THE FORMATIVE PERIOD

FORMATION OF THE DIVISION AND TRAINING AT CAMP TRAVIS

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HE 90th Division officially came into being at Camp Travis, Texas, on August 25, 1917, when Major-General Henry T. Allen assumed command of the “90th Division and 165th Depot Brigade and Camp Travis.” The huge cantonment which had been constructed under direction of Lieutenant-Colonel George E. Thorne was practically complete at that date. Adjoining the buildings of Fort Sam Houston, on the northeastern outskirts of the city of San Antonio, the camp embraced all of old Camp Wilson, a National Guard concentration point, and in addition a huge tract of sandy land where nothing save a waste of mesquite brush had existed prior to the erection of the wooden barracks. The camp took its name from Lieutenant-Colonel W. B. Travis, defender of the Alamo, and was one of the sixteen National Army cantonments erected simultaneously in different parts of the United States.

At its inception the Division was fortunate in receiving an assignment of regular army officers of the highest type to shape its destinies.

The division commander, General Allen, was a cavalryman. He was born in 1859 at Sharpsburg, Kentucky. On graduation from the United States Military Academy he was commissioned a second lieutenant, 2d Cavalry, on June 13, 1882. General Allen was very familiar with foreign military systems, having been in Russia from 1890 to 1895, and in Germany in 1897-8. He served in the Santiago campaign as major and adjutant-general. In 1901 General Allen was made chief of the Philippine Constabulary. Later he was chief of the cavalry section of the General Staff. General Allen participated in the Pershing expedition into Mexico as commander of a picked squadron of the 11th Cavalry. Later he organized a cavalry brigade at Fort Riley.

Captain Walter Moore, 19th Infantry; Lieutenant Ray Harrison. 3d Cavalry, and Captain Sam A. Greenwell, Cavalry, O.R.C., were named aides in the order given. During the time the Division was at Camp Travis. Captain Moore and Lieutenant Harrison were assigned elsewhere, and on March 1, 1918 Lieutenant Henry T. Allen, Jr. was announced as aide.

The chief of staff, Lieutenant-Colonel (later Colonel) John J. Kingman, had been assigned to the Corps of Engineers on his graduation from West Point in 1904, and spent two years with engineer troops. After graduating from the Engineer School in 1907, he spent three years on fortification work at the entrance of Manila Bay. In 1911 Colonel Kingman was with the so-called “Maneuver Division” at San Antonio, Texas. In 1915 he was detailed on the General Staff and was on duty at the Army War College until assigned as chief of staff of the 90th Division in August, 1917. Colonel Kingman was born in 1882, a son of Brigadier-General Dan C. Kingman, late Chief of Engineers.

Major Alfred Brandt was assistant chief of staff, and Major Lindsey Blayney was Intelligence Officer. Other members of the original staff were Lieutenant-Colonel E. V. D. Murphy, Adjutant; Colonel Frank C. Boggs, Division Engineer; Major E. C. McNeil, Judge Advocate; Major R. T. Phinney, Inspector; Lieutenant-Colonel George E. Thorne, Quartermaster; Major Howard C. Tatum, Signal Officer; Major John G. Winters, Ordnance Officer; Lieutenant-Colonel P. S. Halloran, Surgeon; and Lieutenant-Colonel George H. Pearson, Sanitary Inspector.

The General Staff departments were reorganized on March 13 in accordance with the system adopted by the American Expeditionary Forces. On that date Colonel Murphy was made head of the Administration and Coordination Section (G-1) being succeeded as adjutant by Major Wyatt O. Selkirk. Colonel Thorne became Chief of the Operation Section (G-3). Major Brandt, who had been assistant chief of staff, served as division machine gun officer until shortly before the division left for France, when he was succeeded by Major (later Colonel) E. K. Sterling, 360th Infantry. On March 25 Major Tatum was put in charge of the Intelligence Section (G-2) in addition to his duties as signal officer.

The commander of the 179th Brigade was Brigadier-General J. P. O'Neil, formally colonel of the 21st Infantry. General O'Neil's father, also a soldier, who received his death wound at the battle of Fredericksburg while leading a charge of the 63d New York Infantry, was a major at the time of receiving his wound, and the senior officer of the famous “Irish Brigade.” General O'Neil was a graduate of Notre Dame University, where he was for three years captain of its famous football team, and well known as a boxer. He entered the service as a lieutenant of the 14th Infantry. He was the first white man to explore the Olympic Mountains in the State of Washington.

