The idea of the Corps Badge is attributed to MG 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 MG Joseph Hooker after he assumed command of the Army of the Potomac, so any soldier could be identified at a distance.
MG Daniel Butterfield, Hooker's Chief of Staff, was assigned the task of designing a distinctive shape for each Corps badge.
Butterfield also designated that each Division in the Corps should have a variation of the Corps badge in a different color.
So - while Civil War Corps badges were specified as to design/shape - and though supplied - some soldiers would make them out of wool or cloth - some would buy the metal variety that quickly became available from the various Sutlers, or found in patriotic periodicals that were rife with ads for same.
Original badges were generally worn on the top of the kepi, left side of the hat, or over the left breast.
Issued enlisted men's badges were cut from colored material.
Officers' badges were privately purchased and often of higher quality.
Both metallic and cloth examples of both officer and enlisted badges exist.
The metallic badges were often jeweler-made, pin-backed and engraved with the soldier's name and unit.
Designator colors are:
Red = First Division of Corps
White = Second Division of Corps
Blue = Third Division of Corps
Green = Fourth Divsion of 6th, 9th and 20th Corps
Yellow = Fourth Division of 15th Corps
Mulicolor = Headquarter or Artillery Elements (certain Corps)
I did an article for 'North-South Trader's Civil War Magazine' a few years ago that dealt with Corps Badges and Veteran's Badges.
I'll see if anything will scan.
Meanwhile, a quick anecdote on Corps Badges and their use:
The story goes that in the fall of l863, the Eleventh and Twelfth Corps under General Hooker were sent to aid in the relief of Chattanooga.
Being from the East - it became apparent that those soldiers were better-dressed than their Western Theater counterparts and it was a bone of contention - often causing a stir - and the idea of a Corps Badge was a novelty in the Western Theater.
One day, an enlisted man in Major General John A. Logan's Fifteenth Corps was asked where his Corps patch was.
Clapping his hand on his cartridge box, he said "Forty Rounds. Can you show me a better one?"
Shortly thereafter General Logan issued General Order No. 10 prescribing that the badge for the Fifteenth Corps should be "a miniature cartridge box and above the box will be inscribed the words 'Forty Rounds.'"
There's a book that's sometimes available at certain libraries, and while there are a number of inaccuracies - it's still worth the read, though long out of print.
'Civil War Corps Badges and Other Related Awards, Badges, Medals of the Period: Including a section on post Civil War and Spanish-American War Corps Badges (Unknown Binding)
by Stanley S Phillips'
Vaya,
Scouts Out!