corps badges

[John Christiansen]

The site has some good articles concerning wearing hat brass and company insignia, courtesy of Bob Braun's extensive research.

My question is, what about corps badges? As part of the Provisional Division that was shuffled between the 16th and 17th Corps, did the 33rd ever develop a strong corps identity that would warrant adopting a badge? An esprit de corps, if you will?

I suspect my query will be answered in the negative, but I thought I'd throw it out there.

[Robert Braun]

John said:

The site has some good articles concerning wearing hat brass and company insignia, courtesy of Bob Braun's extensive research.

My question is, what about corps badges? As part of the Provisional Division that was shuffled between the 16th and 17th Corps, did the 33rd ever develop a strong corps identity that would warrant adopting a badge? An esprit de corps, if you will?

I suspect my query will be answered in the negative, but I thought I'd throw it out there.

John... two thoughts.

First, the "Old Thirty-third" held much more of an affinity for the 17th Corps than the 16th... primarily because A. J. Smith "played favorites" and gave choice spots to his 16th Corps Divisions during the Red River Campaign, relegating the Thirty-third as part of 17th Corps' "Red River Division" to guarding Admiral Porter's fleet. >: The Thirty-third never forgot... and spent the rest of its service trying to return to XVII Corps. It never came to pass.

Second, there is only one specific reference to a corps badge by a Thirty-third man, and this mention came in a journal entry after the war. This badge would have been the XVI Corps badge devised, but never officially adopted, for the "second" XVI Corps.

I believe you are correct. While Col. Moore may have used a XVI Corps flag at his brigade HQ during the Spanish Fort siege, I rather doubt the Thirty-third was wearing XVI Corps badges at that time.

Regards, Bob.