Eighth Illinois Regiment Now In France
- Lithographic poster measuring 15 ½ x 11 ¼ inches
- United States: N.p., 1917
United States: N.p., 1917. Lithographic poster measuring 15 ½ x 11 ¼ inches. Some damage to edges including small section torn off upper right side, good condition.. A poster celebrating the Eighth Infantry Regiment, Illinois National Guard, during World War I. Text on the poster reads:
“Eighth Illinois Regiment Now In France / The Regiment was mustered in the U.S. Volunteer Service as the Eighth Infantry, 370th U. S. National Guard, Illinois U. S. Volunteers. / On June 28th, officers were commissioned by Governor John R. Tanner, then Governor of the State of Illinois. The first commander was JOHN R. MARSHALL who commanded the Regiment and saw service during the Spanish American War in Cuba. He was placed on the retired list January 1st, 1914, and was succeeded by the present Commander, COLONEL FRANKLIN A. DENNISON, January 12th, 1914, who is at present Commanding Officer in France. The Eighth Regiment is now about 3,000 strong, and is now in France on active duty. There are over 157,000 negro troops either in France or on their way.”
The Eighth Illinois was the only African American combat regiment at that time that also had Black officers. Brig. General Franklin A. Denison (pictured at the top left and mislabeled as “Franklin H. Denison”) was Colonel of the regiment in France and was the first Black American to be promoted above Colonel when he became a Brigadier General in 1918; when Denison was replaced with a white officer, Lieutenant Colonel Otis Beverly Duncan of the Eighth became the highest-ranking African American officer in the US Army.
The Eighth, fighting under the French Army, saw significant combat, earning the nickname “Black Devils” from the Germans and receiving more honors than any other American regiment on the Western Front. We find records of holdings at Yale and the Chicago Public Library, but no examples on the market or at auction.
“Eighth Illinois Regiment Now In France / The Regiment was mustered in the U.S. Volunteer Service as the Eighth Infantry, 370th U. S. National Guard, Illinois U. S. Volunteers. / On June 28th, officers were commissioned by Governor John R. Tanner, then Governor of the State of Illinois. The first commander was JOHN R. MARSHALL who commanded the Regiment and saw service during the Spanish American War in Cuba. He was placed on the retired list January 1st, 1914, and was succeeded by the present Commander, COLONEL FRANKLIN A. DENNISON, January 12th, 1914, who is at present Commanding Officer in France. The Eighth Regiment is now about 3,000 strong, and is now in France on active duty. There are over 157,000 negro troops either in France or on their way.”
The Eighth Illinois was the only African American combat regiment at that time that also had Black officers. Brig. General Franklin A. Denison (pictured at the top left and mislabeled as “Franklin H. Denison”) was Colonel of the regiment in France and was the first Black American to be promoted above Colonel when he became a Brigadier General in 1918; when Denison was replaced with a white officer, Lieutenant Colonel Otis Beverly Duncan of the Eighth became the highest-ranking African American officer in the US Army.
The Eighth, fighting under the French Army, saw significant combat, earning the nickname “Black Devils” from the Germans and receiving more honors than any other American regiment on the Western Front. We find records of holdings at Yale and the Chicago Public Library, but no examples on the market or at auction.