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Vol. 18No. 2

J U N E , 1919

Whole No.

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T H E 163rd D E P O T B R I G A D E

68

ARTICLES
A N E S S A Y T O W A R D A H I S T O R Y O F T H E B L A C K M A N IN T H E G R E A T
WAR.

W . E . Burghardt D u Bois

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T h e A u g u s t C R I S I S w i l l be C l e v e l a n d C o n f e r e n c e N u m b e r ,
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A N ESSAY T O W A R D A HISTORY OF T H E
B L A C K M A N IN T H E G R E A T W A R
B y W . E . BURGHARDT D u B o i s

FOREWORD
THE

mayor of Domfront stood in the village inn, high on the hill that hovers green
in the blue sky of Normandy; and he sang as we sang: "Allons, enfants de la
patrie!"
God! How we sang! How the low, grey-clouded room rang with the strong
voice of the little Frenchman in the corner, swinging his arms in deep emotion; with
the vibrant voices of a score of black American officers who sat round about. Their
hearts were swellingtorn in sunder. Never have I seen black folkand I have seen
manyso bitter and disillusioned at the seemingly bottomless depths of American color
hatredso uplifted at the vision of real democracy dawning on them in France.
The mayor apologized gravely: i f he had known of my coming, he would have
received me formally at the Hotel de Villeme whom most of my fellow-countrymen
receive at naught but back doors, save with apology. B u t how could I explain in
Domfront, that reborn feudal town of ancient memories? I could notI did not. B u t
I sang the Marseillaise"Le jour de gloire est arrive!"
A r r i v e d to the world and to ever widening circles of menbut not yet to us. U p
yonder hill, transported bodily from America, sits "Jim-Crow"in a hotel for white
officers only; in a Massachusetts Colonel who frankly hates "niggers" and segregates
them at every opportunity; in the General from Georgia who openly and officially
stigmatizes his black officers as no gentlemen by ordering them never to speak to French
women i n public or receive the spontaneously offered social recognition. A l l this ancient
and American race hatred and insult in a purling sea of French sympathy and kindli
ness, of human uplift and giant endeavor, amid the mightiest crusade humanity ever
saw for Justice!
" Contre nous de la tyrannie,
L'etendard sanglant est leve."
This, then, is' a first attempt at the story of the Hell which war in the fateful years
of 1914-1919 meant to Black Folk, and particularly to American Negroes. It is only
an attempt, full of the mistakes which nearness to the scene and many necessarily miss
ing facts, such as only time can supply, combine to foil in part. A n d yet, written
now in the heat of strong memories and in the place of skulls, it contains truth which
cold delay can never alter or bring back. Later, in the light of official reports and
supplementary information and with a corps of co-workers, consisting of officers and
soldiers and scholars, I shall revise and expand this story into a volume for popular
reading; and still later, with the passing of years, I hope to lay before historians
and sociologists the documents and statistics upon which my final views are based.
S E N E G A L E S E A N D OTHERS
TO everyone war is, and, thank God, must be, disillusion. This war has disillusioned
millions of fighting white mendisillusioned them with its frank truth of dirt,
disease, cold, wet and discomfort; murder, maiming and hatred. But the disillusion
of Negro American troops was more than this, or rather it was this and morethe
fiat, frank realization that however high the ideals of America or however noble her
tasks, her great duty as conceived by an astonishing number of able men, brave and
good, as well as of other sorts of men, is to hate "niggers."
Not that this double disillusion has for a moment made black men doubt the wis
dom of their wholehearted help of the Allies. Given the chance again, they would again
do their dutyfor have they not seen and known France? But these young men see
today with opened eyes and strained faces the true and hateful visage of the Negro
problem in America.
63

64

T H E CRISIS

When the German hostgrey, grim, irresistible, poured through Belgium, out of
A f r i c a France called her sons; they came; 280,000 black Senegalese, first and last
volunteers, not drafted; they hurled the Bodies back across the Ourcq and the Marne
on a ghastly bridge of their own dead. It was the crisisfour long, bitter years the
war wore on; but Germany was beaten at the first battle of the Marne, and by Negroes.
Beside the Belgians, too, stood, first and last, 30,000 black Congolese, not to mention
the 20,-000 black English West Indians who fought in the E a s t and the thousands of
black troops who conquered German Africa.
STEVEDORES
BUT

the story of stories is that of the American Negro. Here was a man who
bravely let his head go where his heart at first could not follow, who for the first
time as a nation within a nation did his bitter duty because it was his duty, knowing
what might be expected, but scarcely
foreseeing the whole truth.
We gained the right to fight for civil
ization at the cost of being " J i m Crowed" and insulted; we were segre
gated in the draft; we were segregated
in the first officers' t r a i n i n g camp; and
we were allowed to volunteer only as
servants i n the N a v y and as common l a
borers in the A r m y , outside of the four
regular Negro regiments. The A r m y
wanted stevedores, road builders, wood
choppers, railroad hands, etc., and
American Negroes were among the
first to volunteer. Of the 200,000
Negroes in the American Expeditionary
Force, approximately 150,000 were
stevedores and laborers, doing the
hardest work under, i n some cases, the
most t r y i n g conditions faced by any sol
diers during the war. A n d it is the
verdict of men who know that the most
efficient and remarkable service has
been rendered by these men. Patient,
loyal, intelligent, not grouchy, knowingall that they were up against among
their countrymen as well as the enemy,
these American black men won the w a r
as perhaps no other set of S. O. S. men
LT. B A K A N E DIOP, A CHIEF OF T H E SENE
of any other race or army won it.
GALESE AND C H E V A L I E R OF T H E LEGION
Where were these men stationed ? A t
OF HONOR.
almost every seaport i n France and i n
some English ports; at many of the interior depots and bases; at the various assembling
places where automobiles, airplanes, cars and locomotives were got ready for use; i n
the forests, on the mountains and in the valleys, cutting wood; building roads from
ports of entry right up to the view and touch of Germans i n the front-lines; J u r y i n g the
dead; salvaging at great risk to their own lives millions of shells and other dangerous
war material, actually piling up and detonating the most deadly devices in order that
French battlefields might be safe to those who walk the ways of peace.
Who commanded these thousands of black men assembled from all parts of the
United States and representing in culture all the way from absolute illiterates from
under-taught Southern States to well-educated men from southern private schools and
colleges and even from many northern universities and colleges? B y a queer twist of
American reasoning on the Negro it is assumed that he is best known and best "handled"

T H E HISTORY OF T H E B L A C K M A N

65

by white people from the South, who more than any other white people refuse and
condemn that sort of association that would most surely acquaint the white man with
the very best that is in the Negro. Therefore, when officers were to be chosen for the
Negro S. 0 . S. men, it seems that there was a preference expressed or felt for south
ern white officers. Some of these were fine men, but the majority were "nigger" drivers
of the most offensive type.
The big, outstanding fact about the command of these colored soldiers is that south
ern men of a narrow, harsh type dictated the policy and method and so forced it that
it became unpopular for officers to be generous to these men. When it is considered
that these soldiers were abjectly under such men, with no practical opportunity for
redress, it is easy to imagine the extremes to which harsh treatment could be carried.
So thoroughly understood was it that the Negro had to be "properly handled and kept
i n his place," even in France, large use was made even of the white non-commis
sioned officer so that many companies and units of Negro soldiers had no higher Negro
command than corporal. This harsh method showed itself in long hours, excessive
tasks, little opportunity for leaves and recreation, holding of black soldiers to barracks
when in the same community white soldiers had the privilege of the town, severe punish
ments for slight offenses, abusive language and sometimes corporal punishment. To
such extremes of "handling niggers" was this carried that Negro Y . M . C. A . secretaries
were refused some units on the ground, frankly stated by officers, that it would be
better to have white secretaries, and in many places separate " Y " huts were demanded
for white and colored soldiers so that there would be no association or fraternizing
between the races.
Worked often like slaves, twelve and fourteen hours a day, these men were wellfed, poorly clad, indifferently housed, often beaten, always "Jim-Crowed" and insulted,
and yet they saw the visionthey saw a nation of splendid people threatened and torn
by a ruthless enemy; they saw a democracy which simply could not understand color
prejudice. They received a thousand little kindnesses and half-known words of sympathy
from the puzzled French, and French law and custom stepped in repeatedly to protect
them, so that their only regret was the average white American. B u t they worked
how they worked! Everybody joins to testify to this: the white slave-drivers, the
army officers, the French, the visitorsall say that the American Negro was the best
laborer in France, of all the world's peoples gathered there; and i f American food
and materials saved France in the end from utter exhaustion, it was the Negro steve
dore who made that aid effective.
THE

805TH

TOillustrate the kind of work which the stevedore and pioneer regiments did, we
cite the history of one of the pioneer Negro regiments: Under the act of M a y
18, 1917, the President ordered the formation of eight colored infantry regiments.
Two of these, the 805th and 806th, were organized at Camp Funston. The 805th became
a Pioneer regiment and when it left camp had 3,526 men and 99 officers. It included
25 regulars from the 25th Infantry of the Regular A r m y , 38 mechanics from Prairie
View , 20 horse-shoers from Tuskegee and 8 carpenters from Howard. The regiment
was drilled and had target practice. The regiment proceeded to Camp Upton late in
August, 1918, and sailed, a part from Montreal and a part from Quebec, Canada, early
i n September. E a r l y in October the whole regiment arrived in the southern end of
the Argonne forest. The men began their work of repairing roads as follows:
A F i r s t 2,000 meters of Clermont-Neuvilly road from Clermont road past Apremont;
BSecond 2,000 meters of Clermont-Neuvilly road, Charpentry cut-off road;
CLocheres crossroad on Clermont-Neuvilly road, north 2,000 meters, roads at V e r y ;
DClermont-Neuvilly road from point 1,000 south of Neuvilly bridge to Neuvilly, am
munition detour road at Neuvilly, Charpentry roads;
EAuzeville railhead, Varennes railhead; railhead work at St. J u v i n and Briquenay;
F A u z e v i l l e railhead, Varennes railhead, roads at Montblainville, roads at LandrosSt. George;
1

GRoads at Avocourt, roads at Sommerance;

66

T H E CRISIS

HRoads at Avocourt, roads at Fleville;

IConstruction of ammunition dump, Neuvilly, and railhead construction between
Neuvilly and Varennes and Apremont, railroad repair work M a r c h and St.
Juvin, construction of V e r d u n - E t a i n railroad from November 11;
KRailhead details and road work Aubreville, road work Varennes and Charpentry;
MRoad and railhead work Aubreville, road work Varennes.
The outlying companies were continually i n immediate sight of the sausage balloons
and witnessed many an a i r battle. Raids were frequent'.
A concentration had been ordered at Varennes, November 18, and several companies
had taken up their abode there or at Camp Mahout, but to carry out the salvage pro
gram, a re-distribution over the Argonne-Meuse area had to be affected immediately.
The area assigned the 805th Pioneer Infantry extended from Boult-aux-Bois,
almost due south to a point one kilometre west of Les Islettes; thence to Aubreville and
Avocourt and Esnes; thence to Montfaucon v i a Bethincourt and Cuisy; thence north
through Nantillois and Cunel to Bantheville; thence southwest through Romagne,
Gesnes and Exermont to the main road just south of Fleville; and then north to Boult
aux-Bois through Fleville, St. Juvin, Grand Pre and Briquenay.
The area comprised all of the Argonne forest, from Clermont north and the
Varennes-Malancourt-Montfaucon-Romagne sections. More than five hundred square
miles of battlefield was included.
A list of the articles to be salvaged would require a page. Chiefly they were A l l i e d
and enemy weapons and cannon, web and leather equipment, clothing and blankets,
rolling stock, aviation electrical and engineer equipment. It was a gigantic task and
did not near completion until the first week i n M a r c h when more than 3,000 French
carloads had been shipped.
F o r some weeks truck transportation was scarce and work was slow and consisted
largely i n getting material to roadsides.
A s companies of the 805th neared the completion of their areas they were put to
work at the railheads where they helped load the salvage they had gathered and that
which many other organizations of the area had brought, and sent it on its w a y to
designated depots.
W i t h the slackening of the salvage work, the regiment found a few days when it
was possible to devote time to drilling, athletics and study. School and agricultural
books were obtained in large numbers and each company organized classes which, though
not compulsory, were eagerly attended by the men.
Curtailment of this work was necessitated by instructions from Advance Section
Headquarters to assist in every way possible the restoration of French farmlands to
a point where they could be cultivated.
This meant principally the filling of trenches across fields and upon this work the
regiment entered March 15 with a l l its strength, except what was required for the
functioning of the railheads not yet closed.
There was up to this time no regimental band.
A t Camp Funston instruments had been requisitioned, but had not arrived before
the regiment left. Efforts were made to enlist a colored band at Kansas C i t y whose
members wished to enter the A r m y as a band and be assigned to the 805th Pioneer
Infantry. General Wood approved and took the matter up with the W a r Department.
Qualified assent was obtained, but subsequent rulings prevented taking advantage of it,
in view of the early date anticipated for an overseas move.
The rush of events when the regiment reached Europe precluded immediate atten
tion being given the matter and, meanwhile, general orders had been issued against
equipping bands not in the Regular A r m y .
Left to itself, without divisional connections, the regiment had to rely upon its
own resources for diversion. The men needed music after the hard work they were
doing and Colonel Humphrey sent his Adjutant to P a r i s to present the matter to the
Y . M . C. A . , Knights of Columbus and Red Cross.
The Red Cross was able to respond immediately and Captain Bliss returned
January 1, 1919, with seven cornets, six clarinets, five saxophones, four slide trombones,

