Volume 17 • Number 1 SUMMER 2017 $9.95 Ragtime in No Man’s Land ALSO INSIDE: Finger Lakes Suffragists | Constitutional Convention | Grassroots Movement | An Ill-begotten Life 12 1917 H WORLD WAR ONE CENTENNIAL H 2017 “Are you ready? Steady! Very Good Eddy, Over the top—let’s go…” hose are the lyrics created by two American Army U.S. NATIONAL ARCHIVES AND RECORDS ADMINISTRATION ARCHIVES AND RECORDS ADMINISTRATION U.S. NATIONAL lieutenants—James Reese TEurope and Noble Sissle— describing what it was like when they entered the infamous No Man’s Land between the trenches of the Western Front in France. While many songs have been written about the Great War, this ragtime tune was unique because Europe and Sissle were members of the thriving jazz com­ munity from Harlem and were serving in the state’s only African American unit. America’s Ragtime Era spanned from 1893 through the return of U.S. troops from the First World War in 1919, when the use of the term ragtime was replaced by “jazz.” “On Patrol in No Man’s Land” is one of several composed by Europe during the war. These songs, featuring syncopated—or displaced beat—of the percussion often identified with the ragtime genre, were also composed primarily for an audience as opposed to dance tunes. Europe was born February 22, 1880, in Mobile, Alabama, before moving to ON PATROL BY AARON NOBLE James Reese Europe IN NO MAN’S LAND NEW YORK archives • SUMMER 2017 13 James Reese Europe agreed to take the position of band leader in the 15th on the condition that he be allowed to recruit “the best band in the country.” NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM NEW YORK STATE Washington, DC, where his Vernon and Irene Castle and Guard as a member of the mother taught him to play composed numerous numbers 15th Infantry Regiment, the NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY the violin and piano. for them. state’s only African American Following the death of his Noble Sissle was born unit. In a conversation with father in 1899, the teenaged July 10, 1889, in Indianapolis, Sissle, Europe described his Europe moved to New York Indiana. He grew up in motivation for joining the City to pursue a career in Cleveland, Ohio, where he regiment: “our race will never music. His arrival in New York was a member of his church amount to anything, politically Noble Sissle, ca. 1920 was not without challenges, choir and high school glee or economically, in New York for few clubs or theaters club. He attended DePauw or anywhere else unless there would hire black musicians. University and later Butler are strong organizations of Europe persevered and began University, before moving to men who stand for something to establish himself in the New York City to pursue a in the community.” Noble New York music world. In music career. When he arrived Sissle followed on September 1910, he formed the African in New York in the spring 26. On December 11, American Clef Club and led of 1916, Sissle became a Europe was commissioned as its 125 members at a concert manager in Europe’s growing a lieutenant. at Carnegie Hall in 1912. music business. Colonel William Hayward, Shortly after this history- On September 18, 1916, commander of the 15th making performance, Europe James Reese Europe enlisted Infantry Regiment, asked ON PATROL partnered with famed dancers in the New York National Europe to take the position of IN NO MAN’S LAND www.nysarchivestrust.org 14 1917 H WORLD WAR ONE CENTENNIAL H 2017 LIBRARY OF CONGRESS LIBRARY Upon arriving in France in bandleader. Europe agreed regiment was sent overseas, the entire regiment would be 1918, the men of the regiment under the condition that the arriving at Brest, France, on awakened to the martial were assigned as laborers on colonel allow him to recruit New Year’s Day 1918. The strains of our band.” As the the docks at Saint-Nazaire “the best band in the coun­ men were assigned as laborers men marched to and from rather than as combat troops. try.” Sissle was promptly on the docks at Saint-Nazaire their assigned labors, the named drum major for the rather than as combat troops. band played “a good ragtime regimental band. During the war, the majority tune to try to cheer the boys Following American entry of African Americans who up.” Word of James Reese into World War I, the 15th served in the American Europe and his band as “an New York began its odyssey Expeditionary Force (A.E.F.) organization of the very high­ from Camp Whitman near were employed as stevedores est quality, trained and led Poughkeepsie, to Camp or in labor battalions. by a conductor of genius,” Wadsworth in Spartanburg, Relatively few