The Chattanooga news. [volume] (Chattanooga, Tenn.) 1891-1939, 1919-04-08

No. more distinguished I or gallant
soldier has come Back from France
than Brig. Gen. l.. d. Tyson COM
mander of the Fifty ninth brigade
and no other brigade showed more
gallantry than that of Gen Tyson's
He is a Knoxville man, but all
East Tennessee claims him and is
proud of the part he and his men
lplayed in France .f
This brigade. is part of the Thir-
tieth division which won interna-
tional distinction when, on Sept. 29,
1918, it had very important and ef-
fective part in breaking the Hinden-
burg lineAnorth of st. Quentin and
with the Australians and British
routed the Germans.
Gen. Lawrence d. Tyson, of Knox :
vile, commander of the Fifty ninth
brigade, was born in Greeneville. N.
c., July 4, 1861. He is the son of
Richard Lawrence Tyson and Louise
Turnage Tyson. He graduated from
the United States Military academy
in 1888 and married Miss Bette
Humes McGhee, of, Knoxville, Feb.
10, 1886.
He was made second lieutenant of
the Ninth United States infantry
June IS, 1888, and first lieutenant
Oct. Is, 1889. During the perio' of
his service in the regular army he
rendered valuable service in the sup
preston of the rebellion led by the
famous Geronimo, chief of the White
Mountain Apaches, and assisted in
the capture of tits leader
He was professor of military
science and tactics at the University
of Tennessee from 1891 to 1895. being
admitted to the bar in 1895. He
resigned from the United States army
April Is, 1896.
He was appointed colonel of the
Sixth United States, volunteer in
fantry May 20, 1898, by President
Mckinley, and served in Porto Rico
during the Spanish American war,
being mustered out. March IS. 1899.
He was brigatlier- general and in
spector- general on the staff of the
governor of Tennessee from 1902 to
1906.
When the United States DECLARED
war on Germany, Col. Tyson again
offered his services to his country,
and on Aug. 5, 1917, he was ap-
pointed brigadier- general by Presi
dent Wilson and assigned to the
vi dCPOI VI lSeihts III
October he was placed in command
of the Fifty ninth brigade which he
trained with an efficiency which was
evidenced by their splendid conduct
when placed on the firing line.
Baptism of Fire on Birthday.
After training at Camp Sewer,
Greenville. S. c.. from September.
1917, to May l, 1918 the Fifty ninth
was sent overseas and landed at
Calais May "a 1918, during one of
the darkest periods of the war, when
the French and British despaired of
the German advance. The
month of June was spent in training
with the British Fourth army. When
the Thirtieth division was sent into
Belgium the Fifty-ninth was the first
unit to enter, crossing the border
July 4. on the same day the brigade
arrived at the battlefield of Ypres
and for the first time was exposed
to shell fire. By singular coincidence
this date was also Gen. Tyson's
birthday anniversary.
The first action in which any of
the troops of this brigade engaged
was near Ypres. when the First bat
TALON of the 117th infantry was
called into action to relieve British
troops on July IS. From that time
until Aug. 16, when they moved up
into what was called the "blue line"
these troops were constantly under
heavy shell fire and occupied posi-
tions in Ypres and nearby towns.
During the period between Aug. Is
and Sept. the Fifty-ninth took part
in the lighting at KENNEL hill. Voor-
mezeele and at other points in Bel
gium. These engagements were not
especially sanguinary since the Ger
mans were most of the time with
drawing in an effort to gain more
positions and offering
small resistance to the
advance of the allied armies. For.
this reason the casualties for the first
lew weeks of active service were re-