Veteran Reserve Corps, Union Army

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Surnames/tags: US_Civil_War Union_Army

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Veteran Reserve Corps, Union Army

The Veteran Reserve Corps (originally the Invalid Corps) was a military reserve organization created within the Union Army during the American Civil War to allow partially disabled or otherwise infirmed soldiers (or former soldiers) to perform light duty, freeing able-bodied soldiers to serve on the front lines.^[1]

Veteran Reserve Corps

The Veteran Reserve Corps (originally the Invalid Corps) was a military reserve organization created within the Union Army during the American Civil War to allow partially disabled or otherwise infirmed soldiers (or former soldiers) to perform light duty, freeing able-bodied soldiers to serve on the front lines. It existed from 1863 to 1869.The corps was organized under authority of General Order No. 105, U.S. War Department, dated April 28, 1863

Qualifications Those serving in the Invalid Corps were divided into two classes: Class 1, partially disabled soldiers whose periods of service had not yet expired, and who were transferred directly to the Corps, there to complete their terms of enlistment; Class 2, soldiers who had been discharged from the service on account of wounds, disease, or other disabilities, but who were yet able to perform light military duty and desired to do so. As the war went on, it proved that the additions to the Corps hardly equalled the losses by discharge or otherwise, so it was finally ordered that the men who had had two years of honorable service in the Union Army or Marine Corps might enlist in the Invalid Corps without regard to disability.

Uniforms Invalid Corps members stood out because of their unique uniforms. According to General Orders No. 124, issued May 15, 1863:

The following uniform has been adopted for the Invalid Corps: Jacket: Of sky-blue kersey, with dark-blue trimmings, cut like the jacket of the U.S. Cavalry, to come well down on the loins and abdomen. Trousers: Present regulation, sky-blue. Forage cap: Present regulation.

The uniform was trimmed in dark blue, with chevrrons of rank and the back ground of officer's shoulder insignia having that colour as a backing.

Invalid Corps troops also wore standard dark blue fatigue blouses from time to time. Standard forage caps were to be decorated with the brass infantry horn, regimental number, and company letter.

Officers also wore sky blue; a frock coat of sky-blue cloth, with dark blue velvet collar and cuffs, in all other respects according to the present pattern for officers of infantry. Shoulder straps were also to match current patterns but dark-blue velvet. Officers also wore gold epaulets on parade. Eventually officers were allowed to wear the standard dark-blue frock, ostensibly because sky-blue frocks soiled easily. Some officers had their frocks cut down to make uniforms or shell jackets. By the war's end, however, the army was still making sky-blue officers' frocks.

1st Regiment, Veteran Reserve Corps

2nd Regiment, Veteran Reserve Corps

3rd Regiment, Veteran Reserve Corps

4th Regiment, Veteran Reserve Corps

5th Regiment, Veteran Reserve Corps

6th Regiment, Veteran Reserve Corps

7th Regiment, Veteran Reserve Corps

8th Regiment, Veteran Reserve Corps

9th Regiment, Veteran Reserve Corps

10th Regiment, Veteran Reserve Corps

11th Regiment, Veteran Reserve Corps

12th Regiment, Veteran Reserve Corps

13th Regiment, Veteran Reserve Corps

14th Regiment, Veteran Reserve Corps

15th Regiment, Veteran Reserve Corps

16th Regiment, Veteran Reserve Corps

17th Regiment, Veteran Reserve Corps

18th Regiment, Veteran Reserve Corps

19th Regiment, Veteran Reserve Corps

20th Regiment, Veteran Reserve Corps

21st Regiment, Veteran Reserve Corps

22nd Regiment, Veteran Reserve Corps

23rd Regiment, Veteran Reserve Corps

24th Regiment, Veteran Reserve Corps

Sources

1. ↑ Veteran Reserve Corps