Brigadier-General William H. Johnston, commander of the 180th Brigade, entered the army from civil life. He was commander of the first battalion of Philippine Scouts to be organized, and was commander of the 26th Infantry at Texas City. When promoted and assigned to Camp Travis he was a colonel, General Staff, on duty at the Army War College.

The regimental commanders were Colonel Edward T. Hartman, 357th Infantry; Colonel Edward C. Carey, 358th Infantry; Lieutenant-Colonel W. A. Cavenaugh, 359th Infantry; and Colonel C. H. Conrad, 360th Infantry. Just before sailing for France, Colonel Carey was replaced by Colonel Edmond M. Leary, who had been commander of division trains, and Lieutenant-Colonel H. C. Price succeeded to the command of the 360th Infantry when Colonel Conrad was detailed on general staff duty at Washington.

In the organization of the 165th Field Artillery Brigade, Brigadier-General Edward McGlachlin was in command. However, General McGlachlin was soon ordered overseas, and his place was taken by Brigadier-General Francis C. Marshall. General McGlachlin later became chief of artillery of the 1st Army in France. According to the original assignment, Colonel H. B. Farrar had the 343d Field Artillery, Colonel Albert U. Faulkner the 344th Field Artillery, and Lieutenant-Colonel Le Vert Coleman the 345th Field Artillery. On September 30 Colonel Robert S. Abernethy was assigned to command the howitzer regiment.

Other commanders were Colonel Frank C. Boggs, 315th Engineers; Major John C. Grant, 315th Field Signal Battalion; Major (later Lieutenant-Colonel) Earl L. Parmenter, 315th Sanitary Train; and Captain Donald C. Henderson, Headquarters Troop.

Practically all of the junior officers were Texans and had received their commissions at the first Officers' Training Camp at Leon Springs. In order to preserve the spirit of comradeship which had been developed during the period of their candidacy, the graduates of the various training companies were assigned as a unit to the same regiments in the new National Army Division, This entire body of infantry officers reported on August 29, although medical, engineering, and officers of other arms of the service had reported prior to that time.

FIRST RECRUITS ARRIVE

BUT the life of the 90th Division did not truly begin until September 5, when 360 recruits from various parts of Texas reported for their first military duty. On succeeding days there arrived the remainder of the first increment, which was five per cent of the first draft call. The arrival of the second increment started on September 19, and the third increment began pouring in on trains from every direction on October 3. The two states, Texas and Oklahoma, furnished the men who originally composed the Division, although every state in the Union later came to be represented in its ranks. The spirit of these two states characterized the Division throughout its battle career, as was symbolized by the Division insignia, a monogram “T-O,” adopted in France. It was quite fitting that these two states be merged into one fighting unit. The Republic of Texas embraced a large portion of the territory which later became Oklahoma, and many settlers in the latter state had originally been Texans. Together they represented the spirit, the aggressiveness, the manhood of the great Southwest.

The 179th Brigade was designated as the Oklahoma Brigade, and its regiments, the 357th and the 358th were filled with recruits from western and eastern Oklahoma, respectively. The 180th Brigade was the Texas Brigade, the men assigned to the 359th Infantry coming from north and west Texas, and the 360th Infantry drawing on south and east Texas for its personnel. Geographical lines were followed as closely as possible also in the assignment to battalions and companies. The personnel of the 165th Field Artillery, 315th Engineers, and the 315th Signal Battalion and trains was chosen from among all the recruits received at camp on the basis of their previous vocational experience.

There were both comedy and pathos in the episodes which lightened the drudgery of the hard-working receiving officers. The recruits had followed very literally the instructions not to wear to camp any unnecessary clothing. The weather was warm, and some complete uniforms consisted or nothing more than a pair of heavy boots on sockless feet and the all-embracing blue overalls. The amount of baggage varied from a toothbrush to a steamer trunk.

Those first weeks were strenuous ones. The problem of making a well drilled army out of this formless mass of backward rookies was staggering, but the officers were devoted to their task, and the majority of the men were apt and willing. The life of the company officer was a continual round of drills by day and officer schools at night. It was necessary to train practically all of the non-commissioned officers from the ranks, since only a few non-commissioned officers had been received from regular army regiments as “cadres” and the majority of these men had been in the service only a short time and had only recently received their stripes. Nor was it possible to retain a trained N.C.O. staff, Many non-commissioned officers were transferred to other camps, and on 5 January; the most promising ones went to the second Officers’ Training Camp.

