372nd Infantry Regiment ( United States ) The 372nd Infantry Regiment . was an African American regiment , nominally a part of the 93rd Infantry Division ( Colored ) , that served with the French Army in World War I . The 372nd Infantry Regiment was composed of the First Separate Battalion of the District of Columbia ; the 9th Separate Battalion of Ohio ; the First Separate Company of Maryland ; Separate Company G of Tennessee ; Company L , Sixth Infantry of Massachusetts ; and the First Separate Company of Connecticut - - - all these being National Guard troops , and 250 drafted men from Camp Custer , Michigan , recruited mainly from Michigan and Wisconsin . The 372nd Regiment was seconded to the 157th Infantry Division of the French Army , called the " Red Hand Division " . Under the command of General Mariano Goybet , this division was in need of reinforcements . Over the Top . Emmet J . Scott ' s " Official History of the American Negro in the World War " provides a chronological record of when the men were fighting with gallantry in the Champagne region of France for victory : " " Over the Top " September 28 , 1918 , the 3rd Battalion started after the Boche . The first blow being delivered by the 2nd Moroccan Division of shock troops . The retreating Boches are still bombarding our position . Machine gun fire is thick and the 88s are falling like hail . " On the morning of September 29 , 1918 , we are trying hard to keep up with the retreating enemy , which is retreating fast , unable to stand our assault . This afternoon it is raining which is unfortunate for our wounded , as there are many . " Today is September 30 , 1918 , and we find that the 1st Battalion is on our right , and advancing fast in the rain and mud . Machine gun opposition is still stiff . Our casualties are small and we have captured a large number of prisoners . " October 1 , 1918 , we are meeting with a stiff resistance from the enemy who has fortified himself in a hill during the past night . Owing to the bad condition of the ground we are not getting any support from the French artillery . " October 2 , 1918 , we have driven the enemy out of Fountain - en - Dormois and are now in the village . Still we are giving the enemy no rest , they are retreating across the valley to one of their supply bases which has a railroad running into the same . The enemy is now burning the supplies which cannot be moved . " October 3 , 1918 , we have advanced and captured the little village of Ardeuil and a considerable amount of war material . Our losses have been rather heavy during the past 24 hours , but we have inflicted a much heavier loss on the enemy . On our right the 1st Battalion has taken the village of Sechaut after some hard fighting by Company A . " October 4 , 1918 , the 2nd Battalion is going in this morning , and we are resting at Vieox , which is about four kilometers from Monthois and is one of the enemy ' s railroad centers and hospital bases . The enemy is busy destroying supplies and moving wounded . We can see trains moving out of Monthois . Our artillery is bombarding all roads and railroads in the vicinity . The enemies ' fire is fierce and we are expecting a counter - attack . " October 5 , 1918 , the German artillery has opened up good and strong and we are on the alert . They attacked us and a stiff hand - to - hand combat ensued . Again he has been driven back , suffering an exceedingly heavy loss . We have taken many prisoners from about twelve different regiments . After resting a little , we continued our advance and are now on the outskirts of Monthois . " October 6 , 1918 , the enemy is throwing a stiff barrage on our left where the 333rd French Infantry is attacking . The enemy is again being driven back . The liaison work of the 157th Division has been wonderful , not the slightest gap has been left open . " October 7 , 1918 , our patrols entered Monthois early in the morning but were driven out by . machine gun fire , but returned with gun and its crew . We have just received word that we are to be relieved by the 76th Regiment , French , sometime during the night ; we were relieved at 8 : 00 P . M . We hiked a very long distance over the ground . We fought so hard to take to Minnecourt where the regiment proceeded to reorganize . " Regiment reached Somme Bionne Oct . 9 , 1918 . Regiment left Somme Bionne Oct . 11 , 1918 to entrain for Vignemont . Left Valmy 8 : 00 A . M . Oct . 12 , 1918 and arrived at Vignemont Oct . 13 , 1918 . Hiked 15 kilometers to St . Leonard and arrived Sd . Left St . Leonard for Ban de Laveline in the Dept . of the Bosges Oct . 15 , 1918 , arrived at Laveline 10 : 15 P . M . Sd . " November 7 , 1918 , 1 officer and 22 enlisted men captured by German patrol . Nov . 10 , 1918 , a patrol of Co . A , took several prisoners from a German patrol . Citation for the men of 157th Division . On arrival in France , as this unit was transferred into the French command , its decorations are French rather than American . This unit was extremely well decorated , receiving unit and numerous individual citations including Croix de Guerre and Légion d ' honneur . P . C . October 8 , 1918 . " 157th Division . " Staff . General Order No . 234 " In transmitting to you with legitimate pride the thanks and congratulations of the General Garnier Duplessis , allow me , my dear friends of all ranks , Americans and French , to thank you from the bottom of my heart as a chief and a soldier for the expression of gratitude for the glory which you have lent our good 157th Division . I had full confidence in you but you have surpassed my hopes . " During these nine days of hard fighting you have progressed nine kilometers through powerful organized defenses , taken nearly 600 prisoners , 15 guns of different calibres , 20 minenwefers , and nearly 150 machine guns , secured an enormous amount of engineering material , an important supply of artillery ammunition , brought down by your fire three enemy aeroplanes . Signed General Goybet