PERSHING’S RIGHT HAND: GENERAL JAMES G. HARBORD AND THE AMERICAN EXPEDITIONARY FORCES IN THE FIRST WORLD WAR A Dissertation by BRIAN FISHER NEUMANN Submitted to the Office of Graduate Studies of Texas A&M University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY August 2006 Major Subject: History PERSHING’S RIGHT HAND: GENERAL JAMES G. HARBORD AND THE AMERICAN EXPEDITIONARY FORCES IN THE FIRST WORLD WAR A Dissertation by BRIAN FISHER NEUMANN Submitted to the Office of Graduate Studies of Texas A&M University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Approved by: Chair of Committee, Arnold P. Krammer Committee Members, H.W. Brands Charles E. Brooks Peter J. Hugill Brian M. Linn Head of Department, Walter Buenger August 2006 Major Subject: History iii ABSTRACT Pershing’s Right Hand: General James G. Harbord and the American Expeditionary Forces in the First World War. (August 2006) Brian Fisher Neumann, B.A., University of Southern California; M.A., Texas A&M University Chair of Advisory Committee: Dr. Arnold P. Krammer This project is both a wartime biography and an examination of the American effort in France during the First World War. At its core, the narrative follows the military career of Major General James G. Harbord. His time in France saw Harbord serve in the three main areas of the American Expeditionary Forces: administration, combat, and logistics. As chief of staff to AEF commander General John J. Pershing, Harbord was at the center of the formation of the AEF and the development of its administrative policies. He organized and managed the AEF General Staff and served as Pershing’s most trusted subordinate. In May of 1918, Harbord transferred to the fighting line, taking over command of the 4th “Marine” Brigade. During his time with the 4th Brigade, and later as commander of the 2nd Division, Harbord played a significant part in the battles of Belleau Wood and Soissons. A dedicated supporter of Pershing’s tactics of “open” warfare, Harbord’s failings as a combat commander showed the limits of American tactical experience. For the final four months of the war, Harbord took over control of the AEF’s logistical system, the Services of Supply. Though he proved an able administrator, the American supply system approached total collapse in the fall of 1918, and was prevented iv only by the signing of the Armistice. In all three of these roles, Harbord embodied the emergence of the military manager in the American army. The First World War illustrates that war had grown so large and complex that it required officers whose primary talents lay not in leading men in combat, but in the areas of administration and management of large bureaucratic organizations. James Harbord was one of the first, and best, examples of this new type of officer. v To my mother, thank you for always reminding me that if I am not having fun then I am doing something wrong. I’m learning. To my dad, thank you for giving me the unflinching support that enabled me to do this right. Enjoy the raise. vi ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am grateful for the advice and aid of dozens of professors, historians, archivists, librarians, friends and family members. Without their help and support, this dissertation would have been impossible to complete. Foremost on this list is my de facto chair, Prof. H.W. Brands. His continued advice and support kept me on task and gave me direction when I most needed it. I must also thank Professors Arnold Krammer and Brian M. Linn for all their help in this long process. Dr. Krammer first introduced me to the study of the First World War, for which I will be eternally grateful, and Dr. Linn keeps asking the hard questions that force me to continually focus my thoughts. Professors Charles E. Brooks, and Peter J. Hugill, also provided valuable assistance and encouragement throughout this process. Over the course of this project, I have been blessed with the able help of a number of archivists, librarians, and research assistants. The entire staff at the Manuscript Division of the Library of Congress run the most professional and user-friendly archive I have used. At the National Archives and Records Administration, Mitchel Yockelson and Timothy Nenninger provided extraordinary research assistance, aiding me not only with their skills as archivists, but as historians of the Great War as well. The staff at the U.S. Army Military History Institute, especially David Keough and Richard Sommers, were all very helpful in making my time there both useful and enjoyable. Jan Hilley and the staff at the New York Historical Society were gracious in allowing me to organize the Harbord Papers in their possession. Darlene Leonard and Mark McMurray were pleasant and attentive in the archives collection of the Owen D. Young Library at St. Lawrence