T H E HISTORY OF T H E B L A C K M A N

67

four alto horns, two bass tubas, two baritones and a piccolo and, also, some "jazz band
effects."
The band was organized on the spot and as more instruments and music were ob
tained, eventually reached almost its tabular strength while it reached proficiency
almost over night.
The following commendation of the work of the regiment was received: "The Chief
Engineer desires to express his highest appreciation to you and to your regiment for
the services rendered to the 1st A r m y in the offensive between the Meuse and the
Argonne, starting September 26, and the continuation of that offensive on November 1
and concluding with the Armistice of November 11.
"The success of the operations of the A r m y Engineer Troops toward constructing
and maintaining supply lines, both roads and railway, of the A r m y was in no small
measure made possible by the excellent-work performed by your troops.
"It is desired that the terms of this letter be published to all the officers and
enlisted men of your command at the earliest opportunity."
A soldier writes us":
" O u r regiment is composed of colored and white officers. Y o u w i l l find a number
of complimentary things on the regiment's record i n the Argonne in the history. We
were, as you know, the fighting reserves of the A r m y and that we were right on this
front from September to November 11. We kept the lines of communication going and,
of course, we were raided and shelled by German long-range guns and subject to gas
raids, too.
"We are now located i n the Ardennes, between the Argonne and the Meuse. This
is a wild and wooly forest, I assure you. We are hoping to reach our homes in May.
We have spent over seven months in this section of the battle-front and we are hoping
to get started home i n a few weeks after you get this letter, at least. Our regiment
is the best advertised regiment i n the A . E . F . and its members are from all over the
United States practically.
" A month or so ago we had a pay-day here and twenty thousand dollars was col
lected the first day and sent to relatives and banks i n the United States. Every day
our mail sergeant sends from one hundred to one thousand dollars per day to the United
States for the men i n our regiment,savings of the small salary they receive as
soldiers. A s a whole they are and have learned many things by having had this great
war experience."
NEGRO OFFICERS
ALL this was expected. America knows the value of Negro labor. Negroes knew
that i n this war as i n every other war they would have the drudgery and the
dirt, but with set teeth they determined that this should not be the end and limit of
their service. They did not make the mistake of seeking to escape labor, for they knew
that modern war is mostly ordinary t o i l ; they even took without protest the lion's
share of the common labor, but they insisted from the first that black men must serve
as soldiers and officers.
The white Negro-hating oligarchy was willing to have some Negro soldiersthe
privilege of being shot in real war being one which they were easily persuaded to
shareprovided these black men did not get too much notoriety out of it. But against
Negro officers they set their faces like flint.
The dogged insistence of the Negroes, backed eventually by the unexpected decision
of Secretary Baker, encompassed the first defeat of this oligarchy and nearly one
thousand colored officers were commissioned.
Immediately a persistent campaign began:
F i r s t , was the effort to get rid of Negro officers; second, the effort to discredit
Negro soldiers; third, the effort to spread race prejudice i n France; and fourth, the
effort to keep Negroes out of the Regular A r m y .

68

Company 22, Sixth Battalion, 163rd Depot Brigade, Camp Dodge, Iowa, The Only Unit in the Depot Brigades Entirely Officered
by Negroes. Captain C. C. Coopers, and Lieutenants T. M. Gregory, E. S. Horne, J. E. Oliver, W. B. Hall and W. C. Dickerson

T H E HISTORY OF T H E BLACK MAN

69

F i r s t and foremost, war is war and military organization is, and must be, tyranny.
This is, perhaps, the greatest and most barbarous cost of war and the most pressing
reason for its abolition from civilization. A s war means tyranny, the company officer
is largely at the mercy of his superior officers.
The company officers of the colored troops were mainly colored. The field officers
were with very few exceptions white. The fate of the colored officers, therefore, de
pended almost absolutely on those placed in higher command. Moreover, American
military trials and legal procedures are antiquated and may be grossly unfair. They
give the accused little chance i f the accuser is determined and influential.
The success, then, of the Negro troops depended first of all on their field officers;
given strong, devoted men of knowledge and training there was no doubt of their being
able to weed out and train company officers and organize the best body of fighters on
the western front. This was precisely what the Negro-haters feared. Above all, they
feared Charles Young.
CHARLES

YOUNG

THERE
was one man i n the United States A r m y who by every consideration of
justice, efficiency and long, faithful service should have been given the com
mand of a division of colored troops. Colonel Charles Young is a graduate of West
Point and by universal admission is one of the best officers in the A r m y . He has
served i n Cuba, H a i t i , the Philippines, Mexico, A f r i c a and the West with distinction.
Under him the Negro division would have been the most efficient in the A r m y . This
rightful place was denied him. F o r a technical physical reason ("high blood pressure")
he was quickly retired from the Regular A r m y . He was not allowed a minor com
mand or even a chance to act as instructor during the war.
On the contrary, the 92d and 93d Divisions of Negro troops were given
Commanding Officers who with a half-dozen exceptions either distrusted Negroes or actively
and persistently opposed colored officers under any circumstances. The 92d Division
particularly was made a dumping ground for poor and inexperienced field officers seek
ing promotion. A considerable number of these white officers from the first spent more
time and ingenuity i n making the lot of the Negro officer hard and the chance of the
Negro soldier limited than in preparing to whip the Germans.
PREJUDICE
T H E S Eefforts fell under various heads: giving the colored officers no instruction in
certain lines and then claiming that none were fitted for the work, as in artillery
and engineering; persistently picking the poorest Negro candidates instead of the best
for examinations and tests so as to make any failure conspicuous; using court martials
and efficiency boards for t r i v i a l offenses and wholesale removals of the Negroes; sub
jecting Negro officers and men to persistent insult and discrimination by refusing
salutes, " J i m - C r o w i n g " places of accommodation and amusement, refusing leaves, etc.;
by failing to supply the colored troops with proper equipment and decent clothing;
and finally by a systematic attempt to poison the minds of the French against the
Negroes and compel them to follow the dictates of American prejudice.
These are serious charges. The full proof of them cannot be attempted here, but
a few examples w i l l serve to indicate the nature of the proof.
A t the colored Officers' T r a i n i n g Camp no instruction was given in artillery and
a dead-line was established by which no one was commissioned "higher than Captain,
despite several recommendations. Certain Captains' positions, like those of the
Headquarters Companies, were reserved for whites, and former non-commissioned officers
were given preference with the hope that they would be more tractable than collegebred mena hope that usually proved delusive.
The colored divisions were never assembled as units this side of the water. General
Ballou, a timid, changeable white man, was put in command of the 92d Division and
he antagonized it from the beginning.

T H E CRISIS

70

General Ballou's attitude toward the men of his command, as expressed in his
famous, or rather infamous, Bulletin 35, which was issued during the period of train
ing in the United States, was manifested throughout the division during the entire
time that he was in command in France. Whenever any occasion arose where trouble
had occurred between white and colored soldiers, the burden of proof always rested
on the colored man. A l l discrimination was passed unnoticed and nothing was done
to protect the men who were under his command. Previous to General Bullard's sug
gestion that some order be issued encouraging the troops for the good work that they
had done on the Vosges and Marbache fronts, there had been nothing done to encourage
the men and officers, and it seemed that instead of t r y i n g to increase the morale of the
division, it was General Ballou's intention to discourage the men as much as possible.
His action in censuring officers in the presence of enlisted men was an act that tended
toward breaking down the confidence that the men had in their officers, and he pursued
this method on innumerable occasions. On one occasion he referred to his division, in
talking to another officer, as the "rapist division"; he constantly cast aspersion on the
work of the colored officer and permitted other officers to do the same in his presence,
as is evidenced by the following incident which took place in the office of the Assistant
Chief of Staff, G-3, at Bourbon-les-Bains:
The staff had just been organized and several General Headquarters officers were
at Headquarters advising relative to the organization of the different offices. These
officers were in conversation with General Ballou, Colonel Greer, the Chief of Staff,
Major Hickox, and Brigadier-General Hay. In the course of the conversation BrigadierGeneral H a y made the remark that "In my opinion there is no better soldier than the
Negro, but God damn a 'nigger' officer"! This remark was made in the presence of
General Ballou and was the occasion for much laughter.
After the 92d Division moved from the Argonne forest to the Marbache Sector
the 368th Infantry was held in reserve at Pompey. It was at this place that General
Ballou ordered a l l of the enlisted men and officers of this unit to congregate and re
ceive an address to be delivered to them by him. No one had any idea as to the nature
of this address; but on the afternoon designated, the men and officers assembled on
the ground, which was used as a drill-ground, and the officers were severely censured
relative to the operation that had taken place in the Argonne forest. The General
advised the officers, in the presence of the enlisted men, that in his opinion they were
cowards; that they had failed; and that "they did not have the guts" that made brave
men. This speech was made to the officers in the presence of all of the enlisted men
of the 368th Infantry and was an act contrary to a l l traditions of the A r m y .
When M r . Ralph Tyler, the accredited correspondent of the W a r Department,
reached the Headquarters of the 92d Division and was presented to General Ballou,
he was received with the utmost indifference and nothing was done to enable him to
reach the units at the front in order to gain the information which he desired. After
M r . Tyler was presented to General Ballou, the General walked out of the office of
the Chief of Staff with M r . Tyler, came into the office of the Adjutant, where all
of the enlisted men worked, and stood directly in front of the desk of the colored
officer, who was seated in the office of the Adjutant, and in a loud voice said to M r .
T y l e r : "I regard the colored officer as a distinct failure. He is cowardly and has none
of the traits which go to make a successful officer." This expression was made i n the
presence of all of the enlisted personnel and in a tone of voice loud enough for all of
them to hear.
-

General Ballou's Chief of Staff was a white Georgian and from first to last his
malign influence was felt and he openly sought political influence to antagonize his
own troops.
General
, Commanding Officer of the
(92d Division),
said to Major Patterson (colored), Division Judge-Advocate, that there was. a con
certed action on the part of the white officers throughout France to discredit the work
of the colored troops in France and that everything was being done to advertise those
things that would reflect discredit upon the men and officers and to withhold anything
that would bring to these men praise or commendation.

