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| TIME AND PLACE OF ORGANIZATION: |
| August 11, 1917, Syracuse, N. Y., then called 1st Provisional
Brigade, or the Syracuse Brigade. |
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| SUB-DIVISIONS: |
| Ninth Infantry Regiment, Twenty-Third infantry Regiment, 5th Machine Gun Battalion. |
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| Names of Commanding Officers. |
| Colonel Harry R. Lee |
Sept. 21st, 1917 — October 10, 1917. |
| Colonel Walter K. Wright |
Oct. 10th, 1917 — Feb. 16, 1918. |
| Brigadier General Peter Murray |
Feb. 16, 1918 — May 7th, 1918. |
| Brigadier General E. M. Lewis |
May 7th, 1918 — July 15, 1918. |
| Brigadier General Hanson E. Ely |
July 15th, 1918 — Oct. 17, 1918. |
| Colonel Robert O. Van Horn |
Oct. 17, 1918 — Nov. 2, 1918. |
| Colonel J. C. Rhea |
November 2nd, 1918 — Nov. 23, 1918. |
| Brigadier General Charles E. Kilbourne |
Nov. 23, 1918 — Feb. 24, 1919. |
| Brigadier General Thomas W. Darrah |
February 24th, 1919—March 31st, 1919. |
| Colonel Robert O. Van Horn |
March 31. 1919—June 9, 1919. |
| Colonel Milo C. Corey |
June 9, 1919—June 23, 1919. |
| Brigadier General Paul B. Malone |
June 23, 1919 to date. |
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| Date of Arrival in France. |
| September 20th, 1917 — October 6th, 1917. |
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| Training Periods. |
| Between October 1st and October 9th, 1917, the Brigade was assembled in the Bourrnont Area. By the middle of November only 4 rifle companies were left in the 23rd Infantry and 6 in the Ninth, the others having been sent to the S. O. S. to be used as labor troops. These troops had no further training until they returned to the Brigade in January. About the 15th of January, 1918, a period of intensive training was begun which continued up until the troops went into the line. May 9th to 20th Bar-le-Duc. On May 20th a movement by train lasting two days was begun to an area north of Paris. Intensive training was continued. |
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| Verdun Sector. |
| In March orders were received directing the movement of the Brigade to sector on the western side of St. Mihiel Salient. The movement was begun on March 13th. Brigade Headquarters was established at Troyon. The first troops entered the lines on the night of March 17th-18th, 1918. The first engagement with the enemy occurred on the night of March 18th-19th. The enemy attempted a raid on the 23rd Infantry trenches but did not succeed in reaching them. A Brigade sector was formed on April 24th, the Brigade functioning as a Brigade of the 52nd French Division. The tour of duty as a whole was very yuiet in this sector with the exception of the night of April 13th-14th, when the enemy attempted a large raid in the sector occupied by the 9th Infantry. It was a victory for the Americans as our men not only drove the enemy off but captured more and killed a larger number than they lost. |
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| Chateau Thierry Sector. |
| On July 18th [sic date error], Brigade attacked and drove the enemy from Chateau Thierry Sector, and eventually took up an organized line on June 6th; and remained in this sector until July, being relieved from the front lines on the night of July 9th by the 51st Brigade, 26th Division. During this period troops were under continuous artillery and machine gun fire. July 1st a battalion of the 9th and one of the 23rd Infantry, in a perfect attack, captured Vaux and La Roche woods. July 16th troops moved by bus to vicinity of Villers Cotterets woods. |
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| Aisne Marne Offensive. |
| On July 18th Brigade attacked and drove the enemy from Beaurepaire Fme, Vaucastille, captured the town of Vierzy and established a line in advance of the town which they held until relieved by a French Division on the night of July 19th-20th. |
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| Marbache Sector. |
| Upon relief, the Brigade was moved to the vicinity of Pierrefonds on July 20th, thence to Ormoy-Villers on July 21st 22nd, remaining there until July 28th, when the Brigade was moved to Nancy. On the night of August 6th-7th troops relieved a French Division in the Pont-à-Mousson Sector. A Brigade of the 82nd Division relieved the Brigade on the night of August 13th-14th. Troops proceeded upon relief to vicinity of Colombey-les Belles. |
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| St. Mihiel Offensive. |
| On September 2nd troops began a movement towards the line and on the morning of September 12th attacked from the front of Limey; in a rapid advance captured Thiaucourt, Xammes and Jaulny, established lines in advance of these towns which they held until relieved by 4th Brigade. |
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| Meuse-Argonne Offensive (Champagne). |
| Night of September 15th-16th troops were moved to the Ansauville Area. On September 20th movement was made to the Toul Area, a further move by train was made September 25th to the Chalons Area. On September 30th troops were moved by bus to vicinity of Suippes. On the morning of October 3rd, the Brigade, as part of the French 4th Army attacked north of Somme-Py, capturing Blanc Mont Ridge in concert with Fourth Brigade. The line was eventually advanced one kilometer east of St. Etienne where the Brigade was relieved by the 71st Brigade of the 36th Division on the night of October 9th-10th. Troops upon relief proceeded to Chalons Area. |
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| Meuse Argonne Offensive. |
| Movement to the front began on October 21st. On November 1st one regiment of the Brigade attacked in conjunction with the 4th Brigade. Night of November 2nd-3rd, 3rd Brigade relieved the 4th Brigade and on morning of November 3rd, attacked and drove enemy from Fosse, Nouart, Belval and Le Champey Bas. Night of November 3rd-4th, a night advance was made to the open ground north of Belval woods, capturing Tuillerie Fme and Beausejour Fme. A further advance was made on the night of November 4th-5th, the towns of Beaumont and Letanne being mopped up at daybreak. The west bank of the Meuse was held until the night of November 10th-11th when a battalion of the 9th Infantry crossed the Meuse after the 4th Brigade and established itself on the high ground across the River. |
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| March to the Rhine. |
| November 17th, march to the Rhine began. December 13th, crossed Rhine and became reserve of 3rd U. S. Army Corps occupying Coblenz Bridgehead. |
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Remains of Vaux. On July 1st by a brilliant attack by the 9th and 23rd Infantry, of the 2nd Division, this village situated at the foot of the famous Hill 204 was taken.
Drawn by Captain Ernest Peixotto. 1918. |
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