University. Ms. Leonard was especially generous in allowing me to work through her vii lunch break on several occasions. Alex Magoun at the David Sarnoff Library was very helpful in explaining the history of the Radio Corporation of America and the sad story of its corporate records. Though I did not make it to the following archives in person, several individuals were more than kind enough to send me material. Bill Steinbacher- Kemp at the McClean County Museum of History and Pat Patton at the Morse Department of Special Collections at Kansas State University helped me tremendously in my research into Harbord’s early life. Both of these researchers were kind enough to go through the material in their respective collections and send it to me, saving me from making yet another research trip. Dr. Terrence J. Gough at the U.S. Army Center of Military History provided valuable direction at the beginning of this project when I was still trying to figure out exactly what the dissertation was going to cover. Finally, I would like to thank the staffs at both the Archives Center of the National Museum of American History and the Princeton University Library. The research for this dissertation required several lengthy trips to various archives from Washington, D.C. to upstate New York. I want to thank the staff at the Norwich House in College Park, MD, the Milburn Hotel in New York City, and the Craftsman House B&B in Canton, NY. These locales offered comfort and refuge when I was a long way from home. Finally, I want to thank my friends and family for their never-ending patience and support throughout this long journey. Mark Klobas spent hours talking over various arguments with me as I worked to find my own voice. John Moore, Michael Beauchamp, Joseph Abel, Phil Lowe, and Lindsey Willis all helped keep me sane as I learned how to write a book. I am especially thankful to Ashley Chadwick, who has continually pushed viii me to do my best and whose passion has been an inspiration, whether she believes it or not. Lastly, I must thank my family whose patience and love kept me going over the past several years. I owe them all more than I’ll ever be able to repay. You all now know more about James Harbord than you ever wanted to and I thank you for listening. Despite all the amazing assistance I have received during this long project, all factual errors, erroneous interpretations, and misguided conclusions are mine alone. So be it, I’m only human. ix TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ABSTRACT…………………………………………………………………….. iii DEDICATION………………………………………………………………….. v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS…………………………………………………….. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS……………………………………………………….. ix CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION…………………………………………….... 1 Statement of Purpose………………………………………….... 1 Historiography and Methodology………………………………. 5 Pre-war Biography……………………………………………… 10 II OFF TO WAR (APRIL – MAY 1917)..……………………….. 21 Call to Washington……………………………………………... 22 Leadership in the AEF………………………………………….. 30 Building a Staff…………………………………………………. 34 A Working Voyage Across the Sea…………………………….. 43 III “LAFAYETTE, WE ARE HERE” (JUNE – JULY 1917)……... 54 London………………………………………………………….. 55 The Americans Come to France………………………………... 63 31 rue Constantine……………………………………………… 71 Settling in……………………………………………………….. 75 IV GETTING ORGANIZED (JULY – AUGUST 1917).…………. 87 Creating a General Staff………………………………………… 88 The Baker Mission……………………………………………… 98 At British G.H.Q. ………………………………………………. 105 Line of Communications and AEF Supply……………………... 111 Chaumont……………………………………………………….. 119 x CHAPTER Page V BRINGING THE MEN, SLOWLY (SEPTEMBER – DECEMBER 1917)…………………………. 126 Growing Pains for the AEF……………………………………. 128 Personnel Issue………………………………………………… 131 The Case of John McAuley Palmer……………………………. 137 Emerging Problems with the War Department………………… 141 Training………………………………………………………… 148 Amalgamation and the Problems of Coalition Warfare………… 156 VI REORGANIZATION (JANUARY – MARCH 1918)….……... 171 Mounting Problems…………………………………………….. 172 The Hagood Board……………………………………………… 180 Personnel Matters………………………………………………. 191 Chief of Staff Peyton March……………………………………. 196 VII WEATHERING THE STORM (MARCH – MAY 1918)……… 209 The German Spring Offensive………………………………….. 210 Searching for a Combat Command……………………………… 214 The London Agreement…………………………………………. 224 A Farewell to GHQ AEF………………………………………... 234 VIII WITH THE MARINE BRIGADE (MAY – JUNE 1918)……… 243 Backs to the Wall……………………………………………….. 244 The Marine Brigade…………………………………………….. 247 On to Château-Thierry…………………………………………. 254 Into the Lines…………………………………………………… 261 IX BELLEAU WOOD (5 – 25 JUNE 1918)………..……………... 269 Phase I: 5-8 June………………………………………………… 270 Phase II: 9-16 June……………………………………………… 282