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
During the occupancy of the sector, from September 22, 1918, to October
12, 1918, patrols from the three battalions were out night and day
between the lines making necessary reconnaissances. On October 4, 1918,
a volunteer patrol of twenty men under command of Captain Chester
Sanders in an effort to discover whether the enemy had abandoned the
woods, penetrated the Bois de Mortier to a point about 100 yards behind
the enemy positions and having been discovered were fired on from all
sides by numerous machine guns. The patrol returned to our lines intact.
For this exploit Captain Sanders was awarded the French Croix de Guerre
and the patrol received the commendation of the commanding general of
the division. On October 7, 1918, after 5 minutes violent bombardment by
our artillery, three raiding parties from Company F made a dash for the
triangle formed by the railroad, the L'Oise-l'Aisne canal and the
Vauxaillon road. One of these parties gained the enemy trenches along
the canal, ejecting the enemy after a hand grenade fight. All parties
returned to our lines intact though several were wounded. Lieutenant
William Warfield of the Battalion Duncan single-handed took an enemy
machine gun nest which had been harassing his company, and after
disposing of the enemy machine gunners returned to our lines with the
gun. Numerous other acts of gallantry were performed in this sector for
which officers and men received both French and American decorations.
At 9:20 a.m. on October 12, 1918, the alert was given for a general
advance by the entire division and the battalions assembled at the zones
of assembly previously designated. The Battalion Stokes was given the
mission of clearing the Bois de Mortier and the Battalion Patton was
placed at the disposition of Lieutenant Colonel Lugand of the 232nd
Infantry, and the 3rd battalion was placed in the divisional reserve.
At about 11:00 a.m. the pursuit began, the 1st battalion clearing the
Bois de Mortier and successfully reaching its first objective,
Penancourt, the same date, and continuing the pursuit the next day to a
point west of Molinchart.
The Battalion Patton, having been assigned as the support battalion of
the 232nd Regiment of Infantry, took up the pursuit via Anizy le
Chateau, Cessieres and the Bois de Oiry, bivouacing the night of October
13th in the vicinity of the Bois.
These battalions were commended by the commanding general. The Battalion
Stokes for its passage of the exceedingly strong position in the Bois de
Mortier and the 2nd for its well conducted march in pursuit via Anizy le
Chateau.
On account of the straightening out of the lines due to the retreat of
the enemy, the 59th Division was withdrawn on October 14th and sent back
for rest, the regiment being sent into the St. Gobain Forest and
vicinity for this purpose. Ten of the twelve days in this locality were
spent in hard work on the roads and the last two were given over to the
re-equipping of the regiment.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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