New-York tribune., 1919-02-10
Battalion of Former New
York Negro Cuardsrnen
Won Eonors i'm France
To Demobilize at Upton
Touching Reunion Marks
Greeting of Maj. Spencer
Here to Returning Men

When the French liner France wa.
warped INTO her pier at the foot o.
Fifteenth Street in the North River
Yesterday to the notes of "The Sta,
spangled Banner" the smears of he,
fading camoufage were topped at eacf
deck rail by lines of lustrous blacl
that were not there when last the sbir
started overseas. The liners cargo OF
negro soldiers was standing at atten.
tion.
Then the bandsmen standing on the
pier played Rock bye Your BABY
with Dixie Melody" The elisten.
ing lines of black at the rails be.
gan to sway and bend, breaking intc
streaks of white that were teeth. The
capering shufflcs stopped abruptl,
with the end of the tune. Then above
the snorting of half a dozen tugs nos.
ing at the big ships stern sounded
this plea:
Encore, sil vous plait, wild de
jazz"
But instead of an extra bit of niauu,
music there came a cheer from thoao
on shore. The France touched tho
dock and the third battalion of Now
ra 1rk,s 18th Infantry was home aaa;r
'"eir reoeral service reeimental ~,
merals are 369, but it is unl;tal'. 4,lO. ,,u.
New fork will ever call them anI,.hi,a si,,'
but the 10Th ''''S s"ihe
SAILED Fourteen Months AGO
Fourteen months ago they sailef
"Nay on the Pocahontas, their laucb;no q
1SohVersatlon iilled with idioms of baii
TL, TTILys, elevator operators and chauffeurs
rons aa,ae oacN yesterday, grinning he
,oes' speaking French with a HnH.
haitian accent. avn MI
to, somewhere on the Atlantic steamino
toward New York is the Stockb t,c ol,l, ~ :
bearing Colonel William Hav,vard rl,'o,.,l -,
.he nrst battalion of the regiment 1,r IN
me hegina, under command of Naior
Li.tie. Is the second battalion
nree OF the five negro officers u.bo
vent overseas with the 10Th came banl'
sestsroay on the France. but NOT as
members Of the 18th. They are now a..
'acned TO the 370th infantry 18Th lllj-
mo.f, Natlonai Guard. also negro
= faai:l ,nehl' Inns fact is responsible for
~ C-oICA ilSSs WlLnlQ the rank =
oi tne New York regiment. The maT
nay tney nave not had a square dnal
40 support this statement thev bronoht
cut that First Lieutenant James Reesc
Europe is the only negro officer n1b =
was not lransferred from the regiment
Even he, they said, had not been ~ wi vii -
lEne regiment while it was in Frsnce @' -
hey blame one officer OF the reo;.
ment- For all the others they seemed
10 nave deep affection and resnect
ne three former officers of the 15+1
VINO came back attached to the 370tf
we're captain Charles n. Fillmore T;rs-
lieutenant George c. Lacey and I;o,r.
tenant u. Lincoln Reed. A fourth ofYi.
Ger, Captain Napoleon Bonaparte NJ
snail, returned to New York soma ~,
ago, suffering from wounds received % .iDir -
action. e'el'eo IL
Fifteen Rise from Ranks
Frteen other officers of the rl,;ro;.
regiment were former members ~ ~
1oth VINO sailed for France as enlista(
men At the invitation of tho Fra,,o, :,
tnese hfteen were sent to an officers
framing camp and were graduated a,
second heutenants just about the tirH,
ne armistlce was signed. But the NO.
are embittered even about this. Tho, no,
said: ''''' ne.
The French wanted thir+v of a..
i9th boys sent to the officers school