Special National Guards
It was just at that most critical time during the first months of this same year, (1917) before the United States declared war against Germany, and when no white man in America positively knew nor absolutely trusted any other white man as to his real one hundred percent Americanism, that the Administration called out the first Separate Colored Battalion of the District of Columbia. This group of well trained and true loyal American soldiers was made a Special National Guard to defend, from the enemies of the Government, the Capitol, White House and other important Federal buildings located in Washington, D.C. the Capital of the United States of America. The mere fact that the Administration did not select a white group of soldiers for such a purpose at such a critical time when spies of the enemy were everywhere in every form proves without a doubt that the American white people not only had to admit among themselves but were forced to acknowledge to the whole world that this was one time in the history of the country when they had not confidence enough in members of their own race to intrust to them the Nation’s most valuable and delicate assets and responsibilities, namely; its filed-away official records, its treasuries of monies, its cherished honors and its liberty-loving Government. And the necessary intrusting of such national assets and responsibilities to the care of Colored soldiers reminded the outside world (what American white people should never forget) that the Colored people in the United States form the backbone of the American nation; especially when the Nation is required to use that backbone in overthrowing such white traitors of this country as the despised Benedict Arnold and such white murderers of Presidents as the scorned J. W. Booth.
That Special Colored Guard of Honor was under a Colored commander, Major James E. Walker, who at all times intelligently and fearlessly directed and guided his men in so successfully carrying out that responsible and trustworthy task. And it was on account of his constant exposure to all kinds of early spring weather (They started guard duty March 25, 1917.) while daily and nightly directing and watching the movements of his men, that Major Walker contracted the incurable cold which resulted in his fatal illness and untimely death just in the flower of his youth and in the performance of one of the most confidential and mental-straining duties the Nation could impose upon a citizen; guarding the history, good name, wealth and liberty of one hundred ten million people.
ON THE SEA
“Of The People, By The People, For The People.”
On U. S. Ships, Colored men deserve
More than to cook or meals to serve;
And some are worthy of better fates
Than be only stewards and gunners’ mates.
Miss “Annapolis-Stevens” should never forget
Foreign nations are looking in shocking regret
At her vamping white boys, for caresses to get
In this School where one Colored has studied but yet.
—Harrison.
In regard to the Colored men who took part in Naval strifes on the high seas, it has been estimated that at least ten thousand of them served in the Navy during the World War. While they were not allowed to advance in the Navy in proportion to their advancement in the Army, nevertheless, Colored college graduates and students, fully knowing such facts, put aside for the time being their educational ambitions and careers, entered the Navy and patriotically as well as unselfishly served in the menial positions of stewards, cooks and mess boys. And judging from the sleek full cheeks and plump round bodies of the officers and sailors aboard the vessels, those Colored boys, who were broad-minded and big-hearted enough to put down college pride and take up in its place national patriotism, went into galley and mess rooms and used the same kind of brain power in wrestling with pots and pans, foods and dishes as they had so brilliantly used in tussling with slippery mathematical, historical and linguistic problems when in their college class-rooms.
And who but God has an accurate record of the noble deeds humbly performed by many of those entrapped and unrescued Colored firemen and stokers who to the very last possible moment kept up the motor powers of their vessels in trying to outspeed and outdodge the death dealing submarine torpedoes? Those swift snakelike missives were always aimed and usually struck at either the life-giving lungs (fire rooms) or the pulsating hearts (engine rooms) of their objects. And it was in those vital organs of several great sea-ploughing vessels where many feverishly working, loyally dying and unsung Colored heroes went down to forever sleep in the dark deep chambers of “Father Neptune.”
THE STEVEDORES
While their duties, not being on the battle fields nor firing lines, called forth no spectacular incidents, citations for bravery or award of medals, nevertheless, the work of the stevedores was as important and valuable as the efforts of any other division in the World War. And their giant strengths and swiftness of movements in loading and unloading supply transports on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean played a very very clever part in helping the world to finally get a Zbyszko “toe-hold” a Stecher “scissors-hold” and a Lewis “strangle-hold” upon Germany and gradually forcing her shoulders backward and flat upon the universal mat of democracy.