black soldiers spread quickly through the South Carolina, and Camp were given the opportunity to A.E.F. On February 12, the Mills at Mineola, Long Island. serve in combat units. band boarded a train for the Throughout this time, the It was at Saint-Nazaire that American respite center at men of the 15th were subject Lieutenant Europe’s band Aix-les-Bains where they to innumerable instances of began to earn its reputation, entertained white American racial prejudice from citizens as, according to Sissle, “[t]he soldiers to rave reviews. as well as from within the morale of the regiment at this Following the war, Colonel U.S. Army. After less than time was getting very low. Hayward commended Europe two weeks of training, the At daybreak every morning and the regimental band, NEW YORK archives • SUMMER 2017 15 stating, “without the band of the 369th U.S. Infantry the regiment could never have performed the long and difficult service it did both in U.S. NATIONAL ARCHIVES AND RECORDS ADMINISTRATION ARCHIVES AND RECORDS ADMINISTRATION U.S. NATIONAL America and in the A.E.F., and without Lieutenant Europe, there would have been no band.” In the spring of 1918, the German Army launched a major offensive in an attempt to end the war before enough American soldiers could be brought to France to tip the balance in favor of the Allies. After more than three years of fighting, the French Army Word of James Reese Europe and his was desperate for men and band as “an organization of the very happily accepted American highest quality” spread quickly. General John Pershing’s offer of four regiments of black troops. French soldiers had been fighting alongside the tale. Like many other colonial forces from Africa soldiers in the A.E.F., Europe since 1914 and showed little and Sissle struggled to convey issue with fighting alongside a true sense of their wartime the newly federalized 369th experiences. Unlike their Infantry Regiment. fellow soldiers, however, they In the trenches alongside sought to do so by incorpo­ the French, Lieutenant rating lyrics and instrumenta­ Europe, who also served as tion in their story. The song second in command of the lyrics convey the human NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM MUSEUM STATE YORK NEW regiment’s machine gun emotions of fighting in No company, emerged as the first Man’s Land—machine guns, African American officer to artillery, and gas— while the lead troops in combat during music mimicked enemy guns the war. In early May 1918, with syncopated percussion Europe accompanied a and a German artillery barrage French patrol into No Man’s using deep bass drums. to compose. When Sissle was Europe and Sissle Land. Upon his return to the Shortly after this foray permitted to visit the hospital, collaborated to American trenches, he into No Man’s Land, Europe’s Europe presented him with compose a song recounted his experience to machine gun company was the completed song, which inspired by Europe’s Noble Sissle. It was this har­ struck by a German gas Sissle described as having first harrowing trip into No Man’s rowing first venture into No attack. The lieutenant was “gone down in theatrical Land. Man’s Land that, according to evacuated to a hospital history as being a masterpiece Sissle, provided the inspiration at Geiscourt. While recuperat­ of jazz description; of a for Europe’s song. He and ing from the effects of the soldier’s experience in No Sissle collaborated to capture enemy gas, Europe continued Man’s Land.” The final product www.nysarchivestrust.org 16 1917 H WORLD WAR ONE CENTENNIAL H 2017 is an extraordinary and one­ marched up Fifth Avenue, of-a-kind account of combat through the Victory Arch at Members of the 369th during World War I. Madison Square, and uptown arrive in New York City. The 369th Infantry served to Harlem. At the head of for 191 days in combat— the regiment were Lieutenant more than any other unit in James Reese Europe and the American Army during his band. the war—and suffered more After their homecoming, than 1,500 casualties. On Europe, Sissle, and the November 26, 1918, the regimental band, embarked regiment was given the honor on a nationwide tour on of leading the Allied Armies March 16, 1919. The band to the Rhine River by the performed at Mechanic’s Hall French Army. When the U.S. in Boston on May 9 to mark Army prohibited the regiment the end of the ten-week from taking part in the Allied tour. During the intermission, victory parade in Paris, the drummer Herbert Wright 369th became the first unit went to Europe’s dressing of the A.E.F. to return to room where an argument An estimated one million New York City.