The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-02-10
5,4OO HEROES BACK;
WAR CROSSES MANY
Major Esperancc and 500 Men
Of 18th Negro Regiment Get
Joyous Welcome.
DEEDS OF BRAVERY TOLD
Patriots From Harlem Black
Belt in Advance Guard Sent
to the Rhine.

NO scrapplng Americans ever STeeteu
the Statue OF Liberty with more fervor
than the 1000 who arrived yesterday by
the superb French liner France and
whose khaki uniforms in most instances
harmonized with their compilations and
that OF the skyscraping bronze girl.
More than 500 of them originally were
recruited in this neighborhood and had
been members OF the old Fifteenth New
York Infantry. and they were elated to
see again the tower punctuated skyline
and gave vent to their feelings In the
ultra happy manner OF the Yankee negro
soldier. They come back with a record
that in some respects Is finer than that
OF some OF the crack white units recently
from French battlefelds and they were
greeted by an extra steamboat. the Cor
rection. with 800 Harlem negro patriots,
personal friends Of the Third Battalion
OF the s6eth. the present name of the
famous black regiment.
The Patrol, official greeting ship OF
the Mayors committee, also had repre-
sentatives OF the city's negro citizens
aboard. Naturally the pent up steam
Of the soldiers was blown of chiefly in
the direction OF the Correction. The
soldiers. not only the men of the Third
Battalion but hundreds OF others OF the
1000 aboard, waved their trench helmets
danced exultingly in the way that only
men of their race can and sang every
thing from plantation melodies to rag
time. while the greeters on both vessels
cheered TIL they were hoarse There
is really no place like home TO the Amer
lean negro and he showed 1t when the
nj zinc ND
to him.
Crossed the Belgian Border.
All the negro troops in the France
were In command Of Col. 4. T. Roberts
OF the Regular Army. who halls from
Springfield. Ill. and who had lots OF
tlne things 70 say about them. His own
command since July has been the 310th
Regiment. which he brought back com
plete minus the losses sustained In bat
tie. He said: 81 have received high COM
mendations on the fighting qualities ot
my men and their general bearing. They
were actually over the Belgian border
when the arnistice was signed. OF 1873
officers OF the 3T0th only three are white
The record Of the negro officers is ex-
cellent"
The returning battalion OF the old FIJI
perance' Of Pelham Manor. whose wife,
instructor of pathology at Cornell. Is n
niece Of Chauncey Depew. He said he
could not And the right kind Of words to
tell what he thinks OF the 360th, 100 OF
whom have received the Croix de Guerre
and three the Distinguished Service
Cross. He went into the drive in the
Champagne sector In the latter part OF
September with 20 officers and 700 men
and came out with officers and $50
men. The battalion was relieved on
October ! and went back of the lines
five days for rest and to receive replace
ments. Later they operated with tho
French in the Vosges and went forward
after the arm!stice AS the advance guard
to the Rhine. reaching the river on No
vember Is with the first regiment to get
there.
Major Loriliard Spencer former COM
mander OF the battalion. who was
wounded badly and sent home, was nj
the pier on clutches to greet his old
command and they made the welkin
v!brate when they saw him. Major
Esperance spoke glowing, o. Major
Spencer's gallartry and consideration for
his men. He praised the 3s9,h as n
whole. saying II had the distinction Of
never having lost prisoner in all the
1871 days II was in action. The regi-
ment In the September offensive cap
tured four 77s ESQ machine guns and
400 prisoners.
Major Esperance is entitled 70 wear
the decoration OF the Legion OF Honor
and the Croix de Guerre with one palm.
He led his battlion in the September
offensive. broke through the enemv. cap
turing guns and prisoners. The French
General lie Bouc said the Major had
n ,,,f
the Major says 1t Is the other way
around. Five officers OF the old Fiji
teenth came back with the Major. all
wearing the CroiN de Guerre Capts
John r. Outwater. Cummerford. Nc
Laughl!n. L. +. Shaw and Edward A.
Walter and Lieut. w. +. Lockhart.
Private Elmer McGowin OF $50 Lenox
avenue wears the Distinguished Service
Cross for galantry In liaison duty in the
Champagne district and rescuing
wounded from No Mans Land. He car
ried messages under deadly FIRE. lie was
not sent out TO bring in the wounded.
but went Of his own ACCORD. His uni
form was ripped and he was gassed when
a bullet tore his mask.
Rescued Comrades Under Fire.
Corporal Elmer Earl. Middletown. y
Y, was with a platoon Of f1fty-eight men
fighting rear guard action. All except
eight were killed or disabled and the
Corporal ventured several times on hands
and knees into the open and got about
dozen of his comrades 70 safety That
is why they gave him the Distinguished
Service Cross.
The armored cruiser North Carolina
berthed yesterday al IIobOken after y
stormy trip from Brest with new and
old tales OF the war, spun by a part OF
l.400 officers and men Of the land and
air forces OF the army, the marines and
the navy. The Twelfth Battalion OF the
Twentieth Engineers. mostly from the
Pacific coast. told how they built a
bridge in the Nosges section nine times
and we're cited in general orders for IT,
Capt William A. Duckham OF the
Fifth Marines. who returned with n de-
tachment OF wounded. retold the story
OF his regiment He wears the Croix de
Guerre and stripes for wounds received
at Scissors Sergeant William T.
Mitchell Of the Second Battalion OF the
Fifth Marines. Sergeant w c. HlIlman
and Sergeant c. Collopy wear the Croix
de Guerre for heroism. Colony has
been recommended for the DISTINGUISHED
Service Cross and the American Medal
Of Honor for capturing a strong ma
chine gun nest
RIJNDAM BRINGS 2 OOO