The Regiment was in a state of irritation many times, but it was restrained by the influence of the non-commissioned officer. In this case, the influence was very strong because the regiment was all from New York and mainly from Harlem.
The 369th was brigaded with the French who treated the 369th on very human terms consisting of equality and brotherhood. The fine treatment which the 369th received, made the Black regiment eager to fight for France.
There were charges that Colonel Hayward and his White officers needlessly sacrificed the lives of the Black soldiers. This accusation, of course, is hard to prove. It was certain that the casualties in this regiment were heavy. During the great attack in the Champagne, in September and October, two hundred men were killed and eight hundred were wounded and gassed.
The Regiment went into battle with the French on the left and the Morroccans on the right. Because the Regiment advanced faster than the other units, it was caught in its own barrage. The Regiment was in the line seven and one-half days. Usually three to four days on line is the limit.
All in all, the 369th Regiment was under fire 191 days. Three to four days is usually the limit for being on the line in battle. The 369th Regiment received over 170 citations for the "Croix De Guerre" and theDistinquished Service Cross. Of all the units of the Allied armies, the 369th with the Second French Army was the first unit to reach the Rhine on November 18, 1918.
THE 371ST REGIMENT
The 371st Regiment was drafted from South Carolina. From the beginning, Southern White officers were in charge, many of the officers were arrogant and overbearing.
On October 5 thru 17, 1917; the regiment mobilized at Camp Jackson. They embarked for France on April 9th, 1918 from Newport
News, Virginia. In France, the Regiment was trained at
Rembercourt-Aux-Ports(Meuse) and left for the region near Bar-Le-Duce, June 5. The troops arrived in the Argonne June 22. They were brigaded with the 157th French Division, 18th Army Corps, and remained in the battle-line, front and reserve, until the Armistice was signed.
There is little data at the present available for the history of this regiment because there were no Black officers to preserve them. It was rumored, however, that after the first battle the number of casualties among the meanest of their officers led to
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