Original Item: Only One Available. This is a fantastic example of a small V Corps badge as worn on the various types of uniforms & caps of the Union Army. If not worn on a cap, these would be worn on a uniform, on the front or on a sleeve. The badge measures approximately 1⅝” x 1⅝” and is in great shape for its age.

This scarce example was made from lead, which is one of the rarest materials used for these badges. The front of the badge is great with small lines going in all directions from the center. The back of the badge has a small leather insert for attaching the badge to the cap or uniform. This is one of the scarcest Civil War badges we have seen, being completely custom-made by the soldier who wore it. The badge came with a small note identifying what the badge is. 

Corps badges in the American Civil War were originally worn by soldiers of the Union Army on the top of their army forage cap (kepi), left side of the hat, or over their left breast. The idea is attributed to Maj. Gen. Philip Kearny, who ordered the men in his division to sew a two-inch square of red cloth on their hats to avoid confusion on the battlefield. This idea was adopted by Maj. Gen. Joseph Hooker after he assumed command of the Army of the Potomac, so any soldier could be identified at a distance.

This is a fantastic example of a scarce cap badge, ready for further research and display!

V Corps (Union Army)

The first unit designated as the V corps was organized briefly under Nathaniel P. Banks (Banks's original command opposed Stonewall Jackson's Valley Campaign and ultimately became XII Corps.)

The unit better known as V Corps was formed within the Army of the Potomac on May 18, 1862 as V Corps Provisional, which was engaged in the Peninsula Campaign to seize Richmond. It was created by merging Maj. Gen. Fitz John Porter's 3rd Division of the III Corps with Maj. Gen. George Sykes' division of U.S. Regular troops, formerly in the Reserve.

Porter became corps commander and his 1st Division was assigned to Brig. Gen. George W. Morell. On July 22, 1862, "provisional" was dropped from the name as the U.S. War Department confirmed it as the V Corps, Army of the Potomac.

The V Corps fought in several battles throughout the Peninsula Campaign, including Hanover Court House, Mechanicsville, Gaines's Mill, Glendale, and Malvern Hill. The corps' losses in the Seven Days Battles were 995 killed, 3,805 wounded, and 2,801 captured or missing, totaling 7,601, or half the entire loss of the army. Of these casualties, 6,837 occurred at Gaines's Mill; the remainder at Mechanicsville, Glendale, and Malvern Hill. The corps was temporarily enlarged on June 14 by George A. McCall's division of Pennsylvania Reserves, which included future stars John F. Reynolds and George G. Meade. The corps fought stoutly at Gaines' Mill in particular, where Porter commanded the Union forces that included only the V Corps and Henry W. Slocum's 1st Division of the VI Corps against nearly the entire Confederate Army of Northern Virginia. After the Peninsula Campaign, the Pennsylvania Reserves returned to McDowell's corps.

George McClellan held a special admiration for the V Corps, especially as Fitz-John Porter was a close personal friend of his, and he often touted it as a model outfit the rest of the army should imitate. The general officers in the corps were all West Pointers and contained no political appointees or nonprofessionals. The presence of regular army troops added a more professional air to the V Corps than the others, and discipline and drills were typically stricter. In addition, the army artillery reserve was attached to the corps.

The V Corps saw action at the Second Battle of Bull Run, fighting on the left wing of the Union army. Losses of the small corps were 331 killed, 1,364 wounded, and 456 missing; a total of 2,151, out of about 6,500 engaged. Two of the corp's six brigades were not engaged and George Morell was temporarily detached, his division being commanded by Brig. Gen Daniel Butterfield. One brigade, composed of two regiments under Gouverneur K. Warren, made a futile stand against the Confederate attack on the Union left flank.

The corps was lightly engaged at Antietam. Morell's division saw no action at all, while some of the regular division participated in the fighting and were employed to plug various holes in the army's line during the battle. A new division of nine month regiments had been attached, led by Brig. Gen Andrew A. Humphreys but it did not arrive until after the battle was over.

After Antietam, Fitz-John Porter was court martialed for disobeying orders at Second Bull Run. Although Porter himself was not to blame, John Pope chose him as a scapegoat for that loss and his career was summarily ruined. 1st Division commander George Morell also lost his post because he testified on Porter's behalf at the court martial hearings (the War Department for a long time after the Porter trial was reluctant to promote officers in the V Corps).

In the Army of the Potomac's restructuring under newly appointed Maj. Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside, the V Corps was placed with the III Corps in the Center "Grand Division" under the command of Joseph Hooker. Maj. Gen. Daniel Butterfield replaced Porter to command the V Corps at the Battle of Fredericksburg, and Generals Charles Griffin, Sykes, and Humphreys the three divisions. Griffin and Humphreys participated in the disastrous assaults on Marye's Heights, Sykes' regulars moved up after darkness and spent the night on the field. The Regulars were significantly engaged during the day of the 14th, with fighting around the Tannery on the northern end of the line. Losses were 206 killed, 1,669 wounded, and 300 missing; total, 2,175.