SCOTT'S OFFICIAL HISTORY THE AMERICAN NEGRO EMMETT J. SCOTT, AM., LL.D. Author of "Tuskegee and Its People," "Is
Liberia Worth Saving?" and Secretary of Tuskegee Normal and Industrial Institute. Eighteen
years A Complete and Authentic Narration, from Official Sources,
of the Participation Of Profusely Illustrated A Full Account of the War Work Organization of Colored Men
and Women Prefaced with Highest Tributes to the American
Negro |
Copyright. 1919, by Emmett J. Scott.
PHOTOGRAPHS USED IN THIS VOLUME ARE COPYRIGHTED
BY
Underwood & Underwood, Paul Thompson, E, L. Snyder; Baker Art
Gallery; Western Newspaper Union; Scurlock;, Committee on
Public Information; Beresford Studio; Emmett J. Scott;
War Camp Community Service; Canfield & Shook;
Webb Studio; International Film
Service; and others
All rights reserved.
TO
MY WIFE AND CHILDREN
TO WHOSE LOVE AND INSPIRATION
I OWE SO MUCH.
--Table of Contents
A. ----AUTHOR'S PREFACE ............... B. ----LOYALTY AND DEMOCRACY OF THE NEGRO,
BY SECRETARY BAKER ............... C. ----TRIBUTE TO THE NEGRO SOLDIER, BY
GENERAL PERSHING ............... D. ----THE NEGRO'S PART IN THE WAR, BY THEODORE
ROOSEVELT ............... CHAPTER I.----HOW THE GREAT WAR CAME TO AMERICA ............... The Underlying Causes of the War---Racial Hatreds and National Enmities
---Germany's Ambition, to Rule the World---The Gathering of the War Clouds---Germany's
Attempt to Stir Up Trouble Between the United States and Mexico---Events
that Led to America's Participation In the War. CHAPTER II. ----THE CALL TO THE COLORS ............... Negro Troops that Were Ready When War Was Declared---The Famous 9th
And 10thCavalry, U. S. Army---The 24th and' 25th. Infantry-National Guard
Units of Colored Troops---The 8th Illinois---The 15th New York---National
Guard Units of Ohio, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Maryland, and Tennessee---First
Separate Battalion of the District of Columbia---How All of These Responded
to the Call. CHAPTER III.----OFFICIAL RECOGNITION OF
THE NEGRO'S INTEREST ............... Appointment of Emmett J. Scott as Special Assistant to the See?retary
of War---Difficulties Encountered In Establishing the Negro's Status---Opportunities
Afforded for Effective Work on Behalf of Negro Soldiers---Better Opportunities
for Negro Officers, Soldiers, Nurses, Surgeons, and Others Obtained Through
This Official Connection. CHAPTER IV.----THE WORK OF THE SPECIAL
ASSISTANT ............... Guarding the Interests of Negro Soldiers and Civilians---Promoting a
Healthy Morale---Cases of Alleged Discrimination Against Negro Draftees---The
Edward Merchant Case---The John D. Wray Case---How Justice Was Secured---A
War Department Inquiry---Training of Colored Officers. CHAPTER V.----THE NEGRO IN THE NATIONAL ARMY ............... Selective Service Law the Most Complete Recognition of the Citizenship
---Of the Negro, North and South---All the Duties and Responsibilities
of Patriots Imposed Upon the Negro by the Draft Act---Tribute by the Provost
Marshall General to the Colored Soldier---Assignment of Negro Draftees
to Cantonments. CHAPTER VI.----A CRITICAL SITUATION IN THE CAMPS ............... Race Problems that Had to be Solved---Fear of the Southern Whites that
Trouble Would Follow the Training of Negro Troops In the South--- Situation
Complicated by the Houston Riot---Protest of the Governor of South Carolina---Dr.
