Spec. Serv. Div. Dramatizes "Negro Soldier" for Fort

The Apache Sentinel, Fort Huachuca, September 8, 1944. Page 4

Transcribed by Jean Walker, June 2024

Excerpts from "Negro Soldier" Are Moral Building Historical Facts

(Editor's Note): Pvt. Theodore Brown, who wrote the script for the unveiling of the mural, "The Negro Soldier," wrote such a significant document for the tableau that we are using excerpts of it in the Apache Sentinel in order that every soldier on the Post may be able to retain some portion of it as a reminder of the glorious history played by his predecessors in America's wars against tyranny. We cannot reproduce the effects interwoven in the script, nor the background of music furnished by the Post band. The stirring words of American patriots, however, from the dawn of our history through World War I, can be requoted and should be remembered by every soldier who contributes his efforts toward winning the war and by every civilian, who also is doing his part to sweep clean the world-stage for real democracy and freedom.

With this thought in mind, we are reproducing some excerpts from the script of "The Negro Soldier":

COL NELSON:

You are about to witness the unveiling of a mural, a pictorial record of the American Negro soldier's part in winning and in preservation of the democratic principles upon which America was founded. This ambitious undertaking is the fulfillment of a wish - Colonel Hardy, Post commander's wish - that some kind of a visual tribute be placed on exhibition at Fort Huachuca to commemorate the gallantry and unselfish devotion of the American Negro soldier to the service of our country, form the war of Colonial Rebellion to World War II. The wish as you will soon see, has materialized.

The work, executed by Sgt. Lew Davis, is in five parts, or tableaux: The Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, the civil War, the Spanish-American War, and World War I.

Not only will you see, but you will hear the story behind each one of these representations - the stirring story of the American Negro in our wars.

NARRATOR: The Negro soldier in the War of American Independence! In each of the great wars he has fought in for the land of his adoption, the Negro has gained a little more freedom than he had ever before enjoyed. Why did he - a slave - volunteer to defend the country that held him in bondage? What was "independence" to him? . . . EVERYTHING. It spelled "Freedom."

In 1779, Sir Henry Clinton proclaimed: "His Majesty's government desires the military service of every able-bodied Negro male." But the colonists persisted in their objection to the use of Negro soldiers.

Between 1775 and 1783, the state of South Carolina lost 25,000 Negroes who went over to the British. Three-fourths of all Negroes in Georgia were lost to the Americans. One-third of the British soldiers garrisoned at Fort Cornwallis were Negroes.

General George Washington, who had sternly prohibited the enlistment of Negroes now filled his depleted ranks at Valley Forge with a battalion of black men. By giving three years of service to the Continental Army, the slave was in turn given his freedom. Maryland raised a contingent of 750 men of color. Crispus Attucks was one of the first martyrs of American liberty. He was in the front of those openly protesting against the quartering and billeting of British soldiers in Boston.

Other Crispus Attucks served as Minute Men at Lexington and concord and later as Regulars in the ranks. A young Negro woman named Deborah Shurtcleff, masqueraded as a man and enlisted, and saw three years of military service. Peter Salem distinguished himself at Bunker Hill by killing the British officer, Major Pitcairn. Another Negro soldier captured a Major General of the British Army. In every colony from Massachusetts to Georgia Negroes fought and died by the side of Warren of Bunker Hill, Pulaski at Savannah.

Revolutionary War, 1st Panel

The first panel to be unveiled depicts a scene from the Battle of Monmouth, New Jersey, which occurred on the 28th day of June, the year 1778.

Of this battle, the historian Bancroft wrote: "Nor may history omit to record that of the Revolutionary patriots who on that day offered their lives for their country more than 700 black men fought side by side with the white."

What did he gain for himself - this Negro soldier who fought in the Revolutionary War? They first made him a free man and they apprenticed him to a trade, and he was permitted to follow in the higher pursuits of labor, and develop among his own kind a class of small independent farmers and tradesmen.

Second Panel Depicts War of 1812

This was the year 1812 when faced with the necessity of gathering any and every resource he could muster to drive the British out of the Franch settlement of New Orleans. Andrew Jackson - "Old Hickory" - made his dramatic appeal to the Negro Americans along the shores of Mobile:

"Through a mistaken policy, you have heretofore been deprived of a participation in the glorious struggle for national rights in which our country is engaged. This no longer exists. As sons of freedom, you are now called upon to defend our most inestimable blessing. As Americans, as fathers, husbands, and brothers, you are summoned to rally around the standard of the Eagle, to defend all which is dear in existence."

And to every noble-heard, generous freeman of color volunteering to serve was paid the same bounty in money and lands the white soldiers received - $124.00 and 160 acres of land. When the Battle of New Orleans had been successfully fought, Andy Jacson could say:

"To the men of color. Soldiers! from the shores of Mobile, I collected you to arms, I invited you to share in the perils and to divide the glory of your white countrymen.

I expected much from you. I knew that you could endure hunger and thirst, and all the hardships of war. But you surpass my hopes, I have found in you that noble enthusiasm which impels to great deeds, for you have defended all that is most dear to man - life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness!"

Frederick Douglas, Negro leader, said: "The choice is now given you to end in a day the bondage of centuries, and to rise in one bound from social degradation to the plane of common equality with all other varieties of men. Remember, that in a contest with oppression the Almighty has no attribute which can take sides with oppressors. The case is before you. This is your golden opportunity. Let us accept it, and forever wipe out the dark reproaches unsparingly hurled against us by our enemies. Let us win for ourselves the gratitude of our country and the blessing of our posterity through all time."

