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_ jfTook Every Objective and Broke Famous Freya-Stellung Defence, Last of Hindenburg LineTbe operations of -the Ninetieth Dirvision on the other side have addedmuch to the traditions of the statefrom which the division originates, and only causes those Who were left behind to feel proud al! what this division did. Tho Ninetieth Division has the distinction of taking every objective that was assigned :it. It broke the -famous Freya Site Hung defence, the last of the Hindenburg lino on tho Western front.Corsicana is a veil represented in this division. Company D, 3f)9th Inr fautry is composed almost wholly of men from Navarro county. * A few men from this county are also in other organizations of the division. Officers from this county are found in almost every regiment of the organisation.Sorno ot the men o£ the division have already returned. Among those are Captain Augustus P. Mays, Lieutenant Johnnie Garitty, Lieutenant Oscar Albritton, Sergeants Daok Sheets, “Cap” Allen; Corporal Henry Levy, Privates Edgar Womack, Noel Jackson and a number of others.Corsicana lost only one officer in tho fighting. This was Lieutenant Robert B. Gilbreath, who was killed In a raid on the eneifiy lines early on ihe morning oE September 2G. At this time both infantry brigades were Haging a griant feint to cover the preparations and launching of the Meuse-Argonno offensive thait ended the war. Lieutenant Gilbreath was in Company A, 358th Infantry,Among the enlisited men who lost their lives with ihe division were Corporal Lewis A. Wiggins, Corsicana; Corporal Wili’ie Greer, Eureka; Corporal Sam Jackson, Corsicana; Private Le Roy Andrews, Roane. * Among the officers who were wounded or gasved and have not returned are ..Caplain Beul’oui Jester and Lieut Ford Albritton.The following -is a history of the operations of this division which was prepared art: Divisional Headquarters for distribution among the members ct the comimand :Organization.The Ninetieth Division was organized at Camp Tiavls, under the command of Major General Henry T. Allen. All of tiie first men in the Divis ion were from Texas and Oklahoma, Those from Oklahoma being in the 179th Brigade and those from Texas in ihe 180th Brigade. From that time these brigades have been known as the Oklahoma and Texas Brigades.The Division - insignia, adopted in France, symbolizes the native States of the first members of the division.Like all other National Army divisions in the States tho Ninetieth Etnvt away great numbers of men to fill up regular and Natiornl Guard divisions and to form special organizations of army corps and S. O. S. troops. In Illegally sprirg of 191S the division was filled up wifli men from cither camlps, a large number coming1 from Camp Dodge, Iowa.M ove to FranceThe division began leaving Camp Travis early in June for Camp Mills, near New York. By Juno 30 all units had sailed from Hoboken, a few or gamizations went direct to France, but ‘tho -majority of the division landed in England The 35Sth Infantry paraded before the Lord Mayer of Liverpool on July 4 and was given a banquet by the city.weeks in this area, training eight hours a day for the time when it should take its place in the line.Relief of First Division.In the middle of August the division was ordered to relieve the First Division, which heid tihe Saizerais sector along the Hostile River near Tout.The division was moved by train on August IS and 19 from its training area to towns in tihe vicinity of Toul.The relief of the First Division commenced on Aug. 19 and was completed on Aug. ?4, General Allen taking command of the sector at S o’clock on the morning of August 24.Tho sector was about nine kilometers m width, from Remenauville to a point about a kilometer west of the Mosello River. The sector 'had been the scene of heavy fighting in 1915, when the French4 with very heavy losses, had alienipted to take the :3ois le Pretie, butt since 1915 had beeu what was known as a quiet sector.The front line on the left ran across broken open country just behind Fey* e.n*Haye, and on Ihe right ran through ihe woods of the Bois le Pretre. No Man’s Land was wide and full of oli\ trenches, wire entanglements and obstacles of every rort. The rear areas were heavily wooodcd and filled with all sorts or camps, dugouts, old gun emplacements and every kind of construction which had accumulated during three years of trench warfare The regiments went into line in order from Left to right, 357th Infantry Col* on el Hartmann), 35Stih Infantry (Col' one! Leary), 359th Infantry {Colonel Cavcnaugh), 3ii0th Infantry (Colonel frice). General O’Neil, commanding tin* 179th Brigade, had his headquarters ait Martincourt, and General Johns-on .co'ii in.an ding the 180 th Brigade, was at Gris-Court. Division headquarters was established at Cillers-eo-H aye.Tho Eighty-Second Division was on the right and the Efgnty-Ninth Division on the left.On Aug. 27 General Johnson became a Major General and was given tho Ninety. First Division. Brigadier General U. C. McAlexander, wlio had served with the Third Division on the Marne, took command of the “iMKli Brigade.St. Offensive,When tho division went into line preparation had already begun for the St Mihicl offensive. Artillery of ah calibers was being moved iifto the sector every night and it was obvious to every one that an operation of some sort was being planned. Early in September orders were received from th.3 First Army Corps which outlined the operation and gaye the Ninetieth Di vision us part in the attack. The First American Army which bad jivs1. been organized under tho persona.1.1 Pho command of General Pershing, wa-slsive ^ to cut. off the St. Mihiel salient. The I vision general plan was that the Fifth Corps I tho S would attack on he best base of the I the I* salient and drive east, and that ithe I t.c thlt; First and Fourtih Corps on the easr I vision base of the salient would attack north I Seven When the Fifth and Fourth Oorfps me: I itself they would close the neck of the bat-1 being tie and the salient and the German I Right; troops left in *i*t would be cut off. The ] ten del advance of the Firat. and Fourth I imate Corps was to swing forward like a I Durin door, with the hinge of the door on I was i the Moselle River. The divisions orjjappro the left of (the advance would push I Dur forward the farthest, and by meeting | Mihieters. Fifth tefor* a 1 ong trend mentlt; ready of th visior mens that 1 try w lery ] ■ion).that ta (Ivan on thi A t ed at i:;th. over ■ and t object enenr; spite try h been I ho 1 distar dense of evlt; regim not at try, hdurinj sent lt;the st On t tired maze and i place) have1915 i cf gr 179 th tn*s \ the vi the b tncou movir it t tael pie. telOned fo des R euvre captui tab Us) be yon On t.mvee A iiler fed ou the I road.On ed t'oJ in fro v.mil to ben*.Wh: carryi First Withi tack Fourtl Vi gnu and til had b Durin. A meri ft gre stores The non icno iheavynumblt;misco ion’s SSC m
Newspaper Details
Corsicana Daily Sun
Corsicana, Texas, US
Mon, May 05, 1919
Page 8
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
USA 25 Sep 2019
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