Evening journal., 1919-05-28
Field and staG Omcers.

Npo -. au buA Nh oHfttf " Alll4lit tlAi
Del.
Capt. Joshua Danforth Bush, No. sos
y Bro0me street. Wilmington. Del.
Capt Harry Blythe Van Solver. No.
400 y. Portland avenue, Ventnor, y. j.,
Personnel Adlut3nt
First Baltalion-AblOr VIM. Edward
Lank, No. iO2 p. Front street, Milford.
Del; ist Lieut.. Jas. Lester scotton,
Hartley. Del.
second Battalion-Nbj0 Ernest
COurtland Parks. No. coo y. Van Buren
street. Wilmington. Del; ist Lieut..
Jas. Carlton Hastings, SharplOwn. Nd.
Third Batlalion-Maior John Provost
LeFevre. Dover. Del; ist Lieut.. Byron
Ramon Foster, No $50 ith street, ocean
City. y. J.
On-COmmissioned staff Officers.
Chas. II. HutsOn. Regimenial SER
geant Major; John ]. Dugan. Regimen
tai Sergeant Major; Louis II. Smith.
Sd Battalion Sergeant Major: Titus e.
Geesey, ist Battalion Sergeant Major /:
Wm. r. Kern. 2d Battalion Sergeant
Major; color sergeanis, Mm. j. stone,
Geo. J. Johnson.
The j9th Pioneer Infantry American
ENpeditionary Forces, France.
ON January 9th, 1918. messenger
brought word TO Col ]. W. Reed. OF
the oath Depot Brigade. 29th Division.
Camp Mcclellan, Alabama. TO report 90
Division Headquarters. and upon his
arrival there he was inforged that in
structiOns had been received from
Washington TO reasscmble the units
and men formerly OF the ist Delaware
Infantry who had arrived at Camp Nc
Clellan October 9th. 1917. The ist Del
aware Infantry which was the only
National Guard organization in The
Stale of Delaware that had been called
90 the colors in the year 1917. had pre-
>yiously been organized into a regiment,
and after a tour OF guard duty com
mencing in March. 1917, covering var
iOus points susceptible OF attack by
German sympathizers in the state OF
Delaware, was assembled as a regi-l
ment, September 18th, 1917. and moved
iO the State rifle range near New
castle, Delaware. where il remained
until enirainment 10 Camp Mcclellan,
october ith. 1917. Special orders No.
, Headquarters. 29tl Division. fol-
owed the informal announcement and
ordered the reassembling OF the var
OILS units into a regiment or infantry
Delaware National Guard. 10 form a
'ioneer Regiment of Infantry, which
moved from Camp Mcclellan, Alabama.
III the 18TH and i3th OF January. 1918
rr.ving>at Camp Dix. New Jersey, on
ne 18th and 10th OF January 1918.
No information had been given re-
'ardng the duties OF Pioneer Infantry
md Regiment, after IFS arrival at Camp
nix. was trained as an Infantry Regi-
nent. but il wasl learned that the duties
II this branch Of the service were sim
lar 20 those OF the Pioneer Infantry Of
he British arm. viz. engineer duty with
Competent service when required.
On February g. 1918. the formal |
designation "59th Pioneer Infantry" was
conferred upon the command. the
strength Of the regiment being % OFF, |
GERS and 1868 enlisted men. :
on March i6, 1918. troops from Com !
0any B. 307th Machine Gun Battalion. !
a unit Of the 18th Division comprising |
men from Delaware. were transferred I
TO the regiment, and on April follow
ing two hundred ninety-three l293l re-
crulis from Delaware arrived at Camp I
Dix and were assigned to the regiment, |
the idea apparently being to constitute /
The regiment, as far as possible, Del |
aware unit.
10 was found, however. that recruits |
from Delaware were not coming in as 1
rapidly as was necessary and a number /
OF recruits from other States, principal |
iy from New York and New Jersey, were /
supplied TO bring the regiment up TO |
war strength. Six hundred nine l6O9l |
recruits were received April 26. 1918, !
and on July 2i, 1918, orders were re-
reived 10 mn the regiment to war
strength from the July draft. Pursuant 4
TO this, on August G. 1918, thirteen hun
dred nine 1909 recruits were received /
from the i53rd Depot Brigade, and on
The 9th OF August orders were received /
% complete full strength al the earliest
possible date.
During the stay OF the regiment at
Camp Dix, New Jersey, Major General
Hugh l.. Scott was in command Of the
s1th Division and afterwards became
camp commander at Camp Dix.
Various incidents characterized the
slay Of the regiment at this station and
IN April %. 1918. the regiment paraded
n Philadelphia. with other troops In
The demonstration for the Third Liberty
Loan. The regiment was never part OF
the 18th Division but remained at Camp
nix as an independent unit. designated
for use as army troops after the forma-
tlon OF field armies.
The commanding officer was notified
on May Z. 1918. that the regiment would
proceed overseas, the notice being pre-
liminary, as immediate movement was
not ordered. During all this time It was
necessary 10 observe great secrecy re-
garding movement OF troops and regard
ing certain items OF training. owing TO
the system OF espionage which the
enemy was known TO have in all parts
or the United States
After the 18th Division moved out OF
Camp Dix I'm May for overseas service
better opportunity was offered for rifle
practice and for other training which
had been subordinated TO the necessity
OF giving troops scheduled for overseas
movement all possible facilities for
and three weeks OF training in
sarget practice and field firing was
given in May and June.
0- the 2ist of August. 1918. embark
lsion orders were received and on the
-3rd Of August. Governor John q.
ov nsend, Jr. OF Delaware. visited the
1ili Pioneer Infantry at Camp Dix.
During its tour Of duty at Camp Dix.
sne regiment furnished various demon {
itrstioD companies for training pur- :
,oses at the camp. and particular mem ;
ion il made OF the successful outcome
Of the test OF The new sss mask made {
At Lakehurst station I'm August where y