History of the American Negro in the Great World War: His Splendid Record in the Battle Zones of Europe; Including a Resume of His Past Services to his Country in the Wars of the Revolution, of 1812, the War of Rebellion, the Indian Wars on the Frontier, the Spanish-American War, and the Late Imbroglio With MexicoSweeney, William Allison
History
History of the American Negro in the Great World War: His Splendid Record in the Battle Zones of Europe; Including a Resume of His Past Services to his Country in the Wars of the Revolution, of 1812, the War of Rebellion, the Indian Wars on the Frontier, the Spanish-American War, and the Late Imbroglio With Mexico
Sweeney, William Allison
African American soldiers; African Americans -- History -- 1877-1964; World War, 1914-1918 -- Participation, African American
Although patrols were operating between the lines nightly and the
positions occupied were under artillery, machine gun and rifle fire a
number of times, the only losses sustained during the six weeks in the
Argonne Forest were 1 killed, 1 captured and 4 wounded.
On the night of August 15-16, 1918, the regiment was relieved from its
positions in the Forest and marched to Rampont and entrained for
villages in the vicinity of Fains (Meuse) for a period of rest, arriving
on August 18, 1918.
Upon arrival at the new stations, instruction was begun again, more
attention being paid to open warfare than to work incident to trench
warfare. This training proved of great value to the officers and men in
the latter days of the war, when the regiment was actively engaged in
the pursuit of the enemy to the Belgian border.
On September 11, 1918, the regiment left its various stations and
proceeded by train to Betz, where it detrained and marched to stations
in villages in the vicinity of Mareuil-sur-Ourcq (Meuse).
On September 11, 1918, Majors Hunt and Williams having become
incapacitated through illness and injury, were relieved from command of
the 2nd and 3rd Battalions, respectively, and Lieutenant Colonel Otis B.
Duncan and Captain John H. Patton were assigned to the command of those
battalions.
The battles of Chavigny, Leury and the Bois de Beaumont having reduced
the effectives of the 59th French Division, the regiment was placed at
the disposition of the division and was assigned as one of the three
infantry regiments thereof. Upon joining this division the effective
strength of the regiment was approximately double that of either of the
two French regiments; and in future operations a large share of the work
of the division fell to our lot.
On September 15, 1918, the regiment received orders to move again toward
the front. From Mareuil-sur-Ourcq to the region of St. Bandry (Meuse) the
movement was made in motor trucks. On September 16, 1918, the journey
was resumed, the regiment proceeding by marching. Upon arrival at
Tartier, Companies F and G were sent to Monte Couve (Aisne) to join the
232nd Regiment of Infantry, and Companies I and L pushed forward to
Bagneux (Aisne) to join the 325th Regiment. The 1st battalion proceeded
the next day to the caves in the vicinity of Les Tueries, the 3rd
battalion moved up into the reserve in the region of Antioch Farm with
the remainder of the 2nd battalion.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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