took over a mile of land and trenches which for four years had been held by the Germans. The newspapers have given due and proper credit to the Americans for this daring raid, but the world has not been informed that it was the colored soldiers of America, under Captain J. Wormley Jones, a former Washington, D. C., policeman, who made the charge that was as daring, and more successful, than the Tennyson-embalmed charge of 'The Light Brigade.'"'

A Brave Y. M. C. A. Secretary

To E. T. Banks, of Dayton, Ohio, belongs the honor of being the first Y. M. C. A. colored secretary to go "over the top," which he did in one of the Argonne engagements. It was permitted him to fight for two days and nights in the forests and trenches side by side with real soldiers. On the last night, while lending first aid to a wounded black scout soldier, he was fired upon by a German machine gun, but succeeded in bringing his wounded scout to the American line, though not until they had lain all night in the forest under a most fearful barrage fire. For his bravery, Banks was cited and recommended for meritorious service. An officer, in a personal letter to him commending his splendid service, wrote: "When the full story of the Argonne is told, the 'Red Triangle' represented by Mr. Banks will add beauty to the rainbow that is reflected from the silent tombs of those who sleep the sleep of death that Democracy may not perish from the earth."

A Heroic Colored Physician

There was a heroic calmness, according to Ralph W. Tyler, in the death of Lieutenant Urban F. Bass, of Fredericksburg, Virginia, colored, serving as a physician with one of the colored regiments, and it is deserving of more than a passing notice. He was directing the affairs of his temporary aid station just behind the crest of a hill, while the battle was raging, when a shell from the enemy's gun combed the hill and struck among the group of workers being directed by him, tearing off both legs of the physician. Lieut. Bass, with remarkable fortitude, as calmly instructed his hospital corps how to give him first aid as if he was but writing a prescription for one of his patients back in his Virginia office.

He died a few moments later, from blood hemorrhage. Thus went a most promising colored physician who, although beyond the draft age, volunteered his services; left a splendid practice, wife and children, to serve his country in France, and by so doing help to advance the interests of his race back in America.

Here is another story told by Mr. Tyler: "Yesterday about 10 o'clock, a platoon of colored men, under colored officers, was sent out to reconnoiter, to learn the strength and position of the enemy, and with positive instructions to bring back live prisoners. They went, but discovering that the enemy was strongly entrenched, and realizing that it would be suicidal to attempt to attack almost a regiment with a handful of men, returned and reported. The Major of the battalion thereupon said he would go himself and do the job, and called for eight volunteers to accompany him. There was no lack of volunteers, even from among those of the platoon that had previously returned to make this report. The Major, a white officer, selected eight men from the many who had volunteered to make the perilous trip, and started out to locate the Huns' position and return with a live prisoner. Instead of returning, he, with two of his volunteers, are now prisoners of war in the German camp, for they found, to their Major's regret, that the colored officer had reported correctly the German strength. This is but one more instance showing that the colored soldiers are indifferent to fear; that they quickly, cheerfully, and eagerly volunteer to go even though death or capture is the sure fate awaiting them."

How Lieutenant Cameron Died

"It was but one of the many small raids nearly every night chronicles here at the front," said Mr. Tyler in another dispatch, "but it demonstrated the daring courage of our colored troops. Some two hundred colored soldiers, under Captain Robert Stephens, of Columbus, Ohio, were ordered to raid the Boche's trenches. They were ordered to do this without a barrage fire being first laid down for them, and without artillery or machine-gun support. They never hesitated, however, but out into the pitch-black darkness. of night they moved, encountered the usual barbed-wire entanglements which so fearfully harass advance even in the day, to say

nothing of the night. The Germans lay quiet until these black warriors were within forty rods of their trenches, and then they opened up a murderous machine-gun fire, and exploded shells of deadly gas among the black soldiers. But the latter never wavered. They fought manfully against great odds. Among the casualties were Captain Stephens and Lieut. Stewart, badly gassed, and Lieut. Cameron, of Nashville, Tennessee, killed. Bruce McCray, Maxton, North Carolina, just as he was going over the top, was hit by a machine-gun bullet that ripped his stomach, and Cornelius Turner, of Sellars, Louisiana, was stopped from going over the top by a bullet which indented his helmet, cutting a jagged wound in his head. There were a number who were more or less gassed. I visited them in the hospital the following afternoon, and found those injured and gassed getting along as well as could be expected, and had the assurance of the physicians in attendance -careful physicians of their own race-that all would recover. The death of Lieutenant Cameron, however, cast an impenetrable gloom over every one in the regiment, and even in the entire division, for he was loved by officers and men. The draft would not and could not have reached Lieutenant Cameron, but he came -volunteered-to serve his country, and died for it."

