Title: American Civil War Corps Badges Content: thumb|350px|Co C 110th Pennsylvania Infantry after the Battle of Fredericksburg Va. An excellent photograph showing the Union Army white Diamond shaped III Corps Badges on the caps 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. During a battle he reprimanded officers that turned out to not be under his command. To prevent that from happening again, he ordered the men in his division to sew a square of red cloth on their hats. 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 == 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: # Red -- First division of corps # White -- Second division of corps # 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: # Green -- Fourth division of VI, IX, and XX Corps # Yellow -- Fourth division of XV Corps (reportedly Orange was also used for a 5th Division Badge) # 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.John D. Billings, Hardtack and Coffee *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== File:Icorpsbadge.png|Union Army, I Corps, 1st Division Badge, File:IIcorpsbadge.png|Union Army, II Corps, 3rd Division Badge File:IIIcorpsbadge.png|Union Army, III Corps, 3rd Division Badge File:IVcorpsbadge.png|Union Army, IV Corps, 3rd Division Badge File:Vcorpsbadge.png|Union Army, V Corps, 1st Division Badge File:VIcorpsbadge.png|Union Army, VI Corps, 1st Division Badge File:VIIcorpsbadge.png|Union Army, VII Corps, 3rd Division Badge File:VIIIcorpsbadge.png|Union Army, VIII Corps, 3rd Division Badge File:IXcorpsbadge.png|Union Army, IX Corps, 1st Division Badge File:Xcorpsbadge.png|Union Army, X Corps, 1st Division Badge File:XIcorpsbadge.png|Union Army, XI Corps, 1st Division Badge File:XIIcorpsbadge.png|Union Army, XII Corps, 1st Division Badge File:XIVcorpsbadge.png|Union Army, XIV Corps, 3rd Division Badge File:XVcorpsbadge.png|Union Army, XV Corps, 3rd Division Badge File:XVIcorpsbadge.png|Union Army, XVI Corps, 1st Division Badge File:XVIIcorpsbadge.png|Union Army, XVII Corps, 1st Division Badge File:XVIIIcorpsbadge.png|Union Army, XVIII Corps, 3rd Division Badge File:XIXcorpsbadge.png|Union Army, XIX Corps, 1st Division Badge File:XIIcorpsbadge.png|Union Army, XX Corps, 1st Division Badge File:XXIIcorpsbadge.png|Union Army, XXII Corps, 3rd Division Badge File:XXIIIcorpsbadge.png|Union Army, XXIII Corps, 3rd Division Badge File:XXIVcorpsbadge.png|Union Army, XXIV Corps, 1st Division Badge File:XXVcorpsbadge.png|Union Army, XXV Corps, 1st Division Badge ==Corps flags, Army of the Potomac== ===I Corps, Army of the Potomac===  == Related pages == *Major organizations of the Union Army *Kearny Cross