New-York tribune., 1919-02-12
1000 Troops
Reach Here ON
3 Transports
Leviaihan Brings Negroes of
Heroic Southern Units,
Profusely Decorated
One Unit Has 163 Crosses
37Isf and 372d Are Both
Cited for Fighting With the
French in Champagne

Three transports, bringing more thar
900 American soldiers home from
overseas, arrived at this port yester
day. The Leviathan carried 9.470 o1
them and the Duca degli Abruzzi 1,64S
The Leviathan, once proud flagship
of the merchant feet Germany con
structed to keep pace with her ambi
tion OF world rule, never bore sc
strangely conglomerated human cargo
as she did yesterday nor happier one
AS the squadron of fussy little tugs
towed the giant vessel to her Hoboker
pier every porthole framed at least
two grinning faces. Hundreds more
smiled appreciatively from the decks
swarming with khaki figures. And most
of them were black
There were $500 negro soldiers or
the Leviathan. the 371st and 372d In
fantry regiments complete and five
companies of the 36Sth Infantry.
Virtually all of them are draft men
from the regions far below the Mason
and Dixon line, and every one of them
came back a seasoned soldier.
Both regiments were cited in French
army orders and the colors of each
decorated with the Croix de Guerre
shortly before the troops embarked at
Brest. Among the two regiments are
two white officers who have been dec
Grated with the Legion of Honor Men
ard officers have received individually
3S Distinguished Service Crosses and
l68 CroiX des Queries, while four of
them have been recommended for the
Congress sional Medal of Honor
The 371st and 372d formed part of
the 93d Division. The division was
broken up, however, and two negro
regiments were brigaded with the
French. For four months they We're
part of the 157th French Division un-
der General Goybet, holding sections
of the line northwest of Nerdun
In September they were thrown into
the fierce Champagne offensive, captur-
ing Cote 1Ss, Busy Ferme, Ardeuil
Montfauxelles and Trieres Ferme. Dur.
ing this fighting the 371st took from
the enemy forty-seven machine guns
eight trench engines. three IT'S, a mu-
milton depot and a vast quantity of sup
plies. Three German airplanes were
downed by rifemen and machine gun
ners Of the 371st.
Lost 1866 of 2,3s4 Men
This regiment was the furthest ad
vanced of any of the attacking force
being the apex of the salient, and los
1.055 of 2.3S4 men actually engaged
After the Champagne fight the 371s
went into the Bonhomme sector of the
Nosges, remaining there until conclu
sion Of the armistice. During the las
three months of their active service
not man CT the 371st laid eyes on al
American outside their own ranks.
commanded the 371st. Lieutenan-
Colonel Walter o. Cooley was in com
mand of the 372d
Besides the units of negro troop:
aboard the Leviathan were 2,151 sicl
and wounded men, the 41st Division
Headquarters troop, the 163d Infan
try Headquarters and 82d Infantr,
Brigade Headquarters.
All the ships complement, save tn,
sick and wounded, had been made VI
into the 41st Division, with Majo
General Peter L. Traub in command
1t was thus the first war strength
division returning under arms.
Major Samuel NJ Johnson, o
ficers VINO received the Legion o
Honor. He was also decorated witt
the Croix de Guerre and the Distin
gushed Service Cross
Major Johnson's exploit was leadin,
particularly daring raid into tn
enemy trenches, in which 100 prison
ers and an immense quantity of booty
including thirty machine guns, wer
taken.
Four Die on Trip Over
-Four men among the ships compile
ment died on the voyage from pneu
monia. One OF them, negro private
breathed his last Just as the Lcviatha.
was passing the Statue Of Liberty.
Several former members of the oil
s9th New York Regiment were on tn
Leviathan. Two had won promotion
from the ranks to commissions and on
OF them the Croix de Guerre.
Lieutenant John A. Sullivan, of 98
Bedford Avenue. Brooklyn, was tn
man decorated He led Company B, O
the 372d, to which he was transferre
overseas, in an attack on Sechault, tax
ing seventy-hve prisoners, four ma
chine guns and two howitzers.
Father and Son Wounded
Lieutenant George Farrell, of 1873
-+cN-Hivft <1Frl4bt. ne DTOIX, was
sergeant In Company K, of the oil
e9th. While serving with that unit i
the Lorraine he was wounded, spen
Twenty-Five days in the hospital, re
turned to duty, end was wounded agai
November l. 1t was then he waa mad
a lieutenant and transferred to tn
o71st~ His father, Joseph Farrell. wa
a, sergeant in Company |, of the 6etf
he, too, was wounded and came hom
about two weeks ago.
Lieutenant II. Van Claim was cor
poraI IN the e9th- He was gassed a
Other local officers on the transpor
Avenue X, F'atbush; Lieutenant Sijne
Schoenfeld. of 845 Hewitt Place. Tb
Bonx, and Major Charles E. Greencuol
of East Ninth Street, who was
broker before the war.