T H E HISTORY OF T H E BLACK MAN

71

On the afternoon of November 8, the Distinguished Service Cross was awarded to

Lieutenant Campbell and Private Bernard Lewis, 368th Infantry, the presentation of
which was made with the prescribed ceremonies, taking place on a large field just out
side of Villers-en-Haye and making a very impressive sight. The following morning
a private from the 804th Pioneer Infantry was executed at Belleville, for rape. The
official photographer attached to the 92d Division arose at 5 A . M . on the morning of
the execution, which took place at 6 A . M . , and made a moving-picture film of the hang
ing of this private. Although the presentation of the Distinguished Service Crosses
occurred at 3 P . M . on the previous day, the official photographer did not see fit to
make a picture of this and when asked i f he had made a picture of the presentation,
he replied that he had forgotten about it.
The campaign against Negro officers began in the cantonments. A t Camp D i x
every effort was made to keep competent colored artillery officers from being trained.
Most of the Colonels began a campaign for wholesale removals of Negro officers from
the moment of embarkation.
A t first an attempt was made to have General Headquarters in France assent
to the blanket proposition that white and Negro officers would not get on in the same
organization; this was unsuccessful and was followed by the charge that Negroes
were incompetent as officers. This charge was made wholesale and before the colored
officers had had a chance to prove themselves, "Efficiency Boards" immediately began
wholesale removals and as such boards could act on the mere opinion of field officers
the colored company officers began to be removed wholesale and to be replaced by whites.
The court martials of Negro officers were often outrageous in their contravention
of common sense and military law. The experience of one Captain will illustrate.
He was a college man, with militia training, who secured a Captaincy at Des Moines
a very difficult accomplishmentand was from the first regarded as an efficient
officer by his fellows; when he .reached Europe, however, the Major of his battalion
was from Georgia, and this Captain was too independent to suit him. The Major
suddenly ordered the Captain under close arrest and after long delay preferred twentythree charges against him. These he afterward reduced to seven, continuing mean
time to heap restrictions and insults on the accused, but untried, officer. Instead
of breaking arrest or resenting his treatment the Captain kept cool, hired a good
colored lawyer in his division and put up so strong a fight that the court martial
acquitted him and restored him to his command, and sent the Major to the stevedores.
Not every officer was able thus to preserve his calm and poise.
One colored officer turned and cursed his unfair superiors and the court martial,
and revealed an astonishing story of the way in which he had been hounded.
A Lieutenant of a Machine Gun Battalion was employed at Intelligence and
Personnel work. He was dismissed and reinstated three times because the white officers
who succeeded him could not do the work. F i n a l l y he was under arrest for one and
one-half months and was dismissed from service, but General Headquarters investi
gated the case and restored him to his rank.
Most of the Negro officers had no chance to fight. Some were naturally incom
petent and deserved demotion or removal, but these men were not objects of attack
as often as the more competent and independent men.
Here, however, as so often afterward, the French stepped in, quite unconsciously,
and upset careful plans. While the American officers were convinced of the Negro
officers' incompetency and were besieging General Headquarters to remove them en
masse, the French instructors at the Gondricourt Training School, where Captains
and selected Lieutenants were sent for training, reported that the Negroes were among
the best Americans sent there.
Moreover, the 93d Division, which had never been assembled or even completed
as a unit and stood unrecognized and unattached, was suddenly called in the desperate
French need, to be brigaded with French soldiers. The Americans were thoroughly
scared. Negroes and Negro officers were about to be introduced to French democracy
without the watchful eye of American color hatred to guard them. Something must
be done.

T H E CRISIS

72

A s the Negro troops began moving toward the Vosges sector of the battlefront,
August 6, 1918, active anti-Negro propaganda became evident. F r o m the General
Headquarters of the American A r m y at Chaumont the French M i l i t a r y Mission sud
denly sent out, not simply to the French A r m y , but to all the Prefects and Sous-Prefects
of France (corresponding to our governors and mayors), data setting forth at length
the American attitude toward Negroes; warning against social recognition; stating
that Negroes were prone to deeds of violence and were threatening A m e r i c a with
degeneration, etc. The white troops backed this propaganda by warnings and tales
wherever they preceded the blacks.
This misguided effort was lost on the French. In some cases peasants and v i l
lagers were scared at the approach of Negro troops, but this was but temporary and
the colored troops everywhere they went soon became easily the best liked of a l l
foreign soldiers. They were received in the best homes, and where they could speak
French or their hosts understood English, there poured forth their story of injustice
and wrong into deeply sympathetic ears. The impudent swagger of many white
troops, with their openly expressed contempt for " F r o g s " and their evident failure to
understand the first principles of democracy i n the most democratic of lands, finished
the work thus begun.
No sounding words of President Wilson can offset i n the minds of thousands of
Frenchmen the impression of disloyalty and coarseness which the attempt to force
color prejudice made on a people who just owed their salvation to black West A f r i c a !
Little was published or openly said, but when the circular on American Negro
prejudice was brought to the attention of the French ministry, it was quietly collected
and burned. A n d in a thousand delicate ways the French expressed their silent dis
approbation. F o r instance, in a provincial town a colored officer entered a full diningroom; the smiling landlady hastened to seat him (how natural!) at a table with
white American officers, who immediately began to show their displeasure. A French
officer at a neighboring table with French officers quietly glanced at the astonished
landlady. Not a word was said, no one in the dining-room took any apparent notice,
but the black officer was soon seated with the courteous Frenchmen.
On the Negroes this double experience of deliberate and devilish persecution from
their own countrymen, coupled with a taste of real democracy and world-old culture,
was revolutionizing. They began to hate prejudice and discrimination as they had
never hated it before. They began to realize its eternal meaning and complications.
F a r from filling them with a desire to escape from their race and country, they were
filled with a bitter, dogged determination never to give up the fight for Negro equality
in America. If American color prejudice counted on this war experience to break the
spirit of the young Negro, it counted without its host. A new, radical Negro spirit
has been born in France, which leaves us older radicals far behind. Thousands of
young black men have offered their lives for the Lilies of France and they return
ready to offer them again for the Sun-flowers of Afro-America,

THE

93RD

DIVISION

THE first American Negroes to arrive in France were the L a b o r Battalions, com
prising all told some 150,000 men.
The Negro fighting units were the 92nd and 93rd Divisions.
The so-called 93rd Division was from the first a thorn in the flesh of the Bourbons.
It consisted of Negro National Guard troops almost exclusively officered by Negroes,
the 8th Illinois, the 15th New York, and units from the District of Columbia, M a r y l a n d ,
Ohio, Tennessee and Massachusetts. The division was thus incomplete and never really
functioned as a division. F o r a time it was hoped that Colonel Young might be
given his chance here, but nothing came of this. E a r l y in A p r i l when the need of
the French for re-enforcements was sorest, these black troops were hurriedly trans
ported to France and, were soon brigaded with the French armies,

73

T H E HISTORY OF T H E BLACK MAN

T H E
T H I Sregiment
was

long

Eventually
January
near
of

was

originally

prevented.

the

regiment

first

the

transfer

the

influence

by

was

Governor

organized

colored

and

Sulzer, but

with

white

was

equality

thus

with

in a

Hayward

but

officers,

its

one

formation'

Negro

landing

and

York

that

his

is h a r d

and

American Negro
took

part

i n the

unit

in this

in

officer.
France,

in battle

battle

the w h i t e Colonel, H a y w a r d , after

French

the

and

white

mainly from
were

were

officers

to prove;

strong

from
eager

to

first

needlessly

one

battle

were

secured

chaplain.

it was

restrained

in this

case
on

There

sacrificed the

such

were

by

because

especially

treated

fight.

and

some

and

Harlemand

the

and

the

bandmaster
times, but

officersvery

they

they

c e r t a i n l y the casualties i n this

heavy

first

state of irritation m a n y

New

the

brotherhood

of course,

the

C o l o r e d officers

non-commissioned

all from

and

Colonel

was

s i n g l e c o l o r e d officer, e x c e p t

was

of the

being brigaded

were

with

Nevertheless

of every

The regiment
regiment

It

A m e r i c a n units.

cited for bravery.

This,

it

1, 1 9 1 8 , a n d w e n t i n t o t h e s e c o n d b a t t l e o f t h e M a r n e i n J u l y , e a s t o f V e r d u n ,

Ville-sur-Turbe.

the

authorized

Finally
sailed

369TH

the

because
terms

of

charges

that

lives of these

men.

but

regiment

great attack

in

the Champagne, in September and

October,
eight

two

hundred

gassed.
with

wounded

and

The regiment went into

battle

the

French

Morrocans
its

own

than

hundred

were

on

on

the

the

right

barrage

by

other

units.

the

left

and

and

got

advancing
It

was

days

In

all, the

191

regiment

daysa

unit.
the

is u s u a l l y the

record

the

faster
in

line

de

Guerre

and

Allied

armies

November

to

18, w i t h

fire

American

first

reach

the

to

for

Distinguished

S e r v i c e Cross a n d w a s the
the

under

any

I t r e c e i v e d o v e r 170 c i t a t i o n s

Croix

and

limit.

was

for

killed

into

seven and one-half days, w h e n three

four

were

unit of

the

Rhine,

Second

French

Army.

T H E
THE

371ST A N D 372ND

371st
from

southern

Regiment

South

white

was

Carolina

had

from

the

first,

m a n y of w h o m were arrogant

and

over

bearing.

The

Camp

regiment

Jackson,

embarked
Newport
the

officers

drafted
and

for

France,

News, V a .

region

near

5-17,

April

It was

9,

w i t h the

in the battle-line, front

few data

at

from

trained

at

5.

157th

and reserve,
at

S E R G E A N T E . W. B A R R I N G T I N E , 369th V. S.
I., W I T H F R E N C H M E D A I L L E M I L I T A I R E A N D
CROIX DE G U E R R E .

and

Bar-le-Duc, June

They were brigaded

There are

mobilized

October

Rembercourt-aux-Ports
The

u n t i l the

first

the

mutual

understandings.

of casualties
The

it.

among

regiment

in

It
the

received

(Meuse)
the

13th A r m y

Armistice was

present available for the

n o c o l o r e d officers to p r e s e r v e
number

arrived

French Division,

there were
battle

troops

history

is r u m o r e d ,
number

Corps, and

left

for

June

22.

remained

signed.
of this

regiment

however,

meanest of their
a

and

Argonne

that

officers l e d to

of citations

for

show that the

372nd Infantry

was

organized at

the
some

bravery.

A s this r e g i m e n t w a s b r i g a d e d u s u a l l y w i t h the 372nd, a p a r t of its h i s t o r y

T h e official r e c o r d s

because

after

Camp

follows:
Stuart,

THE

74

CRISIS

January

1, 1 9 1 8 , C o l o n e l G l e n d i e B . Y o u n g ,

included

the

following

National Guard

Infantry,

units:

U . S.

First

N . G., commanding,

Separate

and

B a t t a l i o n , D i s t r i c t of

Columbia, Infantry; Ninth Battalion of Ohio, Infantry; Company L, Sixth

Massachusetts,

Infantry;

T o these were

Gun, Headquarters
The
unit
which

the

was

one

later

250 m e n

and

regiment

of

and

added

company

from

Camp

S u p p l y Companies, the

was

with

brigaded

Provisional 93rd
to be

each

from

composed

the

Division.

into

was

Tennessee

excepting the

regiment

371st

It

Maryland,

Custer;

was

the

w o u l d be

Connecticut.
Machine

officered b y c o l o r e d

186th

understood

of a l l N e g r o troops,

and
Staff,

Infantry

that

fully

the

93rd

organized

command

93rd Division
of the

of the

ceased

French.

to be m e n t i o n e d .

(Meuse),
French
nance

as

unit

methods

five

of the

by

13th

French

equipment.

They

in

France;

nized by a veteran
To

complete

"quiet

officers

shell

fire

vision

and
2, the

ican

so

French

regiments

actual

Goybet asked
The

one

last

in

the

black

that

one

war

West,

ten

days

it was

became

i f he

private

later

launched

near

far

introduced
had

that

could

first

thought

sector

the

as

good
the

marked

re-organized, and
work.

the

not

of the

of

exclaimed

en
will

recog

regiment

was

it

twenty

spent
63rd

French

with

The

sent

the

to

days
under

French

Di

Division.

