From: nlm.nih.gov
The Invalid Corps was established by the federal government in 1863 to employ disabled veterans in war-related work. Soldiers were divided up into two battalions, based on the extent of their injuries. The first carried weapons and fought in combat. The second, made up of men with more serious impairments, served as nurses, cooks, and prison guards. Despite the rigorous workload, members of the Invalid Corps (known as the “Cripple Brigade” among their former comrades ), were not offered the generous financial awards granted to re-enlisting soldiers and new recruits in the Union. Nicknamed “Inspected-Condemned” after the initials stamped on faulty goods, the Invalid Corps was renamed the Veteran Reserve Corps in 1864 to put an end to the mockery.
Image 1: Black and white poster of text reading: MEN WANTED FOR THE INVALID CORPS.
Recruitment poster for the Invalid Corps, 1860s
Image 2: Black and white photoraph of a large group of uniformed solders standing in front, and on the balcony, of a white, two-story building. Company D, 10th US Veteran Reserve Corps, Washington D.C., 1865
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