The origin and history of the various corps badges, which were worn by the soldiers of the Union army during the war of the rebellion, is an interesting subject to all who have served in the army during that period of the Nation's history, and can not fail to be matters of interest even to those who have had no part in that gigantic struggle for human freedom.

From all that can be learned upon this subject it appears that General Phil Kearney was the first to suggest and adopt a corps badge, or distinctive mark for his command.

It is stated, on authority of Brevet Major General E. D. Townsend, late Adjutant General of the United States Army, that upon one occasion General Kearney noticed some officers standing by the roadside, and imagining that they were stragglers from his command, administered to them a stinging rebuke. After listening to the General's forcible language for a time, one of officers politely saluted

the

the General and informed him that they did not belong to his command. The General, somewhat abashed, asked the pardon of the men before him, and added: "I will take measures to know how to recognize my own men hereafter." Soon afterward he ordered all his officers and men to wear conspicuously in front of their caps "a round piece of red cloth." This badge soon became known as "Kearney's patch," and to many a brave soldier that circular piec. of red cloth was as dear as the cross of the Legion of Honor to the dashing and ambitious veterans of France.

When General Kearney was killed General Burney directed every officer, in addition to the crepe on his left arm, "to continue to wear on his cap

A PIECE OF SCARLET CLOTH, or to have the top or crown piece of his cap made of scarlet cloth "

The battle of Fredericksburg demonstrated the necessity of wearing some distinctive mark for the soldiers, and soon after General Burnside retired from the command of the Army of the Potomac General Hooker, who succeeded him, issued a circular, dated

March 21, 1863, prescribing the device for a badge for each corps. This was done "for the purpose of ready recognition of corps and divisions of the army, and to prevent injustice by reports of straggling and misconduct through mistakes as to their organization." General Hooker's army then consisted of the First. Second, Third, Fifth, Sixth, Eleventh, and Twelfth corps. The badges were chosen with no especial idea of significance, and were to be worn upon the cap by every soldier and officer attached to his command.

The corps consisted of four divisions, and it was ordered that the color of the badge of the first division should be red; second division, white; third division, blue, and fourth division, green. This arrangement of colors has been observed in all cases except that of the Fifteenth Corps, the fourth division of which wears a yellow badge instead of the prescribed green.

THE DESIGNS

of these various badges, 'as far as can be ascertained, are as follows:

First Corps-A disk, as originally adopted by General Kearney.

Second Corps-A tre-foil

Third Corps-A lozenge.

Fifth Corps-A Maltese cross.
Sixth Corps-A Greek cross,
Eleventh Corps-A crescent.
Twelfth Corps-A five-pointed star,

The Fourth and Seventh Corps were serving at that time in the Department of Virginia, and were discontinued as corps organizations in August, 1863. The badge of the Fourth Corps—a triangle-and of the Seventh -a star and crescent.

The Eighth Corps adopted a six-pointed star, with smaller star in the center, in the latter part of 1863.

The Ninth Corps, which had served afloat on the Burnside expedition, adopted in April, 1864, a shield with the figure 9 in the center, crossed with a foul anchor and cannon. The Tenth Corps, by general order dated July 24, 1864, in commemoration of its service against fortified positions on the sea-board, chose the trace of a four-bastioned

fort.

When the Army of the Cumberland was reorganized, in October, 1863, after the battle of Chickamauga, the old Twentieth and Twenty-first Corps were broken up and a new corps was formed, which was made No. 4, to take the place left vacant by the disbandment of the Fourth Corps of the Department of Virginia. This corps, on April 26, 1864, adopted the design of an equilateral triangle. The Thirteenth Corps has no recorded badge, but the badge, as worn by the corps, consisted of a silver disc, with 13 in Roman figures and A. C. in scrip. General Ord, then in command of the corps, was selected to adopt a design for a badge, but was removed before making a report. He had, however, designed a badge of crossed swords and crossed pipes, with the word "Choose" beneath.

The Fourteenth Corps selected an acorn, because they were called

"THE ACORN BOYS. The name was given to them from the fact that after the battle of Chickamauga Rosecrans' army made a stand around Chattanooga, and as there was great difficulty in obtaining supplies, the corps, which was encamped in an oak grove, roasted acorns, which were plentiful, and ate quantities of them.

The Fifteenth Corps, through General Logan, adopted a miniature cartridge box of black, set transversely on a square Above the plate on the cartridge box was the motto -"Forty Rounds."

This device, it is stated, resulted from the following incident: The Eleventh and Twelfth Corps were transferred from the Army of the Potomac to the Army of the Cumberland. They were much better dressed than the other troops of that department, and considerable rivalry sprang up between these Eastern boys and those who came from the West.