. On

157th

artillery units,

Germans
i f the

could pass

boches

French
engineers,

can't

if they

do

started

good

job

in

confidence

night

his
as

After

was

Colonel
assembled

needed.

band
In

and

The

base had

but

regiment
occupied
and

he

course

had

in

The

next

in

little

for

held

his

damaged

trench

action, but

the

Germans

evening the

by

" N o Man's L a n d " under

shell;

heavy

fire,

remarks,

world

that

the

Colonel
he

said

through

Tupes
he

Infantry

304.

The

occupation

of

this

The whole position had

seven weeks.

The regiment

between

another
and was

his

carried

one

man

legs
a

to

continue

wounded

also decorated.

the h e a v y fire a n d rescued

subto

for

took p a r t i n

received

Croix

firing

French

be

good
two
de
when

comrade

Several days

after

Montzeville,

s i t u a t e d i n the v a l l e y b e l o w the P o s t - o f - C o m m a n d a n d o c c u p i e d b y some o f the

Pinckney rushed

read

that

372nd

a r a i d , the G e r m a n s were r e t a l i a t i n g b y s h e l l i n g the demolished v i l l a g e o f

Private Rufus

it

was

town of Sivry-la-Perche,
afternoon

doubt

discontentment.

mortar

army

France.

sub-sector

sector w a s

day

regular

army.

the

of his

of

Locheres
next

i n d o i n g this the m e n m a i n t a i n e d t h e i r previous r e p u t a t i o n

he

been

prepared

attack

the

concert

the

blow.

Herschel Tupes,

r e g i m e n t billeted i n the
a

any

work

coming

by General Gourand's

regiment
by hard

by

the

o f J u l y 14 a n d

command.
regulars,

position n e a r the v i l l a g e of

several individuals distinguished themselves:

because

soldier.

ord

Their regiment

the

35th

identified

sustain

be

Germans

T h e total stay i n the

and

Guerre
from

regiment

would

Verdun.

commanded

J u l y 26
was

in

French

inspection tour, at V a n q u o i s , General

"Not

to help

S u n d a y f o u n d the

from

become

On

raids

the

it

R h e i m s on the

h i m s e l f to

always

trained

with

Major

8, w h e r e

of infantry.

relieved of command

decisive defeat of the

very

French

a part

a part

O n his

replied:

rest and

afternoon

found

The following
not

officers

troops.

In the

of the

were

T h a t pleased the n e w G e n e r a l v e r y m u c h and clinched his

for temporary

was

the

orders

T h e division consisted of two colored A m e r

French regiment

of our men

Colonel Y o u n g was
officer.

June

O n J u l y 13 t h e r e g i m e n t r e t i r e d to a r e s e r v e
(Meuse),

to

Conde-en-Barrois

men

conditions, the

on

permanently

by General Goybet.

little brown

killing all of us."

all subject

positions a n d h o w to h o l d these positions

s a n i t a r y t r a i n , etc., w e r e a l l F r e n c h .
over.

The

non-commissioned

D u r i n g this time it was

Infantry

and

were

placed

dissolved and

Army.

Argonne

enemy.

372nd

Corps.

rapidly

organization of defensive

Division, commanded

Army

and

its t r a i n i n g under

d u r i n g the

regiments

was

T h u s , f r o m the b e g i n n i n g the w o r t h o f o u r troops w a s

of the

f r o m the

brigade

"These men are intelligent and alert.

sector"sub-sector,

l e a r n i n g the

four

the

commanding.

French

developed

have a glorious career."

later

weeks i n t r a i n i n g and re-organization at

t h u s i a s t i c a l l y on the street:

July

Its

F r e n c h G . Q. G., General Petain,

The regiment spent

F o u r weeks

Division,

b u t w h e n the 3 7 2 n d a r r i v e d at St. N a z a i r e , A p r i l 14, 1918, the o r g a n i z a t i o n w a s

under

men.

Brigade,

a wounded

reserves;
French

75

T H E HISTORY C F T H E BLACK MAN

On

another

occasion, P r i v a t e

k i l l e d at his post, d i s p l a y e d such

Kenneth
fine

Lewis

of

the

Medical

s t i c k i n g to d u t y u n t i l the end t h a t t w o post-mortem decorations:

with

Palm

and

Medaille

Militaire

recognition i n the F r e n c h
So well had

the

Detachment,

qualities of coolness and d i s d a i n for

were

awarded.

The latter

the

Croix

regiment

worked i n the

sent to relieve

of watchful working

by

Vanquois was a key, was expected

at

The men

d e v o t i o n , n i g h t a n d d a y , to t h e i r t a s k s

under

fire,

the

A n attack

N e w d e f e n s e s w e r e to be c o n s t r u c t e d a n d o l d ones s t r e n g t h e n e d .

applied themselves with a courageous

weeks

by

Guerre

is a v e r y d i s t i n g u i s h e d

Argonne that it was

the G e r m a n s i n the valley of the A i r e , of w h i c h

two

de

Army.

1 2 3 r d F r e n c h I n f a n t r y R e g i m e n t i n the sub-sector V a n q u o i s , on J u l y 28.

any moment.

later

danger

Vanquois became

and

formidable

after

defensive

system.
Besides

the

gallantry of

Private

Pinckney, Montzeville

c o n n e c t i o n w i t h t h e r e m o v a l o f c o l o r e d officers f r o m
a b o a r d o f officers

(all white)

T u p e s , sat on the cases

requested

of twenty-one

the

must

be

regiment.

by Colonel Y o u n g

and

appointed

c o l o r e d officers c h a r g e d w i t h

one out of t h a t n u m b e r w a s acquitted:

remembered

It was there
by

Colonel

inefficiency.

he w a s l a t e r k i l l e d i n a c t i o n .

in
that

Only

The charges

inefficiency w e r e based on p h y s i c a l disability, insufficient t r a i n i n g , u n s u i t a b i l i t y .

o t h e r c o l o r e d officers w h o h a d been r e m o v e d w e r e e i t h e r t r a n s f e r r e d

of
The

to other units

or

sent to re-classification depots.

T h e Colonel told the
officers
was

Commanding General through

i n this regiment

surprised

k n o w as

much

about

a n d w h i s p e r e d to another

their

an

duties

F r e n c h officer

interpreter:

"The

colored

as

The

General

child."

t h a t the

Colonel himself

n o t so b r i l l i a n t a n d t h a t h e b e l i e v e d i t w a s p r e j u d i c e t h a t c a u s e d t h e
such

a change.

few moments

after,

the

Colonel told

the

q u e s t e d t h a t n o m o r e c o l o r e d officers b e s e n t t o t h e r e g i m e n t .
e x p l a i n e d h o w u n w i s e it w a s because, the
their

men

at

governments;
him
for

from
the

great
and,

other

great

expenditure

also, he

American

autumn

doubted

drive and

the

non-commissioned
price.
clerk"

The
and

officers.

Colonel
that

white

he

change.

believed

would

considered

tell

"one

American

officers

General insisted that

O f course, the

often

he

the

the

the

regiment

men would
Adjutant

white man

the

H e w e n t so f a r as to

tell

never
a

have

white

regiment marched from

place to place i n the

u n t i l i t went into the great

For

nine days

were hard, but

Champagne battle

trust

million

it helped push

these m e n

the

H u n t o w a r d the

did their duty

and

"damned

States

after

Marne and

on September

came

black

the

Infantry

arrival in

the

began.

The

Haute

with

frontier.

glory.

Marne

Those

sergeants

w h o led the m e n to v i c t o r y a n d f a m e .

T h e n e w w h i t e officers h a d j u s t a r r i v e d ,

of

went

the

night before

the

regiment

into battle,

several of w h o m had

been u n d e r fire i n a n y c a p a c i t y , h a v i n g j u s t come out o f the t r a i n i n g school at

Nevertheless,
decorated
After
O c t o b e r 8.
After
on

the

the

regiment

by Vice-Admiral
the

relief

was

cited b y the

Moreau

at

French and

Brest, January

on the battlefield, the

Congratulations came in from

regiment

24,

the

of

Alsace.

The

officers, e x c e p t the t w o d e n t i s t s

Colonel

Langres.

reached

disposed

and the t w o c h a p l a i n s .

were

1919.
Somme Bionne

everywhere except A m e r i c a n
finally

some
never

r e g i m e n t a l colors

(Marne)

Headquarters.

a b r i e f rest of three days the r e g i m e n t w a s sent to a quiet sector i n the

frontier

days

Fortunately, all

t h e c o l o r e d officers h a d n o t l e f t the r e g i m e n t a n d i t w a s t h e y a n d t h e b r a v e
them

any

27.

Belgian

out

for

at

Negroes."

The nightly marches

A u b e , the

men

stood f o r this

Twenty-four hours

a r e a , o r d e r s w e r e r e c e i v e d to p r o c e e d f a r t h e r .

hand
and

should

to

spared
at

General

not have

worth

be

he

with

French

was

not his

A b o u t September 8 the r e g i m e n t w a s relieved b y the 129th U n i t e d

a n d w a s sent to the r e a r f o r a p e r i o d of rest.
rest

re

feared

T h e Colonel heeded

the

and

could

time

a hindrance because

for an anti-colored-officer regiment.

Lieutenant-Colonel that

had

I n r e p l y to this the G e n e r a l

money by

t h a t i t w o u l d be

m e n w o u l d not be pleased w i t h the

f o r w a r d e d two requests

and

i f well-qualified

The

G e n e r a l t h a t he

make

c o l o r e d officers h a d b e e n t r a i n e d a l o n g

of time

units.

was

Colonel to

of

the

remaining

A l l the officers -were

Vosges,
colored

instructed

to c a r r y t h e i r a r m s a t a l l t i m e s a n d v i r t u a l l y to shoot a n y s o l d i e r on the least p r o v o c a

THE

76

CRISIS

tion. As a consequence, a corporal of Company L was shot and killed by First

Lieutenant
been

James

able

perhaps,
by

the

B.

Coggins,

to e x p l a i n .
prevented

from

The

general, armed

C o m m a n d i n g Officer

Despite

the

of

prejudice

B a n - d e - L a v e l i n e to

North

the

of

Granges

for

Armistice

o p p o s i t i o n to

reason

and

that

the

no

one

cessation

system

has

ever

of hostilities,

of prejudice

encouraged

Regiment.

officers

toward

of Vologne,

the

men,

distance

the

of

regiment

forty-five

discipline t h a t the

day and maintained such remarkable

pelled to accord t h e m

Carolina,

s i g n i n g of the

marched

kilometers,

officers t h e m s e l v e s

from
in

one

were

com

praise.

While stationed t Granges, individuals in the regiment were decorated on

December
presented
Colonel

17

for

Tupes

various

military

four

presented

time,

the

regiment

order

was

157th

Division

deeds

medals
four

had

just

of

gallantry

and

in

the

seventy-two

Champagne

Croix

de

D i s t i n g u i s h e d S e r v i c e Crosses to
been

returned

to the

battle.

Guerre

American

General

to

Goybet

enlisted

enlisted men.

command,

the

men.

A t

the

following

read:

Hqrs. December

15th,

1918.

Staff.
General
On
have

the

been

profound

date of the
returned

Order

12th of December,

to

the

disposal

of

No.

246.

1918, the

the

emotion t h a t I come i n the n a m e

371st

American
of the

157th

For

seven

battle
the
in

months

of the

The

157th

heroic of the

Plain

have

same

lived

as

dangers;

brothers

of

of

(French)

Division will never forget

colored A m e r i c a n

arms,

of Menthois.

The most

It

is

not

without

Division and in

my

sharing

the

taken

part

same

works,

i n the

great

ended.

the

regiments

3 7 2 n d R . I., U . S.

combat.

side b y side w e h a v e

Champagne, that a wonderful victory has

rush
the

we

hardships, the

the

(French)

p e r s o n a l name, to say good-bye to o u r v a l i a n t comrades

the same

and

Command.

wonderful impetus

on the

irresistible,

"Observatories

f o r m i d a b l e defense,

and
guns,

the best o r g a n i z e d positions, the a r t i l l e r y b a r r a g e s most c r u s h i n g , could not stop

them.

courage

devotedness,

the

"Red Hand"

nests

Crest"

of machine

These best regiments have gone t h r o u g h

the

all with disdain of death

Division

has

been ahead i n the victorious advance of the F o u r t h

during nine

(French)

and thanks
hard

days

to
of

their
battle

Army.