On Boston Common - opposite the spot where Douglas stood and issued his memorable "Call to Arms" - stands a monument in bronze, erected in commemoration of the heroism and patriotism of Col. Robert Gould Shaw and his black regiment, the 54th Massachusetts.

The spirit and magic of Harriet Tubman, who served her country and the 54th Massachusetts as nurse, scout, and spy and was called the "moses" of her people - her liberty-loving spirit and her words cry out to them -

"I tell you, my children, they's a-saying that the colored man won't fights, and that he's a-going to run soon as the first shot is fired from yonder Fort Wagner. The eyes of the whole world is on you boys. Let's march on that fort, Let's tear down that flag, and let's put up the Stars and Stripes of the UNION!"

NARRATOR: And, they did what Harriet Tubman exhorted them to do. The flag-bearer, though struck down in the first assault on the Confederate fort, never let his flag touch the ground. He clung to it, holding it high above his wounded body, till the flag was wrenched from his grasp by another and raised atop the Fort. Nearly 200,000 colored boys in blue left their blood and their bones in every state from Virginia to Louisiana. For the Union they fought at Fort Hudson, Petersburg, Honey Hill, Clustee, Milliken's Bend and FORT WAGNER.

Spanish War Scene Included

What he gained from his participation in the War between the States surpassed all preceding gains. The Negro Soldier won not alone a personal freedom but a freedom for the entire Afro-American minority. The next time he was called on the fight, the Negro threw in his lot with his benefactors, and went to Cuba to free the Cubans from the yoke of Spain. He had no stake in this war other than to show that he was a patriotic American, and that, right or wrong, he was with his country one hundred per cent.

So, he marched on to Cuba with the 24th Infantry, the 25th, the 9th Cavalry, and the 10th Cavalry. There were volunteers from Massachusetts, Illinois, Kansas, Ohio, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia. On July 1, 1898, in an attack at EL CANEY, a mile and half from Santiago, the gallant work, the lusty, hellish fighting of the men of the 10th Cavalry helped save the day for Colonel Teddy Roosevelt's Rought riders.

Glory of Cuban Freedom Shown

Said the magazine "The Review of Reviews" in October, 1898: "One of the most gratifying incidents of the Spanish War has been the enthusiasm that the colored regiments of the regular Army have aroused throughout the whole country. Their fighting at Santiago was magnificent. Roosevelt's Rough Riders have come back singing the praises of the colored troops."

Indeed, it was glory they gained in 1898 at El Caney and Santiago de Cuba in the Spanish-American War. With the spirit of Antonio Maceo, dark-skinned Cuban martyr, these Negro-Americans helped drive out he Spanish oppressors and make Cuba free and independent.

World War I Theme

NARRATOR: They were back again. This time, it wasn't just America's war. The whole civilized world was in flames. A German Kaiser had wantonly plunged the world into a blood bath. The cry went up in America, "DESTROY GERMANY AND MAKE THE WORLD SAFE FOR DEMOCRACY!"

So urgent was the need for b lack men to fight that America didn't wait for volunteers. Negroes along with whites, were drafted. Into the jaws of hell, black men marched, fighting like demons in the Argonne forest, the Vosges mountains, in St. Mihiel, Champagne, Metz.

The 369th - formerly the New York National Guard - was under shell fire for 191 days without relief. They were the first unit of the allies to reach the Rhine. They went down as an advance guard of the French Army of Occupation. Two of their men, HENRY JOHNSON and NEEDHAM ROBERTS, were the first men in the ranks of all the American Expeditionary Forces to receive the Croix de Guerre, Johnson and Roberts were credited with the capture of 20 Germans who raided the post at which they were stationed. The entire regiment of the 369th was cited for valor and decorated with the Croix de Guerre.

It was a proud - a justly proud - Negro-American and World Citizen that emerged from World War I. He had grown into the larger world consciousness. He had fought and died for a universal principle. He had been a determining factor in a great world crisis. Had he not given as much for his country as any other American, or Britisher, or Frenchman? He had earned his glory and no earthly power could take that away from him.

Today, black soldiers are again marching through an enemy land at the summons of duty, face to face with great labors, great dangers in the swamps and jungles of New Guinea, through marshes and among the hedgerows of Normandy, and the mountainous terrain of northern Italy, to fight again, along with freedom-loving men of all races and creeds, the forces of evil - to smite down the Four Horsemen of the apocalypse - and, with God's unfailing help, they will conquer and help Almighty God raise up a new nation - to build on a Christian foundation of equality the equality of all men in God.

View The Mural

"The mural, "The Negro Soldier," executed in oils on a gesso ground, measuring five feet by twenty feet, exhibits a dexterous use of soft blues, mellowed browns and green-gold tones. A realistic portrayal, the Negro figures of the mural are handled by the artist with skill and understanding. An unmistakable quality of gallantry and heroism, great physical strength and endurance are apparent in each group. The mural is probably the only work of its kind that has been painted during the present war for the inspiration of Negro troops. Sgt. Lew Davis, renowned Arizona artist, created the work."

According to the U.S. Army Fort Huachuca Facebook page, as Fort Huachuca was drawing down after WWII, the Mountain View Colored Officer's Club was slated for closure. Anticipating possible destruction of the club, arrangements were made to have the mural transferred to the Howard University Gallery of Art, where it remains.

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