e. In April, 1918, the regiment held 20 percent of all
the territory held by American troops, though it comprised less than one
percent of all the American soldiers in France.

Officers of the 369th reported for an entire year only six cases of
drunkenness, and twenty-four of serious disease. The regiment fought in
the Champagne, in the Vosges mountains, on the Aisne, at Main de
Massiges, Butte de Mesnil, Dormouse, Sechault, the Argonne, Ripont,
Kuppinase, Tourbe, and Bellevue Ridge. It was the first unit of any of
the Allied armies to reach the left bank of the Rhine following the
signing of the armistice, moving from Thann on November 17th and
reaching Blodesheim the next day.

Negro soldiers were a source of terror to the Germany throughout the
war, and objects of great curiosity to the German people afterwards.
Wherever they appeared in the area occupied by the Americans they
attracted great attention among the civilians. In Treves, Coblenz and
other places during the early days of the occupation, crowds assembled
whenever Negro soldiers stopped in the streets and it became necessary
for the military police to enforce the orders prohibiting gatherings in
the public thoroughfares.

Returning soldiers have told how they were followed in the German towns
by great troops of stolid, wide-eyed German children who could not seem
to decide in their minds just what sort of being these Negro fighters
were. The curiosity of the children no doubt was inspired by stories
told among their elders of the ferocity of these men.

The Associated Press has related a conversation with a discharged German
soldier in Rengsdorf, in which it is stated that the German army early
in the war offered a reward for the capture alive of each Negro. The
soldier said that throughout the war the Germans lived in great terror
of the Negroes, and it was to overcome this fear that rewards were
offered.

One evening on the front a scouting party composed of ten Germans
including the discharged soldier, encountered two French Negroes. In the
fight which followed two of the scouting party were killed. One of the
Negroes escaped the other being taken prisoner. During the fight two of
the Germans left their comrades and ran to the protection of their own
trenches, but these it was explained, were young soldiers and untrained.
The reward of 400 marks subsequently was divided among the remaining six
Germans for capturing the one French Negro.

The 93rd