st Division Badge
• 
  Union Army, X Corps, 1st Division Badge
• 
  Union Army, XI Corps, 1st Division Badge
• 
  Union Army, XII Corps, 1st Division Badge
• 
  Union Army, XIV Corps, 3rd Division Badge
• 
  Union Army, XV Corps, 3rd Division Badge
• 
  Union Army, XVI Corps, 1st Division Badge
• 
  Union Army, XVII Corps, 1st Division Badge
• 
  Union Army, XVIII Corps, 3rd Division Badge
• 
  Union Army, XIX Corps, 1st Division Badge
• 
  Union Army, XX Corps, 1st Division Badge
• 
  Union Army, XXII Corps, 3rd Division Badge
• 
  Union Army, XXIII Corps, 3rd Division Badge
• 
  Union Army, XXIV Corps, 1st Division Badge
• 
  Union Army, XXV Corps, 1st Division Badge

Corps flags, Army of the Potomac[change | change source]

I Corps, Army of the Potomac[change | change source]

1st Division	2nd Division	3rd Division

II Corps, Army of the Potomac[change | change source]

1st Division	2nd Division	3rd Division
Corps Hqr's	Artillery Brigade	Quartermaster

III Corps, Army of the Potomac[change | change source]

1st Division	2nd Division	3rd Division

IV Corps, Army of the Potomac[change | change source]

1st Division	2nd Division	3rd Division

V Corps, Army of the Potomac[change | change source]

1st Division	2nd Division	3rd Division

VI Corps, Army of the Potomac[change | change source]

1st Division	2nd Division	3rd Division

IX Corps, Army of the Potomac[change | change source]

1st Division	2nd Division	3rd Division
4th Division

XI Corps, Army of the Potomac[change | change source]

1st Division	2nd Division	3rd Division

XII Corps, Army of the Potomac[change | change source]

1st Division	2nd Division	3rd Division

Corps flags, other Union armies[change | change source]

VII Corps, Dept of Arkansas[change | change source]

1st Division	2nd Division	3rd Division

VIII Corps, Middle Department[change | change source]

1st Division	2nd Division	3rd Division

X Corps, Department of South[change | change source]

1st Division	2nd Division	3rd Division

XIII Corps, Army of the Tennessee[change | change source]

No badge was designated for the XIII Corps.

XIV Corps, Army of the Cumberland[change | change source]

1st Division	2nd Division	3rd Division

XV Corps, Army of the Tennessee[change | change source]

1st Division	2nd Division	3rd Division
4th Division	Headquarters

XVI Corps, Military Division of West Mississippi[change | change source]

1st Division	2nd Division	3rd Division

XVII Corps, Army of the Tennessee[change | change source]

1st Division	2nd Division	3rd Division

XVIII Corps, Army of the James[change | change source]

1st Division	2nd Division	3rd Division

XIX Corps, Middle Military Division[change | change source]

1st Division	2nd Division	3rd Division

XX Corps, Army of the Cumberland[change | change source]

1st Division	2nd Division	3rd Division

{Note:XX Corps Badges same as the old XII Corps; the XX Corps was consolidated from the XI and XII Corps}

XXI Corps[change | change source]

1st Division	2nd Division	3rd Division
Headquarters

XXII Corps, Dept of Washington[change | change source]

1st Division	2nd Division	3rd Division

XXIII Corps, Dept of Ohio & Dept of North Carolina[change | change source]

1st Division	2nd Division	3rd Division

XXIV Corps, Dept of Virginia[change | change source]

1st Division	2nd Division	3rd Division

XXV Corps, Army of the James, Dept of Texas[change | change source]

1st Division	2nd Division	3rd Division

Brigade badges[change | change source]

I Corps, Army of the Potomac

Related pages[change | change source]

• Major organizations of the Union Army
• Kearny Cross

References[change | change source]

Other websites[change | change source]

• Designs of Civil War Corps Badges
• Civil war insignia cavalry, infantry and artillery brass