The book chronicles the extensive training and heroic service of the New York National Guard’s 104th Field Artillery Regiment from the period of 1916 to 1919. The regiment, initially called the 1st Field Artillery Regiment, served as border patrol in Texas during the Mexican Punitive Expedition in 1916, and trained at the gunnery field at La Gloria, Texas. During World War I, they trained by the Glassy Mountains at Camp Wadsworth in South Carolina, and then at the School of Fire of Camp de Souge near Bordeaux, France.
Because of this extensive training, elements of the 27th Division were splintered off and placed within a number of other divisions. The 52nd Field Artillery Brigade, under which the 104th Field Artillery Regiment served, was attached to the 33rd Division as their artillery, and then the 79th Division for the entire Meuse-Argonne Offensive near Verdun. Using field diaries, photos and letters, their story of courage under extreme conditions including enemy shelling and gas is recorded and their memory preserved.

Pamela A. Bakker has a music degree from Rider University’s Westminster Choir College and an M.A. and M.Div. from New Brunswick Theological Seminary. She has worked for various churches for more than 30 years and has published numerous articles and poems.

Pamela A. Bakker
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 228
Bibliographic Info: 46 photos, appendices, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2014
pISBN: 978-0-7864-7915-3
eISBN: 978-1-4766-1567-7
Imprint: McFarland

Table of Contents


Acknowledgments ix

Preface 1

One. Formation of the 1st Field Artillery Regiment, 12th Infantry, New York National Guard (1867–1915) 5

Two. The Mexican Punitive Expedition (June 1916–February 1917) 14

Three. Camp Wadsworth, Spartanburg, South Carolina (April 1917–May 1918) 60

Four. Camp Stuart, Newport News, Virginia (May 1918–June 1918) 85

Five. The School of Fire of Camp de Souge, Bordeaux, France (July 1918–August 1918) 93

Six. St. Mihiel Salient Offensive (September 12, 1918) 108

Seven. The ­Meuse-Argonne Offensive (September 26–October 6, 1918) 119

Eight. The ­Meuse-Argonne Offensive (October 7–November 11, 1918) 143

Nine. Mustering Out (1919) 170

Appendix I: Deaths 181

Appendix II: Awards and Citations, World War I 183

Chapter Notes 197

Bibliography 207

Index 213

“a wonderful addition to the history of the National Guard…Bakker did a phenomenal job of sussing out scant resources and putting them together in an easy-to-read, cogent manner…whole-heartedly recommend”—New York State Military Museum.