Officers and non-commissioned officers and privates of the 371st and 372nd
Regiments
your

Infantry,

standards,
Dear

U.

which

S.,

respectfully

by the

Friends from

America,

forget the " R e d H a n d " Division.

of

the

brave.

Those bonds

Keep a faithful
and

remember

Colonel
and

pride

just

w i l l be

remembrance

you have

in

expressed
in their

crossed

the

accomplishments

regiment,

congratulated

and

their

spirit of

loyalty.

and

their homes

to the

French

village were

of Granges
January

gave

the

1, 1 9 1 9 , t h e

ocean,

don't

commanded

asked

on

you,

Infantry.

the

achieve

men

to

take

Lectures

were

the

and profitable socially.

recreation was

o f t h e w h i t e officers to p r e v e n t

On

before

eccentricity?

a t t e m p t s , the efforts
mayor

the

them

He

g i v e n to the m e n b y F r e n c h officers, o u t d o o r

g i r l s of the

down

Division,

(French)

conduct.

this be

hearts

bow

forever.

their

seven weeks at Granges were pleasant

their

over

with

The

opened

back

affection is g a i n e d to y o u

addressing

for

and

to v i c t o r y .

indestructible.

his satisfaction

surpassed

dead

to y o u r G e n e r a l , so p r o u d to h a v e

Can

population

glorious

G e n e r a l Goybet, C o m m a n d i n g the 157th

Tupes,

ments

when

your

3 3 3 r d R . I., l e d us

O u r f r a t e r n i t y of a r m s has been soaked i n the blood

that his thankful

(Signed)

salute

side of the

futile.

regiment

an

regiment

p l y i n g w i t h the red-tape p r e p a r a t o r y
to B r e s t , a r r i v i n g there J a n u a r y

Every

enthusiastic

entrained

the

Like

civilian
previous

mingling of Negroes with

was

taken

on his merits.

the
The

farewell.
After

com

to e m b a r k a t i o n a n d the d e l o u s i n g process it

went

13, 1919.

for

N e g r o heroes.

the

man

provided and

Le Mans

(Sarthe).

T H E HISTORY OF T H E B L A C K M A N
T H E
UP t o t h i s p o i n t t h e
opposed.
prejudice
among

to the

the

Headquarters

French, but

engineers

370TH

anti-Negro propaganda

General

and

had,

had

is c l e a r a n d

not

only

also, consented

infantry,

on the

i n at least one case, h a d been p e r s u a d e d

77

main

fairly

witnessed

to

wholesale

ground

consistent

instructions
removals

of color.

Even

t h a t N e g r o officers w e r e the

and
in

of

un

Negro
officers

the

French,

cause of

certain

inefficiencies i n N e g r o units.
U n d o u b t e d l y the
s u m p t i o n of the

c r u e l losses

F r e n c h at

of the

369th

first t h a t the

Regiment were

A m e r i c a n Negroes

due

were

in part

like the

to the

these h a l f - c i v i l i z e d troops could not i n the t i m e g i v e n t h e m be t r a i n e d i n m o d e r n

warfare,

and they were rushed

slaughter was horrible.

after

this kind

almost with naked hands.

O u r troops tell o f g r e a t b l a c k fields o f s t a r k

some of these superhuman

It was

first

at the enemy

of fighting that the

F r e n c h expected

of the

French easily misunderstood

glory.

another

story,

Illinois, and

h a d seen service on the

died for

Newport

and

The

regiment

when

a full

and

it w a s

at

first

and

back

to

assumed

Regiment

came.

that

to

This

Colonel

it w e n t to H o u s t o n , Tex., after
with

once

camp

370th

o f N e g r o officers, f r o m

treated

embarkation;

them

the

quota

Mexican Border;

Freedom;

marched

however,

it had

News, V a . , for

C r o w e d " on the w a y

them

wholesome

Colonel

because

he

respect.

It

Dennison refused
learned

they

was
down.

the
was
to

It

Thirteen
sent

to e m b a r k

were

the

be

to
his

"Jim-

over.

arrived

Division, remaining near

THE

situation

at
got

Americans.
was

famous-8th

troops

the

white men

N e g r o officers w e r e to b l a m e , e s p e c i a l l y as t h i s w a s c o n t i n u a l l y s u g g e s t e d

had

dead

black Americans

so l o n g as

the

It

resulting

and crimson

the

by the

machine

The

onrushes.

a n d s o m e w h i t e A m e r i c a n officers d i d n o t g r e a t l y c a r e
The

as

Senegalese;

at

Brest,

April

Belfort until

22, a n d

June

17.

was

Then

assigned
it went

to

the

72nd

French

with

the

34th

French

C O L O N E L A N D O F F I C E R S OF T H E 370th U . S. I. W I T H C A P T A I N B O U T T E A N D DR.
BOIS IN C A M P A T L E M A N S , F R A N C E .

DU

THE

78
D i v i s i o n into the front-line, at

CRISIS

St. M i h i e l , f o r a m o n t h

D i v i s i o n into the A r g o n n e , w h e r e they fought.

and
In

then

they

went

September
On

and

the

front-line,

October they were

September

adjacent

into

15, i n the

woods after

at

Soissons,

fighting

Vauxaillion

severe fighting.

and later with

the

36th

with

the

59th

French

again.

area,

they

captured

M t . Dessinges

T h e y held a sector alone a f t e r w a r d

and

on the

L ' O i s e et A i s n e a n d w h e n a t t a c k e d ,

repulsed the

Germans and moved forward,

O n October

24, the

of the

French General.

regiment

line again, near G r a n d L u p , and performed excellent service;

of the

regiment

across

the

Belgian

o n l y one

and

seventy-five
When

murder.

at

The

Croix

first

de

regiment

Guerre,

was excellent.

received

beside

the regiment

colored m e n

could not

adopt

N o case of r a p e w a s

sixteen

company

did not

understand.

General publicly apologized for his

commended
regiment
the

both

officers

received

field

and

more

of battle.

There was,

s t i t u t e w h i t e officers w a s
of the

Distinguished

front
part

for

their
any

tactics

not

of "shock" troops,
before

and

intelligence

i n the

were

among

the

most

white

the

French

repeatedly

daring.
for

ointment,the

continuous, notwithstanding

regiment

the

he

and

A m e r i c a n regiment

fly

the

French General, which

long, however,

bravery,
other

of course, the

Crosses

citations.

the

was

reported

Service

and hasty criticism and afterward

than

strong

b l a c k officers o f t h i s

It

first

men

citations

gaining

into the

the A r m i s t i c e f o u n d

A m e r i c a n s a g a i n took t h e i r cue a n d i n s p i r e d a speech f r o m the

the

went

the

Canal

frontier.

T h e general conduct of the r e g i m e n t

and

rest

Division.

the

praise

French

T h e y were given a short period of

This

bravery

effort

fact

that

efficient i n the

on

to

sub
many

American

Army.
General
the

Headquarters

Bourbons.

make

wholesale

bravery

removals

rate

Dennison

de Guerre

performed
the

to be

by

regiment

was

was

Negro

colored
white

race

let the

(to

replaced

officers.

"I

cannot

the

understand

as M a j o r

The
Negro
was

SO

organization,

still

titular

Argonne

officers371st
the

One

Regiment
the

almost

no

chance
the

Negroes)

they

and

curb

Army

to

citations

Colonel,

sent

is n o t

who

afterward

for

a n d one

92ND

as

had

for

men

Colonel

tried

to

Lieutenant,"
pocket

officers.
white

a
of

Duncan's
was

" M o s e s " of

i n his

two

any

actually

The

white
the

white

but

A t

accepted

Colonel;

quietly

white

that moment
in getting

tent.

our

B u t the
and

ranking

clear.

declare was

i n his

posed

this

the

this

ain't

Headquarters

T H E

the

induct
he

said

copy

But

the

officers,his

Lieutenant.
in

was

distinction remained,
only

"commanding"

therefore,

and

Dennison

troops
were

and

the

not

even

372nd

white,

Regiment
most

under
to

of race, but,
try

fought

except

magnificently

given unstinted

conspicuous

ordinary

Regiment.

DIVISION

Champagne,
French and
T h e y f o u g h t w e l l , t o o , d e s p i t e t h e c o l o r o f their
t h e 3 6 9 t h a n d 3 7 2 n d R e g i m e n t s under white
u n d e r colored w e r e e q u a l l y b r a v e , except that

Its
and

under,

370th

conclude

c i e n c y i n officers
battle with

the

Colonel

elsewhere

Regiment made
might

Eyes

regiment,

white

93rd Division.

and

colored, and
370th

colored
for

the

all America

even c o m m e n d a t i o n b y the A m e r i c a n s .
and

it allowed the

Colonel,

"Blue

officer a t

General

ranked

the

attitude

American

head.

m u c h for the
the

for

its

the

sitting snugly

Colonel succeeded

that

the

reason

white

was

of

(without a battalion)

organization

of

N e g r o officers to a m a n

why

The

asking

the

change

colored Lieutenant-Colonel.

amusement

Colonel's telegram

A r m i s t i c e came before
brother

him, c r y i n g out:

p l a i n t i v e l y to a c o l o r e d officer.
of

First
The

by

officer w h i l e h e

open

to

policy

of color and

continued.

c o l o r e d officers r u n

the

begun

not the

f o r a n exploit w h i c h the

openly jeered
he

had

sent home.

o u r C o l o n e l ! " r e f e r r i n g to the
diplomatic;

time

approved.

pressure

officer i n F r a n c e ,

Colonel

Croix

the

this

that it was

s i m p l y on account

of N e g r o troops

Nevertheless,
Negro

by

It announced

i n the

in the

by

the

record.

circumstances

unfortunately,

With

praise

370th

that
the

Regiment

a f a i r chance

a m a t t e r of effi
colored officer had
a n d i n the
Champagne
no d o u b t that he could

it was

efficient

t h e r e is

T H E HISTORY OF T H E B L A C K MAN
h a v e led every one of these regiments
be

remembered

that

all the

just

79

as w e l l as the w h i t e officers.

non-commissioned

officers

in

all

these

It must,

too,

regiments

were

Negroes.
The storm
the

93rd

center

Division

of the

with

French

since

it was

92nd

Division, however, was

company

continually annulled

officers.

F r o m the v e r y

first

by

ability

southern
Ballou

and

the
as

afraid

the

92nd

wholesale
generous

and

The

of

the

on the

General and

white

field

was

who

despised

"nigger"

well-meaning, but

criticism.

Houston outbreak;

inations

without

Ballou had

to

protest.

spread

the

he t r i e d to accuse

them

submit

to

Thus, before

hatred

as

to

Instead

of

chosen

vacillating,

was

morbidly impressed

first

to k i l l

the

and distrust

them

certain
92nd

and

sur

officers.

weak,

the

morale

without
by

H e s o u g h t to m a k e h i s N e g r o officers f e e l p e r s o n a l

virtually ordered

from

was

and

the

proceeded

He

Ballou,

of this "experiment"
for

Negro

officers

orders
he

The

by

be.

officers

of southern

difficult,

French.

Negro division, manned

at the head, the w h i t e G e n e r a l

himself

a n d speeches.

brigading of

depreciation

appreciation

a complete
then,

Division.

attack

there was open and covert opposition and trouble.

putting. Colonel Y o u n g

General

by

planned

should

was

made

E v e r y t h i n g depended,

how f a i r this experiment

rounded

N e g r o troops

the

humiliations

Division

was

fully

propaganda;
and

discrim

formed,

men.

by

responsibility

indirectly of G e r m a n

"That

stuff!" became a b y - w o r d i n the division f o r a n t i - N e g r o p r o p a g a n d a .

great
horror

of his troops

personal

a m o n g h i s officers a n d

the

General

old

Ballou

Ballou was

finally

dismissed f r o m his c o m m a n d for "tactical inefficiency."