DIVISIONAL SCHOOLS

THE number of company officers present for duty was reduced by the opening of divisional schools. The purpose of these schools, as outlined in General Order No. 10 , 90th Division, September 10, 1917, was to furnish intensive training in the methods of trench warfare. The largest and most important of these schools was the Infantry School of Arms, under the direction of Brigadier-General J. P. O'Neil, with, Colonel H. L. Laubach as executive officer. Among the foreign instructors were Major E. S. Porter and Captain S. W. McConnell of the British Army, and Captain Georges Devineau, Lieutenant Charles de Laperouse, Lieutenant J. E. M. L. J. Bonneront, and Lieutenant Paul Sellier of the French Army. General ONeil personally devoted much attention to the rifle, pistol, and machine gun departments of the school. Instruction in trench warfare was given in the system of trenches dug under the direction of the engineers east of Salado Creek. Among the many schools should be mentioned those for gas defense, signals, physical exercise, the study of the French language, hygiene and sanitation, the training of stable sergeants, saddlers and cobblers, horseshoers, bakers, teamsters, bandsmen and buglers, mess sergeants, cooks, and company clerks.

Nevertheless, some time was found for diversion. All forms of athletics and sports were encouraged; field days were held; baseball, football, wrestling, basketball, tug-of-war, track and military sports found the men's interest on half-holidays and after drill. A huge sounding-board erected by the engineers at the suggestion of Chaplain Clarence H. Reese was used for both entertainment and instruction. Here in the open church services were held every Sunday morning, when the weather permitted, by the 360th Infantry, the entire regiment attending. From this rostrum speakers explained the intricacies of War Risk Insurance, or boosted the Liberty Loan. Ex-President William H. Taft and Ian Hay, English soldier and author, spoke from it.

In this formative period much stress was laid upon personal appearance and neat uniforms, and there was inaugurated the impressive salute which became famous abroad as the “90th Division salute.” The strictest hygienic regulations and a meticulous policing of barracks and grounds were enforced. Grounds surrounding the barracks were ornamented with flowers and shrubbery.

During the latter part of November, with the departure of General Allen and Colonel Kingman for a trip of observation to the Western front, Brigadier-General Joseph A. Gaston, 165th Depot Brigade, assumed command of the Division. When ordered away on other duties on December 27, he was succeeded by General Johnston of the 180th Brigade, who remained in command until the return of General Allen on March 1.

During the second week of December the 180th Brigade went to the rifle-range at Camp Bullis, which had been constructed by the 315th Engineers, remaining through Christmas and New Year. Beginning the second week of January, the 179th Brigade was on the range the remainder of that month, and was followed by the artillery, engineers, and machine gun units. With the completion of the combat problems and maneuvers which followed target practice, the Division was prepared for overseas duty, and every one looked forward to immediate service in France. But then came the first big disappointment. The Division was called upon to give up many of its best men to fill up regular and National Guard divisions, and to form special organizations of S. O. S., army, and corps troops. The largest number of transfers was made about March 25, the men going principally to Camp Doniphan, Oklahoma; Camp Sheridan, Illinois; and Camp Hancock, Georgia. Men of special qualifications, such as mechanics, stenographers, carpenters, engineers, etc., went to Jacksonville, Florida, or direct to the port of embarkation. Practically every unit in the Division was stripped of its staff non-commissioned officers, cooks and a few privates. For weeks the principal activity was checking property and making out service records.

The depleted ranks were partially filled by the sixth contingent of recruits during the first part of April; then the task of organization and training was begun anew. A second trip was made to the target range. During May the Division was filled to approximately full strength by the arrival of men from other camps, the largest number coming from Camp Dodge, Iowa. These men were for the most part from the States of Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, and the Dakotas. Then followed a feverish period of training. Officers and men worked day and night; half holidays on Wednesday and Saturday evening were abandoned; and many hours on Sunday were used to complete the military education of the recruits. The men were rushed to the rifle-range in trucks, fired for fifteen hours a day in the sweltering heat of late May and early June, and were then trucked back to Camp Travis to prepare hastily for departure to the port of embarkation. On June, the day after the return of the 357th Infantry from the target range, the first units of the Division left for the embarkation center at Camp Mills.

View of Camp Travis looking toward Division Headquarters. Tents in foreground are

part of old Camp Wilson, a National Guard mobilization camp.