Africa and of
course had spoken nothing but French from the day he was born. One
of the American Negroes crossed the street and accosted him.

"'Looka here, boy', he inquired good-naturedly, 'what can you all
tell me about this here wah?'

"'Comment, monsieur?' responded the non-understanding French black,
and followed the rejoinder with a torrent of excited French.

"The American Negro's mouth fell open. For a minute he looked
startled, and then he bulged one large round eye suspiciously at
the French black while he inwardly debated on the possibility that
he had become color-blind. Having reassured himself, however, that
his vision was not at fault, he made a sudden decision and started
on a new tack.

"'Now, never mind that high-faluting language' he said, 'you all
just tell me what you know about this here wah and quit you'
putting on aihs.'

"The puzzled French Negro could only reply with another explosion
of French interrogations, coupled with vigorous gesticulations. The
American Negro tried to talk at the same time and both of them
endeavoring to make the other understand, increased the volumes of
their tones until they were standing there waving their arms and
shouting into one another's faces. The American gave it up.

"'My Gawd', he said shaking his head as he recrossed the street and
joined his comrades, 'this is sure some funny country. They got the
ignorantest colored people here I ever saw.'"

It has been noted that the first Negro combatant regiment to reach
France was the celebrated National Guard organization known as the 15th
New York Infantry, rechristened the 369th when made a part of the 93rd
division of the United States army. This was such a well drilled and
equipped regiment that early in the war it was permitted to go across
with the first 100,000; all of which was due to the aggressiveness and
insistence of its white commander, Colonel William Hayward. He simply
gave the war department no rest, stating that he was willing his men
should unload ships, fell trees and build docks or cantonments so long
as they were permitted to sail.

The regiment had been organized by Colonel Hayward at the suggestion of
Governor Whitman of New York. It was to be patterned after the 8th
Illinois where colored men of means sufficient to support commissions,
were the officers. The regime