Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-12-25

W. with metallic front like unto the
. badge-fled bib in which the late
Patrick S. Gilmore used to appear when he came be-
fore audience to lead his famous band. His first
act on that OCCASION after acknowledging the APP
plause to this respondent fabric from the
hooks that held it in place and turn it over to
sistant that he might be unhampered in directing his
musicians.
Origin of the Kearny Patch
A PATCH of scarlet cloth was the original ancestor
of the multfarious badge of these gorgeous days.
The so called corps badges that were worn by mem
bers of various branches of the large military body
that formed the Union force in the Civil War; came
from what was known as the kearny patch"
1t is of authentic record that one day, when his
brigade on the march, General Phil kearny, who
strict disciplinaran, officers lettering
in the shade by the roadside. Surprising them to be
stragglers from his command, he administered
buke. adjoining it with few eXpletveS, of which he
copious author. The officers listened in silence
until at convenient pause of them saluted and
quietly suggested that General kearny had possibly
made mistake since none of the officers to whom
he was addressing his rebuke of his command.
Kearney replied that he would to it that hereafter
he would be able to recognize his
Immediately on reaching camp he issued an order
that all officers and men of his brigade should wear
cOnspicuously on the front of their caps round
piece of red cloth, which became known far and
wide the Kearny patch.
In the official orders announcing the death of Gen.
eral Kearny in September 1862 after the usual re-
quirement to wear Grape for thirty days. it
stated. Ito show still further regard for him and
to distinguish his officers he wished, each officer
cloth" By this odd circumstance came into vogue
the corps badges of the Civil War.
Beginning of Badges
GENERAL E. d. TOWNSEND Assistant Adju-
- tant General during the Civil War had been i'm
pressed with the trouble arising from the distribution
of brevets after the Mexican War. There all
sorts of political maneuverng to obtain these titles
and in hope of avoiding this result of the activ
ties of the Civil War he suggested the distribution of
badges. The result was the adoption of badges as
we'll as the bestOwa of brevets. The badge idea at
that time did not impress favoraby either General
Scott Secretary Stanton, who regarded it as con-
rary to the spirit OF Our institutions to wear decora
tons.
General Townsend says in his memoirs Il in
stanced the pride which children feel in wearing
medals at school and the pains taken by parents
to foster it, and suggested that if those who won
medals did not choose to wear them, they would
the less value them and would their descend
ants after them.
Nothing was done in that direction, however until
July IL. 1862, when Congress passed resolution to
award medals of honor to enlisted men, which priv-
lege was extended in March, 1863 to include officers
The corps badges took all sorts of shapes and the
ingenuity well the artistic taste of the designers
must frequently have been put to the test in obtain
ing distinctive emblem. 1t not long before
simpler designs were exhausted in these Insignia
such the Maltese and Greek crosses, the crescent
and the acorn,-after Major General Joseph Hooker
issued the first order for the adoption of regular
corps badge for officers and of the Army of the
Potomac.
The Fifteenth Corps for instance had a miniature
cartridge box bearing the label forty rounds
which was suggested by the incident of an Irshman.
a member of that corps. which was then without it's
badge. who was twitted for its absence:
Where's your corps badge" ironically asked
superior comrade.
/" Here!' said the Irishman. capping his hand on
his cartridge box. Always filled with forty rounds,
Another emblem was that of the Fourteenth Corps.
which adopted the arrow indicative of swiftness
and accuracy in reaching its target The Twenty
fourth Corps had heart to represent the affection
ate regard of its wearers for all brave hearts. The