Scott Called to Spartanburg, S. C. to Allay Trouble There---How the Negro
Soldier Finally Won the Respect and Confidence of the South. CHAPTER VII.----COLORED OFFICERS AND HOW THEY
WERE TRAINED ............... First Officers' Training Camp for Colored Men at Fort Des Moines---
Iowa Major J. E; Spingarn's Fight for the Establishment of This Camp---Methods
Of Training Reserve Officers---Negro Educational Institutions Furnish Personnel---Seven
Hundred Colored Officers Commissioned at Fort Des Moines. CHAPTER VIII.----TREATMENT OF NEGRO SOLDIERS
IN CAMP ............... Men from the South Sent to Northern Camps to Face a Hard Winter---Attempts
at Discrimination Against Negro Soldiers and Officers-Firm Stand of the
Secretary of War Against Race Discrimination---General Ballou's "Bulletin
No. 35"---Members of Draft Boards Dismissed for Discrimination Against
the Race. CHAPTER IX.----EFFORTS TO IMPROVE CONDITIONS. ............... Secretary Baker and the Trying Situation at Camp Lee, Virginia---Reports
on Investigations at Numerous Camps---Improved Conditions Brought About
Gradually---The Case of Lieutenant Tribbett and Similar Cases of Race Prejudice. CHAPTER X.----NEGRO SOLDIERS OF FRANCE AND ENGLAND ............... French Colored Colonials the First Black Soldiers to Take Part In the
War---The Story of These Senegalese Fighters---Their Important Part from
the Beginning of the War---The Fight for the African Colonies---German
'Employment of Negro Troops In the Early Part of the War. CHAPTER XI.----THE NEGRO COMBAT DIVISION ............... Pull Detailed Account of the Organization and Fighting Campaigns of
the Famous Ninety-Second, as Recorded, by the Division's Official Historian---Complete
Officlal Reports of Eveily Battle in Which the Ninety-second Took Part---Commendation
by Commanding Officers. CHAPTER XII.----CITATIONS AND AWARDS, 92ND DIVISION ............... Officers and Men of the Famous Negro Division Whose Heroic Conduct Gained
for Them the Distinguished Service Cross---Details of Their Deeds of Heroism
in Action---Special Mention of Officers and Men by Various Commanding Officers. CHAPTER XIII.----THE STORY OF "THE BUFFALOES" ............... Glorious Record of the 367th Infantry Regimpnt--Colonel James A. Moss---Presentation
of Colors by the Union League Club---"The Buffaloes" In France---How
They "Saw It Through" at Metz---Their Heroic Conduct Under Fire---Regimental
Colors Decorated, by Order of the French High Commaud---A Tribute from
France to "These Sunburned Americans." CHAPTER XIV.----RECORD OF "THE OLD FIFTEENTH" ............... The Glorious Story of the 369th United States Infantry, Formerly of
the New York National Guard---The Regiment That Never Lost a Man Captured,
a Trench, or a Foot of Ground---First Negro Troops to Go into Action In
France. CHAPTER XV.----"THE EIGHTH ILLINOIS" ............... Story of the 370th U. S. Infantry---Another Negro National Guard Regiment
that Won Distinction on the Battlefield---Chicago's Colored Fighters Called
"Black Devils" by the Germans and "Partridges" by the
French Because of Their Proud Bearing---First American Troops to March
into the Fortified City of Laon---Their Stubborn Resistance at the Oise-Aisne
Canal. CHAPTER XVI.----THE 371ST INFANTRY IN FRANCE ............... How This Colored Regiment of the "Red Hand" Division Helped
to Win the War---Service in the Trenches under General Goybet---In the
Great Champagne Offensive---Fierce Fighting and Heavy Losses---The Regiment
Decorated by the French-Individual Citations and Awards. CHAPTER XVII.----THE RECORD OF THE 372ND............... A Regiment Made Up of National Guard Troops and Drafted Men-Attached
to the Famous French "Red Hand" Division---Its Splendid Record
in France---At Hill 304-Heroic Exploits of Individnals---The Regiment Decorated
with the Croix de Guerre---Citations and Awards. CHAPTER XVIII.----NEGRO HEROES OF THE WAR............... The Exploit of Henry Johnson and Needham Roberts---How One American
Soldier In No-Man's Land Killed Four Germans and Wounded Twenty-Eight Others
Single-Handed---First American Soldiers to Receive the French Croix de
Guerre---Other Instances of Individual Heroism by Negro Soldiers. CHAPTER XIX.----THE NEGRO SOLDIER AS A FIGHTER............... Unanimous Praise by Military Observers---Value of Negroes as Shock Troops---Discipline
and Morale Under Fire---What the War Correspondents Said About Them---Comments
by Foreign Military Observers---Estimates by American and French Officers. CHAPTER XX.----WITH OUR SOLDIERS IN FRANCE............... Official Reports of the Only Accredited Negro War Correspondent---Ralph
