Trench and camp. ([Admiral, Md.) 1917-1919, 1919-02-27
351ST F. A. HIT HUNS HARD.
THOUGH SOME COULDN'T READ
'Colored Redcords Fought Well and Fur
nished Much observation-disclosures
Reynolds Won $4,000 Francs.

Local color" Of the Afro American
brand was spread over many parts Of
France when the 351st Field Artillery
II the 92d Division was there to take
KS part in the great war. The impress
sion which the regiment made will re-
dound to the credit of the L. S. A.
According to Col Wade H. Carpenter,
Z the commander, the colored boys who
comprised the regiment made good
soldiers. Their officers were white.
and for the most part were men who
had come in for the emergency of the
war.
& After going through a preliminary
training the regiment was taken to
Iacourtine, an artillery range, and
,here the finishing touches were put
on. The colored redcords went into
action beyond Marbache against the
German position in Corny october 30.
They were making a name for them
selves as marksmen when the arm-
sticc was signed. The 1st and I'd Bat
talions were a part of the 9th Corps
of the I'd Army. while the Sd Bat
talon was in the 4th Corps of the
same army.
1t was stated by Gen. Pershing that
pOrtant position against Metz If that
operation had been attempted. For
this purpose fourteen-inch naval guns
had been put into position. The 351st
was in line with the regiments of
seventy-fives. although they manned
the FEench 1866 pieces corresponding to
the six-inch guns of the United States.
Col. Carpenter Led Them.
In action the colored artillerymen were
in the brigade commanded by Brig. Gen.
John Sherbourne of Boston, formerly of
the 26th Division. AS the general was
remaining in France, the brigade was
commanded by Col. Carpenter on the
return trip. There were few cas-
ualties. but recommendations for dis
tinguished service medals for certain
soldiers have already gone into the
War Department
This was the regiment which
trained in Meade with the 36Sth In
fantry of the same division. 1t was
commanded then by Col. William E.
Cole, who was made brigadier gen.
eral in France and later returned to
Meade. The boys were carefully Sc
l9cted from high school graduates. as
giveR< the privilege of going wher-
ever he wished for desirable men.
Many came from Pittsburgh and
harrisburg and baltimore included
800 volunteers. Inc remainder were
drafted fpm nearby states.
Although some of the men were
unable t6 fead or write, they became
excellent >gunners. Given the range
and detection they could set the
guns accurately, becoming used to the
figures before them although they
were. illiterate. This was regarded
as remarkable.
Among the features of the per-
sonnet was it's fine collection of tall
emit in the way of entertainment They
furnished amusement not only for
themselves, but, as one officer ex-
pressed it, "for the whole of France"
Not the least of these artists was
the band-leader Darcy Rhodes. His
music was noted for it's singularly
military quality and his drum ma jor,
Richard l.. Saunders, added much to
the appearance of the men behind him.
"Soms" Gunner, This!
Is Monty was plentiful amoug the
soldiers of the regiment and when
they reached Brest they had quite
q time in exchanging their francs
for American coin. Battery A had
sum nearing the 20,000-franc mark.
1900 of which belonged to Private
Reynolds, a Tennessee negro. who
was said to be very skillful in the
crap games.
AS an illustration of the way the
colOred boys regarded their hard