 This anecdote, however, has not been substantiated.The metaphor of the "red badge of courage" itself may have been inspired by true events; historian Cecil D. Eby, Jr. noted that Union officer Philip Kearny insisted his troops wear bright red unit insignia patches, which became known as marks of valor and bravery.While the 304th New York Volunteer Infantry is fictional, many strategies and occurrences in the novel echo actual events during the Civil War.