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John D. Billings, The history of the Tenth Massachusetts battery of light artillery in the war of the rebellion, Chapter 6: (search)
rk by which the officers and men of his division could be recognized. He therefore directed his officers to wear a red patch of diamond shape as a distinguishing mark, for the making of which he gave up his own red blanket. Not long afterwards the men, of their own accord, cut pieces out of their overcoat linings to make patches for themselves. At the same time Kearny adopted a plain red flag to denote his division headquarters, and Hooker adopted a blue one for his headquarters. See De Peyster's Personal and Military History of Philip Kearny, from which many of these facts were taken. At Harrison's Landing, July 4, 1862, Kearny issued a general order, directing officers to wear a red patch of the diamond or lozenge shape either on the crown or left side of their cap, while the men were to wear theirs in front. From this apparently insignificant beginning the idea of division and corps badges was developed by Maj. Gen. Butterfield when he was made Chief-of-Staff of the Army of t