Ohio History Journal

Reviews, Notes and Comments.            469

 

COLONEL FREDERICK W. GALBRAITH, JR.

 

 

NEWLY ELECTED NATIONAL COMMANDER OF THE AMERICAN

LEGION.

Colonel Galbraith enjoys the distinction of having been both

sailor and soldier in the course of his career. He was born at

Watertown, Massachusetts, May 6, 1874, and later attended

grammar school in Springfield, that state. He was graduated

from a nautical training school at Boston in 1893 and served in

various positions aboard American sailing ships after his grad-

uation. In 1908 he went to Cincinnati where he became treas-

urer of the Western Paper Goods Company. A fellow soldier

who has intimately known the Colonel for years has furnished

the following sketch of his military service:

Colonel F. W. Galbraith's connection with things military

began in 1916 when he became identified with the First Ohio

National Guard at Cincinnati in the capacity of Major. His first

big task was to gain for the regiment the support and co-opera-

tion of the leading interests of Cincinnati and the other cities

where units of the regiment were located.

In the spring of 1917 he became Colonel and immediately un-

dertook an intense recruiting campaign to bring the unit of the

regiment up to full strength. The declaration of war increased the

seriousness of the responsibility but did not materially increase

voluntary enlisting. However, on being called into Federal serv-

ice on July 15, 1917, the Colonel's regiment, the First Ohio In-

fantry, was in excellent shape as to personnel and spirit. For

two and one-half months the training of the regiment was carried

on according to a program laid out by the Colonel.

The regiment was ordered to Camp Sheridan and was as-

sembled in the camp quarters on October 13, 1917. Here the

first real trials began, for two weeks after arrival the Colonel

found that the regiment he had worked so hard to build up had

been transferred from his command and officers and men were

divided between the 147th Infantry, 148th Infantry and the 136th

Machine Gun Battalion by the process of organizing the ₃7th

Division. But it did not take him long to show himself a capable

man. By hard work and leadership he soon found himself in

command of the 147th Infantry where the majority of his old

officers and men were. This unit was formerly the old Sixth

Ohio Infantry and had seen service on the border. The Colonel

is a man who believes in seeing the best, doing the best, and hav-

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470      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications. ing the best, and endeavors to pass this spirit on to his officers and men; hence, pride in condition, personnel and efficiency be- came paramount throughout the 147th. Training was undergone with a will, and when the call to overseas duty came, the 147th was ready.

Leaving Camp Sheridan, Alabama, in May, 1918, the regi- ment arrived at Camp Lee, Virginia, and towards the end of June embarked for France in two units, arriving at Brest on the 5th of July. During the next four months came the real war activity of his command. For six weeks the regiment manned the famous Rainbow Sector in the Bacarrat Sector in the Vosges,

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Reviews, Notes and Comments.            471

 

Lorraine, and had the honor of capturing the first German pris-

oners taken by the Division. In this place, the real fighting or-

ganization was developed and perfected, and on leaving the

sector the Colonel received the highest compliments from the

incoming French commanders.

Early in September the regiment moved toward the famous

Argonne, and on the 26th went "over the top" in the initial at-

tack. In the five days that followed no commander ever showed

more thoughtfulness for his men, more energy in holding every

inch gained, more real leadership at critical times when the

morale or spirit of the fighting men was low because of lack of

food or physical fatigue, or more personal indifference to danger

when the occasion demanded. He was not to be found in the

rear but always where he could see and know what was the real

condition so that helpful and well directed moves were made with-

out entirely needless sacrifice of life. The Colonel never forgot

that mothers, wives, sisters and sweethearts had entrusted their

all to him. It was here that he narrowly escaped death as he was

sniped by a machine gunner, the bullet passing through the gas

mask on his chest, and he was also struck on the cheek by flying

shrapnel. On the second of the five days he found himself in

command of two regiments and both in a very serious condition.

For his splendid conduct here he received the D. S. C.

The holding of the Xannes Sector on the St. Mihiel front

next fell to his command. From there his regiment went to Bel-

gium for the first and second offensive. The 14₇th Infantry went

into action for the last time in the night of November 9th, con-

tinued the attack through the 10th and 11th, until the signing of

the armistice and reached a line marking the farthest advance

of the American Army in Belgium. Picked troops of his com-

mand participated in the triumphal entry into Brussels and into

Aix la Chappelle or Achen. His interest and inspiring leadership

made the return trip to the United States a matter to be proud

of as few units, if any, cleared the fort of Brest with a record

that his regiment acquired as a well disciplined and efficient

organization. The Colonel stands out as a real American who

believes in his country and his fellowmen and will do more than

his part to make it all that it should be.

It is very gratifying to know that one so entirely worthy of

the distinguished honor has been chosen National Commander of

the Legion. The recent annual meeting of that patriotic order

was held in Cleveland.  The procession was inspiring as it

marched through the streets of that city and the proceedings of

the meetings were of a character to impress most favorably all

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472      Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications.

who had an opportunity to be present at the sessions or read the

reports in the public press.

Colonel Galbraith was elected Department Commander at the

first state convention of the American Legion held in Ohio. He

was elected National Commander on September 29th, two years

to the day after he performed the act of heroism which won for

him the Distinguished Service Cross. His citation for this honor

reads:

"For extraordinary heroism in action near Ivoiry, France,

September 29, 1918. When an enemy counter-attack was im-

minent, he went into the front lines under a violent artillery

and machine-gun barrage, and by the coolness and certainty of his

orders and the inspiring example of his personal courage reorgan-

ized his own command and took command of other units whose

officers had been lost or diverted in the confusion of battle.

Knocked down by a shell, he refused to be evacuated and con-

tinued to carry on the work of reorganizing his position and dis-

posing the troops to a successful conclusion."

 

 

OHIO-ORIGIN AND SIGNIFICANCE OF THE NAME

William D. Gallagher, the well-known early Ohio poet in

1835 wrote an ode to "Our Western Land" in which the follow-

ing lines occur:

"Ohio-peh-he-le !-Peek-han-he! The pride

Of the land where thy waters, O-pe-le-chen glide.

* * *

"Ohio-Pechen! Belle Riviere!

For beauty none with thee compare."

In notes the explanation is made that "Ohio-peh-he-le" means

very white frothy water; "Peek-han-ne," deep and white stream;

"O-pe-le-chen," bright, shining; "Ohio-pe-chen," it is of a white

color. Here is material from which we may arrive at the poet's

conception of the significance of the name Ohio.

In the New International Encyclopedia, edition of 1904, we

find the statement that Ohio is a corruption of the Iroquois

Ohionhiio which means beautiful river.

A writer in the Quarterly (Vol. XIV, page 274) suggests

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