- Joined
- Feb 23, 2013
- Location
- East Texas
Near the war's end, with enlistments mainly by bounty and re-enlistments rare, an idea was tried by the U.S. government to entice discharged veterans ( who weren't subject to the draft ) to re-enlist by the creation of a special all-volunteer corps to be commanded by wounded war hero Winfield Scott Hancock. The attempt was ultimately doomed to failure for various reasons, but saw some degree of success at first. Among the blandishments offered to encourage enlistment was a NEW distinctive uniform jacket tailored as shown above in a photo from my collection. It's a short shell jacket with an exceptionally short ( almost NO ) collar, devoid of trim, but having "vetrans' " half-chevrons or "slash marks" as used in the Regular Army. Unfortunately the gilding has, as so often, obscured the insignia on his hat.
Summarized by Francis Lord in They Fought For the Union,
"First Veteran Army Corps ( Hancock's ): Created by General Orders, No. 287, Adjutant-General's Office, November 28, 1864, to consist of men who had not served less than two years. Discontinued, July 11, 1866."
CDV of Maj. Gen. Winfield Scott Hancock from my collection taken by or distributed through the Philadelphia, Penn. studio of W. Gutekunst.