Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1918-06-22
COLONEL WIN. HAYWOOD
PRAISES PRIVATE HENRY
JOHNSON OF NEW YORK.
The Colonel Of CoIored Regiment
Tells Wife Of Hubby's Bravery.
prize Money HWarded-~ The Letter De-
ScrIbeS Battle i'm Which TWO Soldiers
Beat Off the German Raiders

story of the bravery Of Private Henry
Johnson, 369th Infantry, which
brought him the French War Cross,
is contained In letter which tho
colonel has written to Private John
sons wife, Mrs. Edna johnson, 80
Monroe street, Albany, N. Y, in
which; he cites graphically the in
stances of GOODNESS and lighting abil-
ity of Private johnson against great
odds.
Johnson was wounded in q trench
raid which he and another comrade
effectively stopped and In addition to
tho War Cross. fifty francs, which
General Gourand Of the French forces
gave to Colonel Hayward for the use
Of the family Of the first man in his
regiment to be wounded under heroic
circumstances has been sent to Mrs.
Johnson.
Colonel Hayward's letter follows:
Your husband, Private Henry
4 Jollns0n Is In my regiment, sc 9th.
Gt'SittlG Sexes if6fait:ss, lss u. 5Ijf
tenth New York Infantry. He has
been at all times a good soldier and
n good boy Of fine morale and up
right character. TO these admirable
traits he has lately added the most
convincing numbers OF fine courage
and fighting ability. I regret to say
at the moment that he Is In tho hos
pital, seriously but not dangerously
wounded, the wounds having been
received under such circumstances
that everyone Of us in the regiment
would be pleased and proud to trade
places with him.
at was as follows: He and Pri-
vate Noedham Roberts were on guard
together at small outpost OF the
front line trench near the German
lines and during tho night a strong
raiding party Of Germans, numbering
from twelve to twenty judging by tho
weapons, clothing and paraphernalia
they left behind and by their foot
prints, stole across No Mans Land
and made surprise attack in the
dead Of the night on our two brave
soldiers.
eve had learned some time ago
from captured German prisoners that
the Germans had heard Of the regi-
ment Of black Americans in this sec
tor, and the German officers had told
their men how easy to combat and
capture them it would be So this
raiding party came over, and On the
contrary Henry Johnson and Need.
ham Roberts were very much awake
and alert and attending strictly to
their duties.
"At the beginning Of the attack,
the Germans fired a vollcy OF bullets
and grenades and both OF the boys
were wounded, your husband three
times and Roberts twice, then tho
Germans rushed the post expecting to
make an easy capture. In spite o.
their wounds, the two BOYS waited
cody and courageously and when the
Germans were within striking dis
lance opened fire, your husband with
his rifle and Private Roberts from his
helpless position on the ground with
hand grenades. But the German
raiding party came On in spite OF the
wounded and in few seconds our
boys were at grips with the terrible
foe in desperate hand to hand en-
counter in which the enemy outnum-
bored them ten to one.
"The boys inflicted heavy loss on
the enemy, but Roberts was over
powered and about to be carried away
when your husband, who had used
up all Of the cartridges in the mag
aZine of his rife and had knocked one
German down with the butt end OF it,
drew his bolo from his belt. A bolo
is short heavy weapon carried by
the American soldier, with the edge
Of q razor, the weight of a cleaver
and the point Of a butcher knife.
He rushed to the rescue of his
former comrade and fighting dcsper-
ately, opened with his bolo the head
of tho German who was throttling
Roberts and turned to the Boche who
had Roberts by the feet, plunging tho
bolo in the Germans bowels. This
one was tho leader Of the German
party and on receiving what must
have been this mortal wound eX-
claimed in American English without
any trace of accent, ooh the son Of
a ---.--- got NO." thus proving that
he was undoubtedly one OF tho So
called German-A americans who came
to our country, not to become a good
citizen Of 1t, but to partake Of it's
plenty and bounty and then return to