(For some of the facts and figures used in writing-up the actual military and naval actions of the different wars that have been recorded on the foregoing pages, the writer is reverently grateful to his deceased Father, who as a runaway slave served through the Civil War, and other veterans of the Civil, Spanish-American and World Wars. But for the remainder and majority of such war data herein used, the author is fully indebted to The National Benefit Life Insurance Company, through the generous courtesies of its President, Mr. R. H. Rutherford, Washington, D.C., whose personal permission the writer secured to use such data in this book.)
HIGHEST COLORED OFFICERS IN THE UNITED STATES ARMY
A Brunette General
Through all the wars these States have gone,
A million Colored their parts have borne,
But never a General has one been made:
Yet, Lafayette’s France have them so paid,
For character there out-points darkest shade.
Colored taxes are yearly in dollars fed
To help in the drilling of West Point’s tread:
On kinder treatments Negroes should have dined,
Who rarely got there and mostly resigned.
If length of service and training thorough,
And physical fitness without a blur
Mark Colored soldiers for station anew,
“Uncle Sam,” they would fill them both brave and true;
These nephews who never have treasoned you.
—Harrison.
Those who have been appointed the highest Colored officers in the United States Regular Army are as follows:
Colonel Charles Young (retired) Tenth Cavalry.
Lieutenant Colonel Allen Allensworth (retired) deceased, Chaplain, Twenty-fourth Infantry.
Lieutentant Colonel Benjamin O. Davis, Ninth Cavalry.
Lieutenant Colonel John E. Green, Militia Attache, Monrovia, Liberia.
Major William T. Anderson (retired) Chaplain, Tenth Cavalry.
Major John R. Lynch (retired) Paymaster.
Major Richard R. Wright, Paymaster, 1898, Spanish-American War.
Major George W. Prioleau, Chaplain, Twenty-fifth Infantry.
Captain W. E. Gladden, Chaplain, (retired) Twenty-fourth Infantry.
Captain T. G. Steward, Chaplain retired, Twenty-fifth Infantry.
Captain Oscar J. W. Scott, Chaplain, Tenth Cavalry.
Major Louis A. Carter, Chaplain, Ninth Cavalry.
First Lieutenant A. W. Thomas, Chaplain Twenty-fourth Infantry.
Those who held the highest Colored commissions above captains in the United States Army during the World War are as follows:
“Colonels:
Franklin A. Denison, 370th Infantry; Charles Young retired.
Lieutenant Colonels:
Ollie B. Davis, 9th Cavalry; Otis B. Duncan, 370th Infantry; John E. Green, Military Attache, Monrovia, Liberia.
Majors:
“Thomas B. Campbell; Milton T. Dean, 317th Ammunition Train; John C. Fulton, 372nd Infantry; William B. Gould, Jr., National Guard; Charles L. Hunt, 370th Infantry; William H. Jackson, 369th Infantry; Thomas H. Moffatt, 371st Infantry; Adam E. Patterson, Judge Advocate, 92nd Division; Rufus M. Stokes, 370th Infantry; James E. Walker, 372nd Infantry; Arthur Williams, 370th Infantry.”
(The above list of officers’ names are quoted from Work’s Negro Year Book, edition 1918-1919, pages 223-228.)
IN THE WORLD WAR
At Home
Relative to the willing sacrifices, unfaltering patriotism and loyalty of the millions of Colored people who remained at home in the United States during the World War, several books could be written but limited space herein will not permit but a few paragraphs covering their many activities.
After the white American men had enlisted or were drafted into the Army and Navy, there were left vacant thousands and thousands of responsible positions. The European foreigners who had previously immigrated here and were immediately given (even before they could understand the laws of the land or speak its language) full American opportunities and privileges, except the ballot, were now found unreliable. Great hordes of them showed their gratefulness to America for earlier throwing wide open her doors to them by refusing to come up to her test of one hundred percent Americanism. Even after all of the available mothers, wives, daughters and sisters of the departed white American soldiers were used in such places, there still remained many thousands of positions unfilled. All that time millions of Colored men and women who were loyally and willingly asking and waiting to fill such places were at first purposely ignored. Because of the lack of sufficient man power, the cog-wheels of industry all over the country began to stop. It seemed as though the American white sentiment of prejudiced feeling against the Colored people had become so bitter that the country was willing to commit industrial suicide while stopping to wallow in its mires of racial hatred.
