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Gc 974.701 B78w v.2 1129639
GENEALOGY COLLECTION
2
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 01150 0128
Comis F. Hafen
THE BRONX AND ITS PEOPLE
A History 1609-1927
Board of Editors JAMES L. WELLS
LOUIS F. HAFFEN
JOSIAH A. BRIGGS
Historian BENEDICT FITZPATRICK
VOLUME II
THE LEWIS HISTORICAL PUBLISHING CO., Inc. New York. 1927
COPYRIGHT LEWIS HISTORICAL PUBLISHING CO., INC. 1927
1129639
CHAPTER XII THE WORLD WAR
Because of its prominence as a shipping port and centre of finance New York's part in the World War greatly surpassed that of any other city. The statistics of its production, warehousing and transportation of raw materials, are necessarily expressed in such prodigious figures as to make it credible that outsiders may refuse to believe them. Never- theless the reports of the War, Navy and other departments must be accepted as facts of history. New York, accustomed to doing things on a big scale, saw before her responsibilities bigger than she had ever confronted before, and successfully accomplished the tasks on hand.
Of the millions of men sent to France by this country in the greatest war in the world's history, no particular group of regiments perhaps won greater distinction than the quota that hailed from New York; and in that quota the gallantry and the achievements of the men of the 27th Division and 77th Division stand out with marked brilliancy. The 27th Division had a proud place in the vast movement and irresistible onslaught that finally broke the Hindenburg Line, itself a system of fortification for defence conceived and organized on a greater scale than any known to military history. It had been regarded as almost impregnable by the great armies of France and England that for the previous three and four years had battled against German discipline, and whose fate was not only in the balance but heavily weighted towards complete disaster when the American troops began to appear in France in force. The 77th Division had an almost like distinction in breaking through a German defense that. also had been regarded as im- pregnable, the unprecedented military labyrinth of the Argonne Forest.
Hundreds and even thousands of Bronx men were in these divisions, and hundreds of them gave up their lives for the cause with which the government of the United States had identified itself. Thus the stories of these great divisions are pregnant with interest to the neighborhood above the Harlem as to the whole metropolitan region.
The mass of the great army which this country sent to Europe con- sisted of men used to the ways of peace. They fought victoriously against armies used to the atmosphere of war. Licked into marching shape here or intensively trained abroad before being sent to the actual front, they seemed at best, although they were assembled in millions, ineffective material to contest with the legions that had made war a trade. But they proved that the spirit of victory rested in them and they overturned all theories as to the game.
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The brilliant work of the 27th Division, whose story has been written by its commander, Major-General John F. O'Ryan, however, was not altogether the work of military novices. This division was made up of units of the Militia of the State of New York, and it had preliminary training of great value on the Mexican border, from which it was re- called by the declaration of war. The 27th Division was on the border because of the affront given by the Mexican authorities at Tampico. It had been modernized in a military sense by General O'Ryan, who, after appointment as Major-General of the State's volunteer forces, suc- ceeded Major-General Charles F. Roe, and carried on the work of that soldier in developing the National Guard as a dependable citizen army. O'Ryan was a Major of Field Artillery when he was appointed to suc- ceed Roe, who had been retired on grounds of age.
Major-General O'Ryan proved his fitness for his place in Mexico, for the moral discipline he there enforced was as valuable to the sol- diers under him as the military discipline he was so well fitted to ad- minister. The sinister elements that for ages had followed the assem- bling of soldiers gathered at the Mexican border to profit through human weakness in the form of saloons and houses that demoralize. Major O'Ryan's regulations enforced prohibition among his troops be- fore the passage of the Volstead law, and all the accompanying elements of demoralization that had sought to establish themselves on the border were forced to abandon their business. Thus the soldiers of the division entered upon their great task abroad clean and vigorous, and in a mil- itary sense trained to the minute. Something of their courage, their endurance, and their sustained determination was due to this solici- tude for their physical well-being. Without General O'Ryan's rigorous regulations, his troops would not have been fit for their trial in France, then unsuspected, because of the hot climate of the border and its ac- companying inflictions, the territory on the Rio Grande being prac- tically a desert, and the men of northern habit. The troops here during their campaign had the military exercise that made them so valuable on the battlefront.
