Sidelights on Negro SoldiersWilliams, Charles H. (Charles Halston)
History
Sidelights on Negro Soldiers
Williams, Charles H. (Charles Halston)
World War, 1914-1918 -- Participation, African American
Because of the nature of the terrain the St. Die sector was usually
quiet and for this reason it was used for schooling divisions of
recruits, who often got here their baptism of fire before leaving.
There was a little bathing pool in “No Man’s Land,” and it was said
that at certain times, by agreement between the Germans and the French,
each had access to it without being fired upon. The 6th Division of
the American Army, however, which occupied the sector before it was
given over to the 92nd, fired on every German that ventured forth. When
the French said that such action would precipitate offensive tactics,
the Americans insisted that this was their purpose. The 92nd Division
accordingly found the enemy active when it entered the sector. While
there was no major offensive, raiding parties from both sides were
frequent and patrol duty was very necessary.
The St. Die sector will always be remembered by the men of the
92nd Division because it was there that they received their first
casualties. The first man killed was Private Moses Justice, Company H,
365th Infantry. He had worked as a farmer and enlisted from Marietta,
Ohio. While on patrol duty September 2, 1918, Second Lieut. Thomas J.
Bullock, Company D, 367th Infantry, was killed, the first officer in
the division to fall. In this sector the Negro soldiers remained until
September 21, 1918, when they were ordered to the Meuse-Argonne region,
the 81st Division, known as the “Wildcats,” relieving the 92nd when it
entrained.
Between September 21 and 23 the 92nd Division was carried from the St.
Die sector to the Argonne region, and by September 24 various units
had been assigned a place in the big drive scheduled for the 25th.
Headquarters were at Beauchamps Farm and Triacourt, and the division
was attached to the First Army Corps.
On September 23 the 368th Infantry was assigned to the 38th French
Army Corps, commanded by General Durand. It was given a position
on the right bank of the Aisne, north of Vienne-Le-Château and La
Harozee and 500 meters west of Binarville. The Second Battalion of the
regiment, which was in the front line, on September 26 “reconnoitered
the enemy trench position opposite it and progressed at a slow pace,
because of the abundance of wire, until the right half had made an
advance of three kilometers, where it met with strong opposition of
machine-gun nests.” The Third Battalion, according to plan, supported
the advance of the second. On September 27 both were ordered to attack,
the objective being the Trench du Dromadaire. The Second Battalion
progressed two kilometers against machine-gun fire and the third
reached the enemy trench line. On September 28 the objective of the two
battalions remained unchanged.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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