The United States Veteran Reserve Corps was created on April 28, 1863 as the “Invalid Corps.” It was made up of soldiers who were not fit for field service due to wounds or disease, but who could still serve in garrison duty or as guards, cooks, orderlies or clerks. This would free up men for field duty. The original name was unpopular, in part because the army used an “I.C.” stamp to label equipment as “inspected-condemned.” On March 18, 1864 the name was changed to the “Veteran Reserve Corps.”

The men wore a distinctive sky blue frock coat with a cut similar to the U.S. Cavalry jacket, along with sky blue trousers.

Over 60,000 men served with the Veteran Reserve Corps during the Civil War. They were organized into 24 regiments.

Regiments of the Veteran Reserve Corps:

1st Regiment, Veteran Reserve Corps

Organized at Washington, D.C., October 10, 1863.
Assigned to Department of Washington, District of Washington, March, 1864.
Mustered out by November 25,1865.

2nd Regiment, Veteran Reserve Corp

Organized at Detroit, Michigan, October 10, 1863.
Mustered out by November 11, 1865.

3rd Regiment, Veteran Reserve Corps

Organized October 10, 1863.
Mustered out by December 15, 1865.

4th Regiment, Veteran Reserve Corps

Organized at Rock Island, Illinois, October 10, 1863.
Mustered out January 23, 1866, by detachments.

5th Regiment, Veteran Reserve Corps

Organized at Indianapolis, Ind., October 10, 1863.
Mustered out November 23, 1865, by detachments.

6th Regiment, Veteran Reserve Corps

Organized at Washington, D.C., October 10, 1863.
Assigned to Department of Washington, District of Washington, March, 1864.
Mustered out by November 25, 1865.

7th Regiment, Veteran Reserve Corps

Organized October 10, 1863
Assigned to Department of Washington, District of Washington.
Mustered out by November 25, 1865.

8th Regiment, Veteran Reserve Corps

Organized at Chicago, Illinois, October 10, 1863.
Mustered out by November 20, 1865.

9th Regiment, Veteran Reserve Corps

Organized at Washington, D.C., October 10, 1863.
Assigned to Department of Washington, District of Washington, March, 1864.
Mustered out by November 16, 1865

10th Regiment, Veteran Reserve Corps

Organized at New York City October 10, 1863.
Assigned to Department of Washington, District of Washington.
Mustered out by November 16, 1865.

11th Regiment, Veteran Reserve Corps

Organized at Elmira, New York, October 10, 1863.
Mustered out by November 23, 1865.

12th Regiment, Veteran Reserve Corps

Organized at Albany, New York, October 10, 1863.
Mustered out by November 25, 1865.

13th Regiment, Veteran Reserve Corps

Organized October 10, 1863.
Mustered out by November 25, 1865.

14th Regiment, Veteran Reserve Corps

Organized October 10, 1863.
Mustered out by November 27, 1865.

15th Regiment, Veteran Reserve Corps

Organized October 10, 1863.
Mustered out by November 25, 1865.

16th Regiment, Veteran Reserve Corps

Organized at Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, October 10, 1863.
Mustered out by November 26, 1865.

17th Regiment, Veteran Reserve Corps

Organized January 12, 1864.
Mustered out by November 14, 1865.

18th Regiment, Veteran Reserve Corps

Organized at Washington, D.C., May 5, 1864.
Assigned to Department of Washington, District of Washington.
Mustered out by November 21, 1865.

19th Regiment, Veteran Reserve Corps

Organized at Washington, D.C., January 12, 1864.
Assigned to Department of Washington, District of Washington.
Mustered out by November 16, 1865.

20th Regiment, Veteran Reserve Corps

Organized at Baltimore, Maryland, January 12, 1864.
Mustered out by November 21, 1865.

21st Regiment, Veteran Reserve Corps

Organized January 12, 1865.
Assigned to Department of Washington, District of Washington.
Mustered out by November 20, 1865.

22nd Regiment, Veteran Reserve Corps

Organized at Washington, D.C., January 12, 1864.
Assigned to Department of Washington, District of Washington.
Mustered out by November 19, 1865.

23rd Regiment, Veteran Reserve Corps

Organized January 12, 1864.
Mustered out by December 5, 1865.

24th Regiment, Veteran Reserve Corps

Organized at Washington, D.C., February 24, 1864.
Assigned to Department of Washington, District of Washington.
Mustered out by November 27, 1865.