The
the

main

meaning

reproduce
the

the

from

any

lay in a

race

of

insult and

contact

and

new freedom

that men

continuous

own;

of

Negro division

that
fact

however,

method

in the

theory

stand

difficulty,
and

curious
in

in France

the

types

who

blacks.

became

Negro

B u t they
officers

custom;

they attend

none

was

had

resent encroachments

upon

b u t t h i s is o c c a s i o n a l a n d

The world
officers

which

world

ever

artificial

and

not

and

daily

they

to
on

did not

protect

under

themselves
of

their

they live for the

most

not

insulted;

O f course, e v e r y once i n a w h i l e

they

worldnew discriminations in

law

continuous.
field

insult

did this

entirely unnecessary,

of

of A m e r i c a ,

schools where they are

their

General Ballou and his

of continuous

experienced,

men

desperately

discrimination by making and moving in a world

a n d t h e y w o r k w h e r e t h e i r w o r k is a p p r e c i a t e d .
to unite to

in white

sought

they associate socially where they are more than welcome;

have

was

They

racial restrictions

w o u l d " s p o i l " the

the

p a r t beside neighbors w h o like t h e m ;

and

misapprehension

America.

officers t r i e d to r e - c r e a t e f o r

and
in a

arousing

d i s c r i m i n a t i o n to
country

the

where

an

the

Negro

extent

that

discrimination

liveliest astonishment

and

mys

tification.
For
Brest,

instance,

elaborate

when

the

quarters

Headquarters

i n the

best

Company

hotel

were

of

the

reserved

92nd

for

finished b a r r a c k s , w i t h o u t beds a n d i n the cold a n d m u d , were

T h e c o l o r e d officers w e n t to t h e i r q u a r t e r s a n d t h e n
t h a t the
been

white A m e r i c a n s , unable

given their

officers

reservation,

but

immediately explained

and

to m a k e
had

themselves

gone

took

returned

to

the

and

sailed

for

officers, a n d

un

assigned
to the

understood

another

fine

Division

white

Negro

city.

officers.

They

found

in French, had

poorer

hotel.

The

reservations.

A s no Negroes h a d been trained i n artillery, it was claimed i m m e d i a t e l y t h a t

were competent.
that
had
long
came

technically trained
i f they

c o u l d be

refused,
into

division

The
division
a

but

being

after

went

at

of June

entire

92nd
to

privates

gathered

with

mobilized

b y the tenth

Here

Nevertheless, some were

endless
a

few

Camp
for

were

from
other

delays

and

officers.

find.

There

camps.

were

plenty

P e r m i s s i o n to

troubles,
Before

the

the

M a y 28 a n d

Field

do

was

4, a n d

was

to

this

Artillery

artillery

June

none

Then it was claimed

be
was

finally

ready,

the

embarked

France.

Division

effort

various

Upton, between

arrived

Bourbonne-les-Bains,

determined

found to qualify.

i m p o s s i b l e to

the

colored

finally

not

black

at

wholesale

at

Brest by June

where

it

stayed

replacement

20.
in

of the

week

training

later
until

c o l o r e d officers

the

whole

August
took

6.

place

THE

80
Fifty

w h i t e L i e u t e n a n t s were sent to the

boards

began

to

Without
inefficiency,
in

the

weed

doubt
due

out

colored

there was

among

c o l o r e d as

N e g r o officers

was

General
requiring
ference,

individual,

yet i n the

reason
went

wholesale

wish

repeatedly

rid of him.

the

division

here until

the

question

"race

and

settled

accusation,

20.

the

and

of the

front-line

It was

d r i v e t o c u t off t h e

quiet

26.

story of the f a i l u r e of w h i t e

despite

sector,

and

this.

least,

were

step b y

long-continued

That

there was

equipped

step,

Here

follows

a c t u a l l y on the

the

the

effort

field
of

to

policy

made

the

with

of

dif

for

any

Lieutenants

in number.

in

'

Vosges

only an

was

to take

sector

occasional

spot.

battle;

and

second, to

regiment
as

officers;

and the

it was

368th
battle

officers

and

incompetency
field

have

the

the

to

among

the

par

do

their

the

colored

greater

respon

other

point by

that

clearly explained,

t h i r d , to m a i n t a i n

to m e

and

men

o f f i c e r s : F i r s t , t o see
plans

liaison

American
point

there i n the d i m , smoke-filled tents about

and

col

Nevertheless, the

between

at

bat

units.

by those

T h e y were earnest, able men, m o s t l y L i e u t e n a n t s

conscientiousness

The

afterward

suddenly sent into

i n t h e i r case the

French and

told

place.

officers to do t h e i r d u t y
company

inexperience

company

story

a n d one c o u l d not doubt

lute

for

to the

talions and between

and

recital in detail.

sibility l a y elsewhere, f o r it w a s the p l a i n d u t y of the

men

down

waiting white

24, w a s

officers is p r o b a b l e , b u t i t w a s n o t c o n f i n e d to t h e m ;
their

fore

A s t h i s is a t y p i c a l i n s t a n c e o f

difficulties o f N e g r o officers a n d t r o o p s , i t d e s e r v e s

duty

the

General Pershing himself

a r r i v e d i n the A r g o n n e September

successful

to

while this

trenches

Germans

f r o n t - l i n e s , as

on the front-line on the m o r n i n g of September

It is the

But

came

nature."

had

s a i d , as t h e y w e r e e n t i r e l y u n e q u i p p e d f o r f r o n t - l i n e s e r v i c e .

tially

much

to be s y s t e m a t i c a l l y r e d u c e d

entered

w e r e n o t to e n t e r the

Regiment, which

officers

of preparation.

A b o u t S e p t e m b e r 20, the d i v i s i o n b e g a n to m o v e to the A r g o n n e ,

great American

ored troops

hurry

they were colored, w h i l e the inefficiency

however,

wholesale,

the

race

While, then, m a n y

September

G e r m a n r a i d to r e p e l .
where

than

their
time,

c o l o r e d officers b e g a n

August

stayed

rather

this

the

because

against

by

"Efficiency"

a r m y n o officer c a n h o l d h i s p o s i t i o n l o n g i f h i s s u p e r i o r s

to get

a w a y , the
On

one

Headquarters

N e g r o officers.

among white American

to l a c k o f a d a p t a b i l i t y , t r a i n i n g a n d

case of the

charge

c a m p to r e p l a c e

men.

p e r m i s s i o n w a s a s k e d to r e m o v e t h e m

and

CRISIS

who

and

were

Captains,

Le Mans, their

abso

frankness.

T H E

368TH

THE 3 6 8 t h R e g i m e n t w e n t i n t o t h e A r g o n n e S e p t e m b e r 2 4 a n d w a s p u t i n t o t h e d r i v e
on the m o r n i n g o f S e p t e m b e r 26.
37th Division
was

not

a n d the

equipped

77th

(white)

for battle

i n the

Its d u t y w a s " c o m b a t l i a i s o n , " w i t h the

Division of Americans.
front-line.

sixth day of the battle;

it had no grenades,

no

signaling and

airplane

shears
they

panels

given them

were

able

attacking

to

for
were

only sixteen

Finally,

they

had

with

large
no

had

no

as

artillery support

French
a

whole

until

no t r e n c h fires, trombones, or s i g n a l

shears

absolutely useless

borrow

battalion.*

no

It

The regiment

for

German wire.

The

the

heavy

barbed

shears,

maps

and

which
were

German
had
at

no

to

wire-cutting

serve

time

the
flares,

wire
the

given

and

whole
definite

objectives.
The

Second

of September

Battalion

26, w i t h M a j o r

of

the

368th

Regiment

Elser in command;

entered

battle

on

the

morning

a l l the c o m p a n y officers w e r e c o l o r e d ;

* " O n advancing from the F r e n c h trenches the morning of the twenty-sixth much wire was met with
by organizations and owing to the fact that none had wirecutters, considerable disorganization resulted
in the companies, especially i n the matte* of l i a i s o n . "
" A s it was almost dark at this time and having no liaison with any of the other units, I decided to
withdraw until 1 could get in touch with the Commanding Officer, 368th Infantry.
T h e enemy searched
along the trails with their artillery d u r i n g our withdrawal, but none of the shells fell near us;" it was
pitch dark by this time and we had just reached the German's first trench. There was much confusion
owing to the mass of wire we had to contend with in the dark before the companies readied the F r e n c h
trenches."
"Company G spent the entire day of the twenty-sixth w o r k i n g its way through the w i r e entanglements
Great difficulty was experienced in this work because of the lack of wirecutters."
Reports of Major M. A, Elser,

81

T H E HISTORY OF T H E BLACK M A N
Company
was,

went

went

enemy's
halted

" o v e r the

"over"

fire;

at

the

i n the

of the

at

5:30

noon;

Machine

Gun

Company

b a t t a l i o n to the

battalion.

A . M . ; Company H , with

advancing

woods to collect souvenirs

d r e w p a r t of the
rest

top"

12:30

Captain

rear

four

kilometers

silenced

from

the

dead

and

on

September

26, M a j o r

Lieutenant

shall I do! W h a t shall I do!"

fault,

and the

next

E l s e r stood

the

W h e n the

hands

the

and

Machine Gun
With

the

stayed

back with

the

Post-of-Command.

companies

and

Captain

Enemy

Jones

fell

fire

and

back

500

darkness
metres

Jones

stayed

Company

under

snipers'

fire

until

about

500 metres.
Major

H e a v y machine gun and

trenches,
was

command

his

in the rear.
of the

shock,"a
to

but

men

which

and

Meantime,

on

moved

drift
the

covers

transferred

September

forward.

27,

It

stopped

sent

no

answer

no experience

on the

line.

one-half kilometres and about

4:30

P.

Major, who was in support

Three

Elser was
Later

by

Third

Major

and

the

firing-line

rifle

fire

or

the

until this battle

companies

P. M . were

of the

fired

unsupported.

grenades,

the

September
half

kilometres

and

men

and

even

of the

withering
and

lost track

fire

rear

retreated

colored

of

the

to

and

the

being
they

was

battalion

met

exactly

Company
the

Major

were m a n y

the

ordered

too

Commanders

Second

far

promoted

the

in

advance

five

hours.

where

the

two

of objectives

and

their

and

take up

conditions
were

as

unable

and many

as

to advance.

were

hold

from

the

gassed.

French

was.

He

and

It

as

possible.

artillery
men

and

fire

on
the

confusion

had
front,

and

the

reprimanded

the

their

which
they

lack
they

did.
to

Many

F i n a l l y , at
a l l sides.
Colonel

of
had

advance,

three kilometres

fire

met

still

12:30

and

for

away

Battalion

d u r i n g the d a y :

advanced

all their

one-

left

dribbling

at

positions, which

They

ordered.

the

German

lack of maps

the

and

etc.

fire

with

American white

was

the

and

support

two

on

Third

line broke

were

leaving

advance

and

received

artillery

before,heavy
to

ordered

Next morning,

an

guns,

quickly

The

gun

trench

forward

machine

to t h e C o m p a n y C o m m a n d e r s

and

guns.

machine

Americans

Major

intense

to re-form

and

of the

The

New

Captain

trenches,

i n the

Battalion, which
firing-line

368th

white

advanced

to the

swept

and

the

to w i t h d r a w his battalion
casualties

restored

reported

definitely ordered
same

"shell

T h e M a j o r ' s orders

refuge

They

French

to halt, to hold, to w i t h d r a w , to leave woods

were

took

seventy-sevens,

trench,

They

contradictory orders passed

P. M . , they

of

Norris,

rain and bombardment.

advancing

endured

support

ignorance

They were

was

a Headquarters

retreated

liaison w i t h the

own

The

mortars,

severely.

their

he

artillery, grenade,

men

both

to keep

of their

trench
this

the

or

27 a n d b e i n g w i t h o u t a r t i l l e r y

firing-line

beyond

trenches.

and

officers

equipment,
asked.

to h e a v y

and

A . M . , the

officers f a i l e d

front

relieved of

on b y enemy machine

platoon

c o l o r e d officers r e s p o n d e d .

advanced

artillery support

flank

Subjected

line broke

7:30

led b y their

T h e i r field

one

no

firing

28, at

men

units

as the

all spent a terrible night under

The

in

well

d u r i n g the whole n i g h t of September

Major, where

right.

as

in
the

w i t h one c o m p a n y a n d a platoon o f m a c h i n e guns,

company

to

same

time

Battalion

B. F.

the m a c h i n e guns to trenches seventy-five y a r d s i n the rear.

confusing

A l l this

"psycho-neurosis,"

sins.