The latter latter spoke frequently of the former as "The boys who wore paper collars, the moon and the stars.

The Fifteenth Corps had not yet adopted any distinctive badge, and one day an Irishman, whose name is legion, belonging to one of the regiments which composed the Fifteenth Corps (some say Ninetieth Illinois, some Twelfth Missouri), wandered down to the river near the camp to fill his canteen. (The locality of this incident is also a matter of question.)

While drawing the water he was saluted by a soldier from the East. "What corps do you belong to?" was the question propounded by the dapper Yankee. "Shure to the Fifteenth," replied the Irish man. "Well, then, where is your badge?" "Badge,

indade, and where is your own?" The soldier pointed to the crescent on his cap. "An, yis," said the Fifteenth Corps man, "that's the mune that lighted yer way when ye retrated from Chancellorsville; but as for my own badge, here it is," clapping his hand upon his cartridge-box, "Here's my badgeforty rounds! It's the orders to always have forty rounds in my cartridge-box, and we always do."

This incident, it is reported, was related to General Logan, and he immediately issued the order making the cartridge-box and its motto the badge of the gallant Fifteenth Corps. The Sixteenth Corps badge is not generally accepted. The Second Division, it seems, had no badge, but the First and Third Divisions, under General A. J. Smith, adopted as their badge a circle with four minie rifle shells (points toward the center) cut out of it.

Seventeenth Corps-An arrow, which is said to have been adopted as denoting its

UNDEVIATING COURSE IN THE MARCH, the swiftness of its attack, its surety of striking where wanted, and its destructive powers when properly propelled against the enemy.

The Eighteenth Corps had as a badge a peculiar design on a circle, which may be described as a cross with foliate sides.

The Nineteenth Corps-A fan-leaved cross with octagonal center.

The Twentieth-Star afterward adopted as the badge, crescent abolished.

Twenty-first Corps-No record.

Twenty-second Corps-Quin que foliate in shape, with a circle inscribed in the center. Twenty-third Corps-Shields, with smaller shield inside of division color.

Twenty-fourth Corps-Hearts, with division colors inside.

In issuing the order for the adoption of this design, General John Gibbon said: "The symbol selected is one which testifies our affectionate regard for all our brave comrades-alike the living and the dead-who have braved the perils of this mighty conflict, and our devotion to the sacred cause-a cause which entitles us to the sympathy of every true heart, and the support of every strong and determined hand."

The flags bore the same designs, and were carried as guidons, and the larger flags used to designate division and corp headquarters. ADDITIONAL NOTES.

General Steele's corps in Arkansas, formed in January, 1864, was designated the Seventh, that number having been vacated by the discontinuance of the Seventh Corps Department of Virginia. The badge adopted by a circular issued from headquarters June 1,

1865, was a crescent, encircling the upper rays of a five-pointed star.

Twenty-fifth Corps-A square, with smaller one inside, with corners opposite the sides of the larger square.

Hancock's Veteran Corps badge was designed by General C. H. Morgan. Chief of Staff. It consisted of a circle, surrounded by a double wreath of laurel; a wide, red band passes vertically through the center of the circle outside the laurel wreath, diverging rays form a figure with seven sides concave curves-seven hands, springing from the circumference of the laurel wreath, grasp spears, the heads of which form the seven points of the external radiated figure, Sheridan's Cavalry Corps wore a handsome badge, but few being worn by enlisted men. It consisted of gold-crossed sabers on an oblong blue field, surrounded by silver rays.

Wilson's Cavalry Corps badge was a rifle, or carbine, from which was suspended by chains, the red swallow-tail guidon of the cavalry, bearing a design of two gilt sabers.

Custer's Cavalry, in imitation of their chief, wore a red scarf about their necks, tied in a sailor's knot.

The headquarters' flag of the Department of West Virginia was a spread eagle.

The badge of the Department of the Cumberland consisted of the union of the three corps badges, which composed it. The star of the Twentieth was the base, the triangle of the Fourth, reduced in size, was laid upon it, and this was surmounted by the acorn of the Fourteenth Corps.

THE GRAND ARMY.

The Grand Army badge, adopted about 1870, is a five-pointed star, made out of the metal of the cannon captured from the rebel army. On the obverse, in a circle, are thown in relief the figures of a soldier and sailor clasping each other's hands over an orphan child, indicating that the soldiers and sailors will protect the orphans of their comrades, who died in their country's service.

On the reverse are the designs of the various corps badges, arranged in a double circle, and in relief.

The star is suspended by a miniature United States flag of woven silk, which hangs from two crossed cannon, struck up with a die, of same metal as the star.

Each badge is numbered and registered, the number being stamped upon the thick edge of one of the points. Each member's number is registered, and his name duly recorded for identification.