W. Tyler, Representative with the A. E. F. of the U. S. Committee on Public
Information---The Story of the Life and Fighting of American Negro Soldiers
in France as Seen by This Trained Observer. CHAPTER XXI.----NEGRO MUSIC THAT STIRRED FRANCE............... Recognition of the Value of Music by the U. S. War Department---The
Patriotic Music of Colored Americans---Lieutenant James Europe and His
Famous "Jazz" Band---Other Leaders and Aggregations of Musicians---Enthusiasm
of the French People and Officers for American Music as Interpreted by
These Colored Artists and Their Bandsmen. CHAPTER XXII.----THE NEGRO IN THE SERVICE OF
SUPPLY............... A Vast Army of Colored Stevedores In France---Their Important and Efficient
Work---Essential to the Combatant Army in the Trenches---Their Loalty and
Cheerfulness---Important Lessons Learned in the War---The Labor Battalions---Well-Earned
Tributes to These Splendid Colored Workers Overseas. CHAPTER XXIII.----" WITH THOSE WHO WAIT"............... Provision for Technical Training of Draftees---Units that Did Not Get
to France---Vocational and Educational Opportunities Opened to Them---The
Negro in the Students' Army Training Corps-In the Reserve Officers' Training
Corps. CHAPTER XXIV.----GERMAN PROPAGANDA AMONG NEGROES............... Insidious Efforts to Create Dissatisfaction Among Colored Americans---Germany's
Treacherous Promises---How the Hun Tried to Undermine the Loyalty of Our
Negro Citizens---Steps Taken to Combat Enemy Propaganda---Work of the Committee
on Public Information. CHAPTER XXV.----How COLORED CIVILIANS HELPED
TO WIN............... Their Co-operation in All the Liberty Loan Drives---The Negro and the
Red Cross---In the United War Work Campaign---How the Negroes Bought War
Savings Stamps---Special Contributions and Work of Colored Citizens---The
"Committee of One Hundred" and Its Valuable Work. CHAPTER XXVI.----NEGRO LABOR IN WAR TIME............... Organization for War Work---The Division of Negro Economics---Pioneer
Work of Dr. George E. Haynes---Negro Representation in Council-Seeking
to Improve Race Relations---Good Work by Negroes in the Shipyards---Attitude
of Organized Labor---The Opportunities of the War. CHAPTER XXVII.----NEGRO WOMEN IN WAR WORK............... Enthusiastic Service of Colored Women in the Wartime Emergency---Overcoming
the Problems of Race by Pure Patriotism---Work for the Red Cross---The
Young Women's Christian Association---The Colored Hostess Houses and Rest
Rooms for Soldiers---War Problems of Living---The Circle for Negro War
Relief---Colored Women in the Loan Drives---Important Work in War Industries. CHAPTER XXVIII.----SOCIAL WELFARE AGENCIES............... Important Welfare Work of the Young Men's Christian Association and
Other Organized Bodies---Negro Secretaries of the Y. M. C. A.---The Problem
of Illiteracy in the Camps---The Social Secretaries---Results of Education---The
Y. W. C. A. Hostess Houses---The Knights of Columbus---Caring tor Retained
Soldiers. CHAPTER XXIX.----NEGRO LOYALTY AND MORALE............... Eager Response of Colored Draftees---Notable Tributes to the Patriotism
of the Negro Race by the White Press---Also by President Wilson, Secretary
Baker, Secretary Daniels and Others---Negro Loyalty Never Doubted---Patriotic
Negro Demonstrations and Other Instances of Loyalty. CHAPTER XXX.----DID THE NEGRO SOLDIER GET A SQUARE
DEAL?............... Reports of Widespread Discrimination and Harsh Treatment In Camp---Many
Manifestations of Prejudice by White Officers---The Question of White or
Negro Officers for Negro Regiments---Higher Officers of the Army Usually
Fair---Disinclination to Utilize Colored Nurses and Colored Medical Men---Secretary
Baker's Efforts to Prevent Race Discrimination---Reports of Negro Observers
on Conditions Overseas. CHAPTER XXXI.----WHAT THE NEGRO GOT OUT OF THE
WAR............... A Keener Sense of His Rights and Privileges as a Citizen of the United
States---Racial Attitude of the South-Returning Negro Soldiers and Conditions
in the North---The Attitude of Organized Labor-Instances of Discrimination---The
Black Man and His Claims to Equal Treatment. APPENDIX. A1.----COLORED OFFICERS COMMISSIONED AT FT.
DES MOINES............... A2.----COLORED CHAPLAINS IN THE U.S. ARMY............... A3.----OFFICIAL SUMMARY OF THE TREATY OF PEACE............... A4.----CHANGES IN THE MAP OF EUROPE............... (a)---- MAP OF CENTRAL EUROPE SHOWING
TERRITORIAL CHANGES UNDER THE TREATY............... (b)----KEY TO THE MAP............... (c)----FINAL CHANGES IN THE TREATY............... A5.----CHRONOLOGY OF THE WORLD WAR...............