This training on the border played so important a part in the prep- aration of the division to enter the World War effectively that some- thing should be said concerning the results of that training. "Unless the principles underlying that training are understood," writes General O'Ryan, "it will be impossible adequately to sense the tremendous de- votion and intelligent spirit of sacrifice which later characterized in such forcible manner the conduct of the division in the World War. In the earlier part of the border service these principles were not dis- closed to the men. Some would not have understood them. Others might have doubted their practicability. But later opportunities were
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made to explain the motives which had determined the methods em- ployed." One of these occasions was an address delivered by the gen- eral to soldiers stationed at one of his camps. To them he pointed out the necessity for Spartan training in the development of soldiers. He said that the average person believed that soldier development had to do solely with learning the manual of arms, how to ride and shoot, and how to make and break camp. He pointed out that these are qual- ifications requiring physical dexterity and are readily acquired; that war requires self-sacrificing and dependable men who will suffer and endure without unreasonable complaint, and that these qualities are not grown over night. They are the result of a biological and physiological process which, compared with the mere acquisition of manual dexterity, is slow. He mentioned that the hikes developed the good material and weeded out the weaklings. The rigid rule against liquor, while it safe- guarded the health and morals of the division to an extent difficult to appreciate, performed a most valuable service in the development of morale in that it stimulated self-control and pride in individual accom- plishment.
Various units of the division were, of course, set to guard the met- ropolitan sources of supply after the declaration of war, and long be- fore the experience of the division on the Mexican border. There were internal problems of law and order to be met even when the war be- gan, and before there was any certainty that this country would par- ticipate in it. It was known that there were paid staffs of propaganda in the country, whose purpose it was to inspire opinion adverse to the Allies as they were then constituted. It was also feared that violence would be resorted to upon sources of supply to the Allies, in order to embarrass their operations, this country being a resource for material of various kinds. This activity took the form of destruction of ships intended to carry war material overseas, the destruction of plants en- gaged upon the manufacture of war material, and the like. Greater New York, naturally, had its own problems of defense, aside from its situation as a shipping point. It was dependent for its life upon the volume of necessaries that flowed every day into it, food, fuel, and water. Hundreds of railroad trains each day emptied their stores of supplies into the city over various railroad lines, while ships contributed to this inflow of material imperatively necessary. And there were ex- ports not related to war that had to be safeguarded. The city's water supply, which might be disarranged or stopped by explosives, had to be protected, and the aqueducts were guarded. John Purroy Mitchel, the Mayor of New York, on February 3, 1917, made a demand upon Governor Whitman for troops to guard the public utilities of the city, and the Governor on the same day issued an order directing the Com-
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manding General of the National Guard and the Commandant of the. Naval Militia to issue orders placing the 1st and 10th Regiments of Infantry and the 1st and 2nd Battalions of Naval Militia on that duty. These organizations were at once mobilized, and were put to guard the water supply of New York and Brooklyn, the Naval Militia being reserved to guard the bridges over the East River. Thus the mobiliza- tion for the World War found parts of the National Guard protecting public utilities.
