Fort George G. Meade: The First 100 Years

Buffalo Soldiers
Elements of the 92 nd Division, made up primarily of
African-American soldiers with white leadership, trained
at Camp Meade.
Although military leaders desired to put African-
American recruits into labor battalions, black public
sentiment demanded that they be allowed to play a
more active role in combat units. As a result, the War
Department in October 1917 created the 92 nd Division
under the command of Brig. Gen. Charles C. Ballou.
Unlike the 93 rd , the Army organized the 92 nd along similar
lines as other white American Divisions. Components of
the 92 nd Division included four Infantry Battalions, three
Field Artillery Battalions, three Machine Gun Battalions,
an Engineer Regiment, an Engineer Train, a Signal Corps,
and Trench Mortar Battery. Most officers were African-
American; however, blacks were unable to attain a rank
higher than first lieutenant, and in no unit did a black
officer outrank his white leadership. Unfortunately, the
WORLD WAR I YEARS
various elements of the 92 nd never trained together while
stationed in the United States. The various units of the
Division were assembled and received their preliminary
training at camps Funston, Kansas; Grant, Illinois;
Upton, New York; Dix, New Jersey; Meade, Maryland;
Dodge, Iowa; and Sherman, Ohio. The division was
finally brought to full strength in May 1918 after it arrived
in France.
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(Left top) African-American men joined up to fight at a rapid
pace. As many as 350,000 African-American men served
during WWI, many of them serving in the all African-
American 92nd Division. (Below) The men stand in front
of barracks under construction behind them. Mar. 28, 1918.
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