Badly Wounded, He Fought On

"An incident showing unusual fidelity to duty came to light yesterday. Sergeant Gans, with two other colored comrades, was on guard at a 'strong point' on one of the active fronts. During the night his two comrades were killed by enemy shrapnel, and he himself had ugly wounds in his back and leg, from which the blood flowed freely; still he remained at his post. When it was learned that his two comrades had been killed, and he himself wounded, Captain Harry Atwood sent to have the dead and wounded brought in, but Sergeant Gans refused to leave his post, because a sergeant, as he thought was proper, was not there to relieve him. It became necessary for Captain Atwood to order this badly wounded sergeant to leave his post at the point of a bayonet, to secure medical treatment. All he knew was duty; he was firm in the belief that before he could leave his post for anything, a relief should be there to take his place."

A Fighting Colored Chaplain

"The gas mask has saved hundreds from being gassed," said Mr. Tyler, "but perhaps the first case reported of a gas mask saving a soldier's life by warding off a deadly bit of shrapnel was the case of Chaplain J. T. Simpson, a former Pittsburgh colored minister. The courageous chaplain, as full of fight as of religion, was going over the top with 'his boys,' as he called the troops of his regiment, when a big shell exploded, and a piece of the shrapnel from it hit the mask he was wearing, striking the metal part, otherwise he would now be a dead chaplain instead of confined in the hospital from shell shock. Frequently it takes longer to recover from shell shock than from a shell wound. The chaplain, when I saw him was, however, slowly but surely recovering."

Mental Effect of a Big Shell

"When one calmly reads of the shelling of a town, he cannot form any adequate knowledge of the feeling which possesses those who experience the shelling. Yesterday afternoon the Boche opened up on the little town at the front, in which I was gathering news,' said Ralph W. Tyler in another letter. "The big guns of the Huns sent their awful instruments of death whistling through the air. First a belching sound is heard, and then comes the siren-like whistle of the shell as it races overland to its terminal of destruction; and then a roaring, hellish sound-Boom!'-shaking hills and vales for miles around. The people are startled. They gather in little knots and look far over the lines, whence came the belching sound, to see if they can get a view of the approaching engine of death. Soldiers hardened to the oft-heard sound, calmly proceed about their duties, when they find the Hun has failed to get the proper range of the town. But the feeling is peculiar. Even when the shell misses, involuntarily there arises, in one's mind, the question: 'Will the next one hit?' There are experiences far more pleasant than seeing a big death-tipped shell-so I thought when two whistled over my head yesterday and struck a few yards to the right and left of me."

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.

The Negro has always had the record of being a good soldier. General Pershing has been quoted as to the courage and valor of the colored troops. It may be well to quote here the testimony of four other distinguished Americans as to the faithful service of colored soldiers in other wars. Commodore Perry said after the Battle of Lake Erie: "They seemed to be absolutely insensible to danger." General Jackson asserted on the occasion of the Battle of New Orleans: "You surpassed my hopes. The nation shall applaud your valor." Speaking of the Negro in the Civil War, General Grant said: "The colored troops fought nobly." Colonel Theodore Roosevelt, reporting on the record of the Negro soldiers in the Spanish-American war, said: "No troops could behave better than the colored soldiers."

The reader will have noted that Negro combat units in their fighting overseas lived up to all the traditions of their race. They distinguished themselves by bravery, fortitude, and loyalty, and the records of the regiments of which they were a part compared favorably with any of those who went overseas. Whether in Flanders, in Champagne, in the Argonne Forest, in the Vosges, on the Meuse, or before Metz, it was the old story of indomitable. courage, of willingness to go forward always, no matter how murderous the opposing fire. There was the same valor and spirit displayed by them in every action, and they saw some of the most intense and critical fighting of the war.

The Negroes went into the World War with a spirit of the true