Twenty-seventh Division in Camp-President Wilson, by procla- mation on July 12, 1917, called into Federal service the National Guard, and the New York division was assigned to Camp Wads- worth, Spartanburg, South Carolina, for its training. On August 23rd Major-General O'Ryan was directed to proceed to Spartanburg and assume command of the troops there. Prior to this, Company A of the 22nd Engineers had been ordered to Yaphank, Long Island, to survey and lay out a cantonment for a National Army division. When it became known that the New York State troops were to entrain for Camp Wadsworth, there was a public demand for a parade, and prep- arations for this were made. The 3rd Infantry was ordered to Pelham Bay Park, and went into camp there; the 1st and 10th Regiments of Infantry, from up the State, were ordered to Van Cortlandt Park, where they joined the 71st Regiment, the 1st Field Artillery and Squad- ron A Cavalry being also there, while the 1st Field Artillery was camped in Prospect Park. Brooklyn, and the 1st Cavalry on the Bliss estate at Bay Ridge. Mayor Mitchel appointed a committee to arrange a "send- off" dinner or dinners to these 20,000 officers and men. This was a stupendous task. A Woman's Auxiliary Committee, of which Mrs. John Purroy Mitchel was honorary chairman and Mrs. Cornelius Van- derbilt active chairman, was formed to do the work. During the period of the Mexican border service by the division, Mrs. Vanderbilt had headed and financed work of relief for the families of those whose serv- ice on the border had resulted in financial embarrassment for those at home. For the send-off function Mrs. Vanderbilt appointed one hun- dred prominent women of the city as hostesses at the several camps and hotels where dinners were served. One of the dinners was given to the division commander at the Hotel Biltmore, Mayor Mitchel pre- siding as toastmaster. The parade was held on August 30th, and is remembered by thousands who lined Fifth Avenue and the line of march. The concentration of the troops, the parade and the departure of units for the South were so coordinated that units finishing the parade were marched to their trains and continued their movement to the camp, while other units returned to their armories or camps to await transportation. Special provision was made that insured the wit-
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nessing of this parade by families of soldiers in line, and although the spectacle was a great success, there was an air of sadness based on the fear that many in the line would never survive for a homecoming parade.
Much of the smoothness with which the New York units moved to the training camp- at Spartanburg was due to the fact that many of them were mobilized in their armories instead of in the field, as was the general military custom. And the division reflected the benefit of its border experience when it arrived in camp by turning to the work of improving roads, cutting down trees and moving stumps and brush from proposed drill fields, as the structural making of the camp was un- finished and still in process, everything at the time everywhere being rushed. These men were for the most part trained and seasoned. After they had been at work a week the camp seemed to develop as if by magic. The work accomplished by the troops lessened that to be done by contractors, and thus saved expense. The cost of Camp Wadsworth was $2,223,223.59.
On September 18th, General O'Ryan, with other officers, was or- dered abroad on a tour of observation. His experiences there as an ob- server form an interesting chapter in his "Story of the 27th Division." With his party he returned on November 26, 1917, and in his story he says : "As a result of our observations and experiences abroad the sub- jects of correct march discipline, unfailing ammunition, ration supply. physical endurance and determination of all ranks, through thorough preparation for battle, and a clear understanding by all of combat or- ders took on a new importance." And his experience materially affected the continued training of the division at Camp Wadsworth. Prior to the departure from New York the 69th Infantry, the famous "Irish Regiment," had been detached from this division and assigned to the newly organized 42nd Division, made up of elements from various States, and called the "Rainbow Division." At the time of this assign- ment the War Department directed that three hundred and forty-six men from each of the other regiments stationed in New York City should be transferred to the 69th.
"This detachment of men from one regiment to another on the eve of war activity," writes General O'Ryan, "was a great shock to all the regiments concerned. It was a severe blow to their morale. Each regiment had its own traditions. In each the men were led to believe their regiment the best. Actually, and by tradition as well, the 69th Infantry was an Irish or Irish-American regiment. This regiment could have recruited to the new war strength within a week's time after they were designated for early overseas service. None of the other regi- ments wished to give up men for transfer to the 69th. To take a man away from his own regiment and place him in another is like taking
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THE BRONX AND ITS PEOPLE
a child away from its own home and placing it in the home of some other family. But so high was the standard of discipline and so strong the spirit for what was said to be the common good that these trans- fers were in fact made with a minimum of friction." Upon the detach- ment of the 69th Infantry from the 27th Division the 14th Infantry was assigned to the 1st Brigade in its place.
