The bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1919-03-07

that exposed ground, where thousand of
French and German soldiers had fallen
as the line swayed back and forth, these
American Negroes, fresh from their
training with the French, were placed
to hold the Hun tide.
Their first engagement was in drive
for Monitor. Here came the real test,
as one military observer has said. And,
according to this authority, they were
eager to get into the fight.
.They eheered and sang when the
announcement came that their chance
had arrived. But the question was:
back of their enthusiasm had they the
staying qualities drilled into European
troops through centuries OF training IN
the science of warfareS
nThis they answered by doing some
of the heaviest and most effective fight
ing of the day. From June 8 TO Sep
TENDER 10 they were stationed in the
bloody Argonne forest. On the night
of September IS they were summoned
to take part in the Argonne offensive,
and were in that terrific drive-one of
the decisive engagements of the war
until October z.
"In this nine days battle the Ne
groes not only proved their fighting
qualities in an ordeal such as men have
rarely been called upon to face, but
these qualities, in deadly striking power
and stubborn resistance in crises, stood
out with such distinction that the whole
regiment was awarded the coveted croix
de guerre."
In that engagement the Negro sol
diers captured 500 prisoners and thirty
five guns and rounded up an enormous
amount of engineering material and am
munition. They also brought down
some 500 men in killed, wounded and
gassed
At the same time another Negro regi-
ment, the 369th, under Colonel Hay
ward, was winning deathless fame in ac-
ton. And there is no telling how far
these fearless fighters might have
pressed on had not hostilities ceased
when they did, for at Ii o'cloek on the
morning of November II they were the
furthest east of all the allied fighting
forces-the nearest to the Rhine!
tional All the way through, wherever
Negro regiment or division went into
action. the result was the same. Three
whole regiments were given the crolx
de guerre as understanding the right
for each member to wear this badge Of
honor-and like recognition was ac-
corded an entire battalion OF the 'Buf-
faloes.'' And some of the individual
exploits cited are thrilling enough for
any youth. One, in particular, deserves
widespreading: .. ..t..
Infantry, and five of his men, armed
only with their rifles, trench knives and
hand grenades, picked up from the shell
holes along the way, were moving over
road in the Chateau Thierry sector.
Suddenly their course was crossed by
the firing Of German machine gun.
They tried to locate it by the direction
Of the bullets, but could not. To their
right, little ahead, lay space covered
with thick underbrush; just back Of it
was an open field.
Lieutenant Campbell, who knew by
the direction of the bullets that his
party had not been seen by the Ger
mans, ordered one of his men, with a
rope which they happened to have, to
crawl to the thick underbrush, and tie
the rope to several stems of the brush;
then to withdraw as far as possible and
pull the rope, making the brush shake
as though men were crawling through it.
The purpose was to draw direct fire
from the machine gun and, by watching
it, locate its position.
s'The ruse worked. Lieutenant
Campbell then ordered three of his men
to steal out and flank the machine gun
on one side, while he and two others
moved up and flanked it on the other
side. ~
"The brush was shaken more violent
ly by the secret rope. The Germans,
their eyes focused on the brush, poured
hail Of bullets into it. Lieutenant
Campbell gave the signal. The flankine
party dashed; with their hand grenades
they killed four of the Boches and cap.
tured the remaining three-also the ma
chine gun. 81
Concluded in next issue.)