George C. Mather,
Capt. F. A., U. S. A., Adj. 351st Field Artillery.
In taking his farewell of the 167th Field Artillery Brigade, Brigadier General Sherburne recorded the following:
1. In leaving the 167th Field Artillery Brigade to take up other duties, the Brigade Commander wishes to record in General Orders the entire satisfaction it has given him to have commanded the first brigade of Negro Artillery ever organized. This satisfaction is due to the excellent record the men have made. Undertaking a work that was new to them, they brought it faithfulness, zeal, and patriotic fervor. They went into the line and conducted themselves in a manner to win praise of all. They had been picked for important work in the offensive which had been planned to start after November 11th.
2. The Brigade Commander will ever cherish the words of the Commander in Chief, the compliments he paid in all sincerity to this Brigade while he watched it pass in review last Wednesday. He wishes the Brigade to understand that these words of appreciation were evoked only because each man had worked conscientiously and unflaggingly to make the organization a success.
3. The Brigade Commander feels that he should also make acknowledgment in General Orders of the remarkable esprit-de-corps displayed by the officers of the Brigade. They were pioneers in a field, where at the start, success was problematical. This being the first Brigade of its kind ever organized, it has been only natural that the work of the men should have been featured prominently, yet the same prominence and the same praise should be accorded the officers. While the Brigade Commander takes this occasion to speak of their splendid work, he believes that their greatest praise will come from the men themselves, not only now, but ever in greater measure when they have returned to civilian life and have secured the perspective of time and experience that will teach them how fortunate they were in making the race’s initial effort as artillerymen under officers who were both skilful artillerymen, and sympathetic leaders.
By Command of Brigadier General Sherburne.
Henry King Tootle,
1st Lieut., F. A., U. S. A., Acting Adjutant.
In concluding the story of the 92nd Division, nothing could be said of more significance than the farewell words used by Major General Ballou, who had crushed the spirit of the officers and men in the very beginning of its existence by the notorious Bulletin No. 35, and who had continued his policy of catering to southern prejudice up until the time he was removed from the organization; the memorandum is signed by Col. Allen J. Greer, who had used his good offices in every way possible to get all the colored officers removed from the Division.[2]
HEADQUARTERS 92nd DIVISION,
American Expeditionary Forces,