About the middle of September the War Department sent alienists to the various camps to test the personnel of each division as to men- tality and nervous durability. The officers who made these exam- inations at Camp Wadsworth stated that the men of the 27th Division were the finest body of men they had seen at any camp. The 27th Di- vision originally had nine regiments of infantry. The War Depart- ment regulation increasing the number of men in each regiment re- duced the number of regiments in the 27th to four. General O'Ryan selected as the four for his division the 2nd, 3rd, 7th and 23rd, which served in the war as the 105th, 108th, 107th and 106th. The 107th was originally the famous 7th Regiment of New York. The reorganization of the 27th, as of other divisions, resulted in an excess of officers of the higher grades, and problems as to this were presented; but while there was much trouble in various quarters, of which the War Depart- ment became cognizant, there was no protest or criticism to that de- partment as to the 27th's reorganization. In the 106th Infantry Colonel Norton was discharged for physical disability before the departure of the division for overseas. Lieutenant-Colonel Tuck, after arrival in France, was sent to the Army School of the Line and General Staff College, from which he was graduated and sent to the 1st Army Head- quarters as an acting general staff officer. Major Delamater went abroad with the regiment, but was also detailed to the Army School of the Line and General Staff College, upon graduation from which he was assigned to the 1st Army Headquarters. Both of these officers won distinction. Major Hollander was transferred to the 2nd Pioneer Infantry while the division was at Camp Wadsworth, and was replaced by Major Ranson H. Gillet. Major Harry S. Hildreth was transferred to the 2nd Pioneer Infantry while the division was at Camp Wads- worth, and was replaced by Major Ranson H. Gillet. Major Harry S. Hildreth went overseas with the regiment, participated in some of its engagements, and was later transferred to the 7th Regular Division, where he won distinction as a battalion commander in active operations.
Some idea of the efficiency of the National Guard of New York may be gained from the fact that it furnished more than 5,000 officers to the American army in the World War. In the case of the 27th Di- vision, due to the extraordinary character of a substantial percentage of its enlisted personnel, some thousands of non-commissioned officers
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and private soldiers secured commissions in the army. Fortunately the earlier shortages in the 27th for this reason were made up imme- diately by drawing upon the other New York units at the camp, but these "raids" were so heavy and continuous that this source of supply was depleted. One of these man-power requisitions called for two hun- dred and seventy-five enlisted men who spoke French to be transferred to a unit destined for military police service overseas. As most of the men of this class in the 27th were of a high type, with college training, many of whom had been in the division for some time, and had become expert in their military specialties, the division, and consequently the army, lost the services of many trained soldiers as a result of this requi- sition. Later, in France, some of these men were seen walking the streets as military policemen in the ports of embarkation. Another requisition took from the division at one time five hundred and thirty- two enlisted men needed elsewhere as motor mechanics.
Life at Spartanburg was pleasantly varied for many of the soldiers by the visits of members of their families. Some came for short visits, these usually being fathers and mothers of the younger men anxious to see the environment of their boys. Others, many of them wives, rented houses or rooms and prepared to stay as long as the division remained. A considerable colony of New York women thus developed in and about the city of Spartanburg, many of whom tried to create proper diversion for the soldiers. Some helped the Y. M. C. A. or the K. of C., others promoted entertainment for the men or assisted church societies in organizing social events through which the young men met the young people of the city. One of the most active and efficient women in the colony was Mrs. Anne Schoellkopf, wife of Captain Walter C. Schoellkopf of the 52nd Field Artillery Brigade Staff. She organized a movement for the establishment of an enlisted men's club in Spartan- burg. An old building was leased, remodeled, furnished and equipped for the purpose, and the club became a wholesome and popular resort for the soldiers. Mrs. J. Mayhew Wainwright was another whose in- terest in the soldiers was keen and practical. The leading hotel in Spartanburg was soon crowded with visitors from New York, and every Saturday night there was a dance, the ballroom filled with officers who never lacked partners.