M . , the

commanded

6:30

of

the

H e took refuge

confusion.

for

the

message

re-enforcements.

when

him.

Elser

Labor Battalion.

Y o r k lawyer, a graduate of Plattsburg, and

with

in

hospital

multitude

to

at

was

away

28, h o w e v e r , M a j o r

entered

often

Lieutenant-Colonel and

Infantry

to

O n September

battalion

phrase

rifle fire a g a i n greeted

began

bat

Major

again

and

3 P. M . and

for

11 A . M . , t w o

h i s request c a m e f r o m the M a j o r , he w e n t " o v e r the t o p " a g a i n a n d r e t r a c e d

nearby

"What
a l l his

rest of the

a b o u t 6 A . M . o n t h e m o r n i n g o f S e p t e m b e r 28 to the M a j o r a s k i n g f o r
Captain

the
Gun

broadside

crying:

M o v i n g f o r w a r d again at

top" at 4 P . M . without liaison.

witn

Machine

t a l i o n a g a i n , these c o m p a n i e s w e n t f o r w a r d one a n d o n e - h a l f k i l o m e t e r s .
advancing

had

immediately

of

10:00 P . M .

Elser commended

p a r t o f the b a t t a l i o n .

companies went "over the

the

who

without notifying

Powell

w r i n g i n g his

Elser,

Major

met

A t n i g h t be deplored the occurrence, s a i d i t w a s

morning Major

e x t r i c a t i n g the deserted

Major

dark

the

battalion

G e r m a n bodies,

C o m p a n y led the rest of the m e n out i n order about

opened

fire;

i n s i n g l e file a b o u t

Dabney

which

the

6:3C
and
The

ordered

line.

Utter

resulted,there

Major

Norris withdrew, leaving a

pla

THE

82
toon under
escaped

CRISIS

L i e u t e n a n t D e n t on the line i g n o r a n t of the

finally

unaided

d u r i n g the

c o m m a n d to w i t h d r a w .

They

night.

T h e C h i e f o f Staff said i n his letter to S e n a t o r M c K e l l a r : " O n e o f o u r m a j o r s

com

m a n d i n g a battalion s a i d : ' T h e m e n are r a n k cowards, there is no other w o r d s f o r it.' "

A

c o l o r e d officer

writes:

" I w a s the o n l y colored person present w h e n this w a s u t t e r e d :

of last September

i n the second line trenches

It was

on the

of Vienne Le Chateau i n our attack

27th
in

A r g o n n e and was uttered by M a j o r B . F . Norris, c o m m a n d i n g the 3rd Battalion.

Norris, himself, was

p r o b a b l y the b i g g e s t c o w a r d because

he left his B a t t a l i o n out

the f r o n t lines a n d came back to the Colonel's d u g o u t a n e r v o u s w r e c k .

a

bunk

alongside of the

wall

and

terribly all night

moaned

groaned

so

and

jumped and twisted worse than

this

major

came

that

and

laid

From

September

J.

N . Merrill,

it

prepared

was

26-29

i n the

to advance,

the

F i r s t B a t t a l i o n of

but

after

being kept

me

and

close m y

a n y t h i n g I have ever seen i n m y life.

he

eyeshe

H e was

rank

and remained back all night."

the

368th

front-line F r e n c h trenches.

in

I was there i n

d o w n beside

couldn't hardly

c o w a r d himself and left his unit on some trifling pretext

the

Major

Infantry,

O n the

standing

night

under

under

of

Major

September

shell-fire f o r

two

28

hours

it was ordered back to the trenches. A patrol was sent out to locate the Third
Battalion,
before

it

but

September
find

being

returned
29.

Major

refused

the

B y 1:00

Merrill.

French

Lieutenant

ordered

them

maps

First

the

P. M . they had

Finally
guided

forward

by

Colonel

Battalion was
Major

them

600 y a r d s

advanced

Merrill

to

was

positions

to

it

other

in

an

deserted

the

night

fire

of

September
three

29

and

and artillery barrage.

1 the

at

kilometres

noon

on

through

They dug in and

F r e n c h A r t i l l e r y came

up

and

put

after

old

time
on

German

two

were

to

to

to

Major
shellduring

advance.

machine

fire.

On

gun

October

Unfortunately, it fell
and

short

compelled

withdraw.

T h e r e g i m e n t w a s soon after
Marbache
colored

The
Terrific

and

of

search.

ordered

shell

and

halted

i n the trench

and the battalion w a s caught between the G e r m a n and F r e n c h b a r r a g e s

hastily

quest

were

hours'

all night under

over a barrage.

morning

trenches.

woods, through
stayed

the

trench.

T h e y stayed
30

on
the

they

German

September

the

long

advance,

located

met t h e m here, a n d there were m a n y casualties.

advanced

to

one m i l e w h e n

fire

They

was

ordered

sector.

officers

Major

and

relieved b y a F r e n c h u n i t a n d t a k e n b y t r a i n to

E l s e r , o f the

Second Battalion, made

verbally assumed

responsibility for

the

no charges

failure

T h e r e w a s for a time s t r o n g t a l k of a court m a r t i a l for h i m .

charges;

but

Battalion

on September

Major

Norris

on

account

28 o r d e r e d

of

five

the

two

breaks

of

Major
i n the

against

his

the
his

battalion.

Merrill made

line of

the

no

Third

o f h i s c o l o r e d l i n e officers c o u r t - m a r t i a l e d

for

cowardice and abandonment of positionsa Captain, two First Lieutenants, and a

Second

Lieutenant

were

accused.

been decided at this w r i t i n g .

Only

one

of his case b y G e n e r a l H e a d q u a r t e r s

he

was

C o l o n e l G r e e r i n the letter to S e n a t o r
"From

case,that

of

the

Second

Lieutenant,

had

H e w a s found g u i l t y b y the c o u r t - m a r t i a l , b u t on r e v i e w
acquitted

and

restored

to his

t h e r e w e w e n t to the A r g o n n e a n d i n the offensive s t a r t i n g t h e r e o n

26, h a d one r e g i m e n t i n the line, a t t a c h e d

command.

M c K e l l a r o n D e c e m b e r 6, w r i t e s a s
to the 38th F r e n c h C o r p s .

follows:

September

They failed

there

i n a l l t h e i r missions, laid d o w n a n d sneaked to the rear, u n t i l t h e y w e r e w i t h d r a w n . "

This

is w h a t
a

Colonel

D u r a n d , the
General

said

revenir

au 3 6 8 t h R. I.

And

in

French

action,

U.

Charles

Commander
E . Boykin,

September
Regimental
of

de

was

la

in command

prise

de

same

d a y he wrote

desires

to c o m m e n d

Company

C, 326th

his infamous

in order

Field

368th I n f a n t r y

the

Signal
was

GUNS.

The

to the

woods which

were

C o m m a n d i n g Officer

t h e h i l l , the officer i n c h a r g e

of the s c o u t i n g

to this

meritorious
Battalion.

this
doit

the

TO

the

of

"The
Private

afternoon

A r g o n n e forest

came

upon

B E A L I V E

woods

Headquar

senator:

conduct

On

a P. C. and

F O U N D

ordered

letter

i n action i n the

C o m m a n d e r m o v e d f o r w a r d to e s t a b l i s h
fled

in

Binarville

S."

26, 1918, w h i l e the

Germans who

C H I N E

General who

"L'Honneur

t h i s is w h a t C o l o n e l G r e e r h i m s e l f i s s u e d i n G e n e r a l O r d e r N o . 38,

ters 92nd D i v i s i o n , the

Division

French

Order:

searched

number

W I T H
to

the

(2nd Lieutenant C. W . Carpenter)

of
the

M A
top

of

called

THE HISTORY OF T H E BLACK MAN

83

for volunteers and Private Boykin, a telephone linesman, offered his services and set
out with the rest of the detail. While trying to flank an enemy machine gun another
opened fire killing him instantly."
This effort of the 368th Regiment was seized upon by A r m y gossip and widely
heralded as a "failure" of Negro troops, and particularly of Negro officers. Yet the
same sort of troops and many Negro officers in the Champagne and afterward in
the Argonne under French leadership covered themselves with glory. The real failure
in the initial Argonne drive was in American field strategy which was totally unequal
to German methods and had to learn by bitter experience. It is worse than unfair
to write off the first experience to the discredit of Negro troops and company officers
who did a l l that was humanly possible under the circumstances.
OTHER UNITS
365th, 366th and 367th Regiments did not enter the battle-line at all in the
Argonne. The whole division after the withdrawal of the 368th Regiment was,
beginning with September 29, transferred to the Metz sector, preparatory to the great
drive on that fortress which was begun, rather needlessly, as the civilian would judge,
on the day before the signing of the Armistice, November 10.
According to plan, the 56th white American Division was on the left, the 92nd
Division was in the center and the French Army was on the right. The 367th
Regiment led the advance and forged ahead of the flanking units, the entire First Battalion
being awarded the Croix de Guerre;but this time wise field direction held them back,
and for the first time they were supported by their own Negro Field Artillery. Beside
the four Infantry Regiments the 92nd Division had the usual other units.
The 325th Field Signal Battalion, attached to Division Headquarters, was composed
of four companies organized at Camp Sherman. It had ten colored and twenty white
officers. It was i n France at Bourbonne-les-Bains and then went to the Vosges, where
it was split into detachments and attached to regiments under the Chief Signal Officer.
While at school at Gondricourt, J u l y 13-August 18, it made one of the best records
of any unit. Many of its men were cited for bravery.
The 167th Field A r t i l l e r y Brigade consisted of two regiments of Light A r t i l l e r y
(75s) trained at Camp Dix (the 349th and 350th) and one regiment of Heavy
Artillery (the 351st) trained at Camp Meade, which used 155 howitzers. They ex
perienced extraordinary difficulties in training. There can be no doubt but that de
liberate effort was made to send up for examination in artillery not the best, but the
poorest equipped candidates. Difficulty was encountered in getting colored men with
the requisite technical training transferred to the artillery service. If the
Commanding Officer in this case had been as prejudiced as in the case of the engineer and other
units, there would have been no Negro Artillery. But Colonel Moore, although a South
erner, insisted on being fair to his men. The brigade landed in Brest June 26 and
was trained at Montmorillon (Vienne). They were favorites in the town and were re
ceived into the social life on terms of perfect equality. There were five colored company
officers and eight medical officers. The officers were sent to school at L a Cortine and
the Colonel in charge of this French school said that the work of the colored artillery
brigade was better at the end of two weeks than that of any other American unit that
had attended the school. The brigade went into battle in the Metz drive and did its
work without a hitch, despite the fact that it had no transport facilities for their guns
and had to handle them largely by hand.
The 317th Ammunition Train, which was attached to Division Headquarters, but
was under the artillery in battle, was organized at Camp Funston in December, and
had 1,333 officers and men, divided into two battalions, one motor and one horse, with
seven companies. There were thirty-three colored and three white officers. The bat
talion landed in France June 27 and went to Montmorillon, and to the Artillery
Training School at La Cortine, with the 167th Field Artillery. It arrived at Marbache
October 18 and took part in the Metz drive. It had charge, also, of the Corps
Ammunition dumps. During the drive all the officers were colored and Major Dean was
in command. General Sherbourne, one of the few Commanding Officers f a i r to Negro
troops, warmly commended the work of the artillery. No general court martial took
THE