But a certain good white sentiment (that usually turns up sooner or later, and in some cases more later (than sooner) after great sufferings have been caused) gently but firmly reminded America that there were millions of Colored people who were able and willing to fill those places. They were the people who had made and spent their money here to enrich and build up America as well as at all times and under all conditions had proved themselves most loyal and trustworthy citizens. That reminder although known to be wholly true was still laughed and sneered at by many until they were suddenly and painfully brought to realize that they must either employ Colored people in those positions or let the country go in starvation and ruin for want of sufficient and proper productions. Colored men and women were then at first reluctantly given employment in all parts of the country in almost all kinds of work. Thus for the first time since their forefathers and mothers had arrived in America nearly three hundred years before, Colored people were nationally allowed to use and enjoy many of the opportunities and privileges that had been stingingly withheld from them merely because they were Negroes and freely given to (many times forced upon) alien enemies just because they were Caucasians.
Leaving home in the morning long before dawn and returning late after twilight, Colored men faithfully dug coal in the mines of Alabama, Iowa, West Virginia and elsewhere in order that various kinds of industrial plants might continue to run in full blast and that transportation carriers might quicken their speeds to stations and sea ports. “A. J. Webster, a coal miner of Buxton, Iowa, is reported to have broken the record by earning $214.06 in 14 working days, during the last half of July, 1918. The wage was based on the amount of coal mined.”
In the shipyards along both the Atlantic and Pacific coasts, where the long swift-keeled ocean grey hounds and the heavy big-bodied sea-pacing mastiffs were rapidly born into life, thousands of Colored men were busily helping to assemble the durable steel ribs into place and rivet the armorplate hides of those ferocious watch dogs that prowled back and forth sleeplessly guarding the front doors of their master and mistress—“Uncle Samuel” and “Aunt Liberty”. And among those Colored ship builders, it was Charles Knight and his crew of seven men, who on July 16, 1918, at the Bethlehem Steel Company’s Sparrow Point, Md., plant, drove 4,875 rivets in a 9 hour day. The highest previous record of 4,442 rivets for the same time had been made in Scotland. Knight and his men, therefore, were the first Americans (Colored or white) to break and bring that record to the United States. His regular services for the day earned him $102; he received a bonus of $50.00 for bringing the record to America, and twenty-five pounds sterling ($125.00) offered through the London Daily Mail by Mr. McLeod, the head of a London Shipbuilding Company, to the one who broke the record. Thus Knight received for his one day’s labor $277.00, besides having the honor of being the first American to break the European riveting record.
Many people have heard the time-worn expression “make bricks fly”, but it has been left for Alonzo Harshaw, a Colored artisan, to break a record by making bricks fly in laying them at the rate of sixty thousand paving bricks per day. It is said that Harshaw, who works for the Southern Paving & Con. Co., lays bricks with such rapidity and exactness that he has been photographed while at work by several moving picture firms.
In the rolling mills, steel and iron foundries, Colored men were there in thousands sweating away their strength and burning up their vitality before blistering metals in order that the best possible steel and iron might be made strong and durable enough to withstand the bursting shells and the snake gliding torpedoes from the submarines of the scientific Germans.
Pushing pens and pencils on top of desks, tapping keys of clicking typewriters, bending over buzzing sewing machines, plying needles over tailors’ benches, before the humming looms, by the dangerous railroad crossings, in the car-filled train yards, between the handles of loaded wheelbarrows, through the crops of farmerette fields, among the death-dealing explosives in munition and arsenal plants and in many other places, thousands of brave and willing Colored women were to be found either in yeowomen’s suits or overalls and blouses steadfastly working with cheery dispositions and hopeful smiles.
In December, 1918, two distinguished Colored Americans were sent to Europe on special missions as follows; Dr. Robert R. Moton, who was sent by the President of the United States and the Secretary of War to investigate the conditions of and talk to the Colored soldiers, and Dr. W. E. B. DuBois who went to Europe as the representative of the N. A. A. C. P. and The Crisis to collect historical data pertaining to the American Colored fighters in the World War and to call and form a Pan-African Congress.