Spartanburg has two colleges, the Converse College for girls and the Wofford College for boys. When it was learned by the president and faculty of the girls' college that a division of troops was to be con- centrated in the vicinity they manifested great concern. The first callers received by General O'Ryan upon his arrival in Spartanburg were gentlemen representing Converse College, who emphasized the gravity of the situation. They made various suggestions as to means
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best adapted to safeguard the girls of the college from what one of the staff referred to as "the coarse and licentious soldiery." After the di- vision had been in camp several weeks there were no more enthusiastic and sincere friends of the division than the president and faculty of the college. The conduct of the soldiers throughout their stay at Spar- tanburg was exceptional. All the men from the beginning seemed to take a personal pride in maintaining a dignified bearing and in the reputation they were building up with even the most exacting people of the town. The officials of the town cooperated with General O'Ryan in enforcing sanitary regulations as to food brought there by the sol- diers and officers, and in a sanitary sense the town seems to have been made much better by the stay of the division. An efficient secret serv- ice section of the military police operated successfully in the detention of criminals and in picking up, as soon as they detrained, criminals who came to Spartanburg, to prey upon the soldiers. During the stay of the division at Camp Wadsworth reviews were given for visiting officials, among whom were Governor Manning, of South Carolina ; Governor Whitman, of New York; Senator Wadsworth, of New York ; and Major-General John Biddle, Chief of Staff of the Army. The chap- lains of the division, of various faiths, noted for their "team work," in- vited clergymen of Spartanburg to organize meetings, at which matters of interest both to the city and the soldiers were discussed. All work related to the morale of the division was participated in by the Y. M. C. A., the K. of C., and the Red Cross. The divisional theatrical com- pany was under careful control. This enterprise was the product of the talent, energy, and zeal of one or two junior officers and from eighty to one hundred enlisted men. While the division was at Camp Wads- worth the company prepared the show known as "You Know Me, Al," presented it at the local theatre to packed houses for two weeks, and it was such a success that it was later given in New York and Wash- ington. This organization was valuable in the maintenance of morale. A serious effort was made by the War Department to have the soldiers sing. Specialists were engaged in this effort. In the 27th singing was not popular in the average unit during the march. Group whistling was more in evidence. An exception as to singing was Major Gaus's 106th Field Hospital Company, which made it a practice to sing dur- ing a march and attained excellence in that field. The platoon was a better song unit than a company. Songs popular among the soldiers of the division were "The Long, Long Trail," "Joan of Arc," "Pack Up Your Troubles in Your Old Kit Bag and Smile, Smile, Smile," and the divisional song, written by two men of the division show troupe, "My Heart Belongs to the U. S. A." In good weather outdoor movies were enjoyed, and the screen was also used to instruct in the manual
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of arms. Boxing was a popular pastime. The War Department had assigned to the camp as boxing instructor Frank Moran, a noted pro- fessional, who developed scores of men in the game. Practically every company had its champion boxer in each of the various classes or weights, and there were also regimental and brigade as well as divi- sional champions and competitors.
A feature of Camp Wadsworth was the Third Officers' Training Camp for the training of candidates for commissions. Seven hundred men were designated for training, of whom a few more than five hun- dred were detailed to the camp. These men were soon recognized as a corps d'élite throughout the division, and were graduated shortly be- fore the departure overseas. Later they were found in practically all the combat divisions of the army. Many were killed or wounded, and a considerable number won distinction. They were recognized every- where as highly trained men. From various units of the A. E. F. the Division Commander received favorable comments from superior of- ficers concerning these graduates of the camp. The commandant of the camp was Lieutenant-Colonel William A. Taylor of the 108th In- fantry, later made colonel of the 106th Infantry. During the period at Spartanburg more than 2,500 men were lost to the division because they excelled or were experienced in some civilian line of effort of such value to the government that their services were more important in the non-military field than in the combat service.
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