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T H E CRISIS

place in the organization from the beginning and no efficiency boards sat.
This
was one of the very few units in which Negroes were promoted: four being made
Captains, three F i r s t Lieutenants, eleven Second Lieutenants, and one a Major.
Near the close of the war thirty-five Lieutenants commissioned at Camp Taylor
arrived in France and were sent to school near Nantes. They were subjected to
many indignities by the American officers and were compelled to enter the class-room
after the whites; they were refused leaves to town; reprimanded for conversing with
the women of the city, who were anxious to be kind and sympathetic to the obviously
oppressed strangers. Notwithstanding a l l this the men made good records and joined
their command after the Armistice.
The 317th Engineers were assembled at Camp Sherman i n December with 1,350
officers and men. There were two battalions and all the officers were colored, except
four field officers. The Commanding Officers, however, were from the first determined
to get r i d of the Negroes. On M a y 10 the colored Captains were relieved, and sent to
the 365th and 366th Regiments. The regiment came to France i n June and was trained
near Bourbonne-les Bains until July 20. On July 22 all the remaining colored officers,
except two Lieutenants, the chaplain and the medical officers, were relieved at the re
peated requests of Colonel Brown, of Georgia, and others. The regiment went to the
Vosges in August, and then to the Argonne, doing excellent technical work i n building
and construction. A l l but one company were attached to the F o u r t h French A r m y
Corps until December 22; only Company E remained with the 92nd Division.
The 366th Field Hospital was a colored unit with only two or three whites. It
handled 10,000 cases before and during the Metz drive, four weeks, and was rated
best in the American Expeditionary Force. Lieutenant W r i g h t , the colored physician
in charge, was promoted to a Captaincy.
The final engagement immediately preceding the signing of the Armistice was
fought i n the Marbache sector, south of Metz, and was the most important event in
which all the units of the 92nd Division actively participated. The division entered
this sector October 7 and established headquarters in the village of Marbache, October
10, 1918. The several regiments were stationed in the front lines of the Division
sector, with supporting units and reserves in the rear. Almost immediately upon en
tering this sector active operations were begun; patrols and reconnoiteting parties
were sent out from our lines; raiding parties were active and both sides found it
necessary to be constantly on the alert. A s the time for the advance of the whole
Second A r m y grew nearer heavy shelling became more frequent, patrolling more
active and raiding parties bolder. It was necessary to obtain all possible information
regarding the enemy's movements and intentions before the advance began. There
were many thrilling experiences i n this sector during the four weeks preceding the
final struggle.
On the tenth day of November came the order announcing the great drive and
outlining the position of the 92nd Division in the line.
A t 7 A . M . on the eleventh, the artillery broke loose with a terrific bombardment;
this preparation lasted for a period of 42 minutes and was delivered upon the village
of Bois Frehaut and the neighboring woods through which the infantry was to pass in
its advance. In the meantime, the boys i n the several companies composing the first
assault line sprang from their trenches and with grim determination pushed themselves
into " N o Man's L a n d " and into the woods in the direction of the great German fortifi
cation, the city of Metz. The first objective of the 365th Infantry was Bois Frehaut
(woods) three miles in depth and two miles i n width. Barbed wire entanglements
were everywhere and German machine guns were sputtering and large cannon were
sending forth their messengers of death in all directions. The 365th Machine Gun
Company, the 37-M M Platoon and our artillery and infantrymen repulsed this mur
derous attack and after two hours of desperate fighting Bois Frehaut was taken
by the 365th and held by the Second Battalion of that organization until the bugle
sounded the call to cease firing at 11 o'clock on the following morning.
The attack was led by Company H under the command of Captain W i l l i a m W .
Green with a detachment of Company A commanded by Lieutenant Gus Mathew

T H E HISTORY OF T H E BLACK MAN

85

Chicago with Company G and two other units in support. In fighting through the
dense woods, made more difficult by large volumes of smoke from bursting shells, the
attacking line i n Company H became thinned and before many of the men arrived
after the Company merged from the woods a flanking movement was attempted by
the German machine gunners, but the timely arrival of Company G under the com
mand of Lieutenant Walter Lyons saved Company H from this added danger. D u r i n g
this attack the Machine Gun Company of the 365th was active in covering the advanc
ing infantry and kept the enemy on the run, thus making it impossible for them
to deliver an effective fire against the men i n the assault waive. The second assault
waive was under the command of Captain Walter R. Sanders who was, also, second
i n command of the Second Battalion of the 365th Infantry. The second waive, under
heavy shell fire and gas bombs from the artillery, moved up to occupy the position
first held by the Second Battalion. While making this advance Lieutenant Walter
Lowe, commanding Company A , was gassed, but he remained with his company, direct
ing its movements until a short time before the order came to cease firing on the
morning of the eleventh.
While the 365th Infantry was fighting like real heroes the units i n the other bat
talions were doing exactly the same thing. The first objective reached by the 366th was
Bois-de-Boivotte. The units' i n the first assault waive moved over the top at exactly
seven o'clock on the morning of November 10. The artillery laid down a barrage for
the advancing troops and protected their advance as far as possible, but the terrific
bombardment with gas, shrapnel and machine gun fire from the German trenches
made progress difficult as well as extremely dangerous. The troops, accustomed as they
were by this time to bursting shells and gas bombs, ignored all personal danger and
fought their way to their first objective with but few casualties. The fighting was
furious during the early part of the day, but the organization was able to capture
and hold much ground, v a r y i n g from three to five kilometers i n depth.
The 367th Infantry occupied a position on the west side of the Mosselle River. Two
companies of the Second Battalion were in the first assault waive with others i n sup
port and reserve. The fighting units reached and held their objective and although
the fighting was brisk the 367th did not lose a single man. W i t h the darkness came
a cessation of intensive action, the troops were reorganized and plans formulated
for a renewal of the attack early the next morning.
In this general engagement the 92nd Division occupied a position a little southeast
of the strong fortifications of Metz. The 165th French Division was on our right and
the Seventh American Division was on our left and we kept in touch with both these
divisions during the night and prepared for what subsequently proved to be the final
struggle of the great world war the following morning.
A t dawn the air was cool and damp; it was slightly cloudy, with a little fog i n the
atmosphere, just enough to give it a dull-gray color and to prevent the soldiers from
seeing more than a few hundred yards in the direction of the enemy.
The keen whistling noises made by the shells from our supporting artillery as they
passed over our heads on their missions of death told us that the hour was 4:30 A . M . ,
for at that time the 351st Field A r t i l l e r y Regiment began its advance upon Bois L a
Cote and Champey. This fire was kept up continuously until 10:45. The 350th Field
A r t i l l e r y Regiment, also, renewed its attack upon the woods in the neighborhood of Bois
Frehaut, but ceased firing at 10 o'clock A . M . , forty-five minutes earlier than the 351st.
A t five o'clock the F i r s t Battalion of the 350th Field A r t i l l e r y laid a rolling barrage
across and just north of Bouxieres-sur-Froidmont i n support of the advancing i n
fantry. M a n y of the same units that engaged the enemy the day before were again
struggling for additional gains i n the direction of Metz. Several fresh companies
were brought up from the support to join those who had so gallantly repulsed the
enemy on Saturday and together made a supreme effort to deliver a blow that would
silence the German guns and put the Huns to flight in disorder. The only thing that
saved the Kaiser's army i n this sector from a crushing defeat was the order to cease
firing at 11 o'clock.
A t one time during the morning engagement the 56th. Infantry (white) of the 7th

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THE CRISIS

Division, while advancing, ran into a strong barbed wire entanglement that had not been
destroyed by artillery. F u r t h e r advance was impossible and to retire under heavy
fire from the German's big guns and merciless machine gun fire meant annihilation.
Major Charles L . Appleton of the 367th Infantry, seeing the desperate situation into
which the 56th Infantry had worked itself, manoeuvered several platoons to a position
where they could hit the Germans from the flank and cover the retirement of the 56th.
This timely act on the part of Major Appleton probably saved the 56th from complete
destruction.
When the bugle sounded the call to cease firing, Company H of the 365th Infantry
held 800 yards of the battle-front, five kilometers of which was taken from the
Germans under the heavy guns of Metz, and held against odds five to one under intense
shell and machine gun fire.

MRS. H E L E N CURTIS A N D H E R SOLDIERS, A T C H A M B E R Y ,

OTHER

FRANCE

AGENCIES

SOmuch for the 92d Division. It never had a fighting chance until the last day of
the war. It was a centre of intrigue from the beginning and its weak and
vacillating General spent most of his time placating the Negro haters on his staff
and among his field officers, who wished nothing so much as the failure of the division
as a fighting unit. How different a story i f Charles Young had been let to lead his own!
Of the assisting agencies the only one that paid any attention to Negro troops
was the Young Men's Christian Association. The few who came to Red Cross hos
pitals were, with a few exceptions, not only "Jim-Crowed" but officers were put i n
wards with their men. The white Young Men's Christian Association secretaries
usually refused to serve Negroes i n any way. V e r y few colored secretaries were sent
and an attempt was made at first to get rid of the best of these, on the ground that
their beliefs on the manhood rights and human equality of Negroes were "seditious."
Matters were greatly improved when a colored man was placed in general charge of

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87

the colored work. He was never, however, furnished enough men and only three women
for his vast field until after the Armistice.
On one subject the white Commanding Officers of all colored units showed more
solicitude than on the organization and fighting efficiency of the troops,that was
the relations of the colored officers and men with the women of France. They began
by officially stigmatizing the Negroes as rapists; they solemnly warned the troops in
speeches and general orders not even to speak to women on the street; ordered the
white m i l i t a r y police to spy on the blacks and arrest them i f they found them talking
with French women. The white troops, taking their cue from all this senseless pother,
spread tales and rumors among the peasants and villagers and sought to chastise
Negroes and offending women. One officer, a high-minded gentleman, graduate and
Phi Beta Kappa man of a leading American institution, was court-martialed for
keeping company with a perfectly respectable g i r l of a family of standing in one of
the towns where Negroes were quartered and while General Headquarters did not
uphold the court-martial, it took occasion severely to reprimand the officer and remove
him to a Labor Battalion.
The result of a l l this a-do was simply unnecessary bitterness among Negroes and
mystification among the French. The Negroes resented being publicly stigmatized by
their own countrymen as unfit for association with decent people, but the French men
and women much preferred the courtesy and bonhomie of the Negroes to the impudence
and swagger of many of the whites. In practically every French town where the
Negro troops stayed they left close and sympathetic friends among men, women and
children.
While the 92nd Division was in France there were fourteen trials for attacks on
women, six of which were acquitted; of the other eight, three men were convicted of
simple assault, leaving five possible cases of grave crime against women; of these,
three cases are still undecided at this writing, one has been acquitted by the court, but
the verdict has not been reviewed, and O N E man has been found guilty and hanged.
It is only f a i r to add that this man belonged to a Labor Battalion and was sent to the
division simply for trial. No other American division in France has a better record
in this respect.
THE END
T H I Sis a partial and preliminary statement of the part the Negro played in the
Great W a r . There is much in the tale that is missing and some mistakes,
to be corrected by fuller information and reference to documents. B u t the main out
lines are clear.
A nation with a great disease set out to rescue civilization; it took the disease
with it in virulent form and that disease of race-hatred and prejudice hampered its
actions and discredited its finest professions.
No adequate excuse for America's actions can be offered: Grant that many of
the dismissed and transferred colored officers were incompetent, there is no possible
excuse for the persistent and studied harrowing of admittedly competent men, to which
every black officer testifies with a bitterness unexampled in Negro American history;
there was no excuse for the persistent refusal to promote Negroes, despite their records
testified to even by the French; there was no excuse for systematically refusing Negro
officers and soldiers a chance to see something of greater and more beautiful- France by
curtailing their leaves and quartering them in the back districts.
On the other hand, there is not a black soldier but who is glad he went,-glad to
fight for France, the only real white Democracy; glad to have a new, clear vision of
the real, inner spirit of American prejudice. The day of camouflage is past.
This history w i l l be enlarged and expanded, embellished with maps and pictures
and with the aid of an editorial board, consisting of the leading Negro American
scholars and the most distinguished of the black soldiers who fought in France, w i l l
be issued by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and T H E
CRISIS, in three volumes, in honor of the first great struggle of the modern. Negro
race for liberty.