The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1919-09-03
Eight Hundred Men and officers
Arrive Today From
France
PLANS ARE MADE FOR
A GRAND PARADE
Procession headed by Gen. Per-
:. shing Will March Down Fifth
Avenue September 10.

New, York, Aug. 30.-Eight hum
dred officers and men of the First: Di-9
vision have arrived here fron France.
Plans have been made for a parade
on Fifth Avenue for September f0tir
with Gen. Pershing heading the pro-
cession.
The First Division first units of
which returned home today from
Germany is justly proud of it's claims
being "tlle. first division in France;
first in a fighting sector; first to fire q
shot at the Germans; first to attack;
first to conduct a raid; first to be raid
ed; first to capure prisoners; frstTto
infict casualties; first to suffer casual
ties; first to be cited singly in gen
eralc orders; first. in the. number Oh. di-
vision, corps and army commanders
and general staff officers produced
from its personnel"
The official history Of the division
shows it was organized in France, the
last units to arrive reaching that
country July 2, 1917. twas compos-
ed. of troops of the regular army the
Sixteenth, Eighteenth, Twenty-ssxth
and Twenty-eighth Infantry Regi-
ments; the Fifth, Sixth and Seventh
Artillery Regiments: the First Engd-
neer Regiment and Train; the Second
Field Signal Battalion and the Third
Fourth and Fifth Ambulance Compa-
nies and Field Hospital.
/ It occupied successfully the SuIa-
mervil1e sector, near Nancy; the.
Anauvillc sector, near Toul; the CSn-,
tigny sector, near Montididier; partEe
1cipated in Scissors operation south
west of SCISSORS; occupied the saNesss
ais sector participated in the st. MT
hiel' operation; the Meuse- sop-.
GRAFTON in the Sheppy sector, west OF
t-varennes; the Operation against Monz'
zon, and the operation south xafd
southwest of Sedan, attacking sthe.
heights on the morning Of November.
z, 1913. :5ssss
On November II it began the rae
rnorable march through Lorraine and
Luxembourg reaching the Coblef.z
bridgehead on the Rhine. December
IA, 1918, which position it held until
| relieved recently by other American
troops. y.
requirements in the division ups 20
the time of the armistice totalIed s3e,-.
206 and the losses In killed and died
Of wounds were 4,411, wounded and
gassed 1891 and prisoners lost 152.
tt captured S,467 Germans; 119 pieces
of artillery, 81 Trench Mortars and 41S
Machine Guns. The total of Dtsti1-
guished Service Crosses awarded the
men of the division was 356.
Major General William L. -Sibert
commanded the division June 8, 1871
to December -. 1917; Major General,
Robert l.. Bullard from December 1S.
1917 until he became corps: comman
er; Major General Charles p. Sum
merall from July 20. 1913. to Octeb-
sr II, 1918; Brigadier General Frank
E. Bamford from October II, 1880
October a. 1915 Brigadier General
Frank Parker took command on Oc-s
tober 25. 1918 and. from May 81. 1918.
Major General E: F. McGlachiin, -Irv
was in command Of the division. -
The divisional insignia is a crimson
"1'' on a khaki background, chosen
because the numeral IL" represents
the number of the division and many.
of its subsidiary organizations s;