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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

Name: 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
Author: Sweeney, William Allison

Sweeney, William Allison

African American soldiers; African Americans -- History -- 1877-1964; World War, 1914-1918 -- Participation, African American

"Those colored folk who could afford it journeyed to the stand in
     closed automobiles. Gorgeously gowned women alighted with great
     dignity beneath the admiring gaze of their humbler brethren. Taxies
     brought up those whose fortunes, perhaps, were not of such
     amplitude. Hansoms and hacks conveyed still others, and one party
     came in a plumber's wagon, its women members all bundled up in
     shawls and blankets against the cold, but grinning delightedly as
     the whole stand applauded.

     "Children by the thousands lined the east side of the avenue--Boy
     Scouts and uniformed kids and little girls with their school books
     under their arms, and they sang to the great delight of the crowd.

     "Just why it was that when Governor Smith and former Governor
     Whitman and Acting Mayor Moran and the other reviewers appeared
     behind a cavalcade of mounted policemen, the youngsters struck up
     that army classic, "Oh, How I Hate to Get Up in the Morning," no
     one could tell, but it gave the reviewers and the crowd a laugh.

     "With the state and city officials were the members of the Board of
     Aldermen, the Board of Estimate, Major Gen. Thomas J. Barry, Vice
     Admiral Albert Gleaves, Secretary of State, Francis Hugo; Rodman
     Wannamaker and--in a green hat and big fur coat--William Randolph
     Hearst. Secretary Baker of the War Department was unable to attend,
     but he did the next best thing and sent his colored assistant,
     Emmett J. Scott.

     "The reviewers arrived at 11:30 and had a good long wait, for at
     that time the paraders had not yet left 23rd Street. But what with
     the singing, and the general atmosphere of joyousness about the
     stand, there was enough to occupy everyone's time.

     "There was one feature which took the eye pleasingly--the number
     of babies which proud mothers held aloft, fat pickaninnies, mostly
     in white, and surrounded by adoring relatives. These were to see
     (and be seen by) their daddies for the first time. Laughingly, the
     other day, Col. Bill Hayward spoke of 'our boys' posthumous
     children,' and said he thought there were quite a few of them.

     "'Some of our boys had to go away pretty quickly,' he reminisced.
     'Some of them were only married about twenty minutes or so.'

     "'O Colonel!' said the modest Major Little on that occasion.

     "'Well, maybe it was a trifle longer than twenty minutes,' admitted
     Bill. But anyhow, there was the regiment's posthumous children in
     the stand.

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