After a brief period in the earlier campaigns he was invalided home very much against his will.
The 15th New York was commanded by Colonel William Hayward, a white man.
He was devoted to his black soldiers and they were very fond of him.
Officers immediately subordinate to him were white men.

The District of Columbia battalion might have retained its colored commander, Major James E.Walker, as he was a fine soldierly figure and possessed of the requisite ability, but he was removed by death while his unit was still training near Washington.

Some of the Negro officers of National Guard organizations retained their commands, but the majority were superseded or transferred before sailing or soon after arrival in France.
The 369th, the 370th and the 372nd infantry regiments in the United States army, mentioned as having been formed from the colored National Guard units, became a part of the 93rd division.

Another regiment, the 371st, formed from the draft forces was also part of the same division.
This division was brigaded with the French from the start and saw service through the war alongside the French poilus with whom they became great friends.

There grew up a spirit of which, side by side, they faced and smashed the savage Hun, never wavered or changed.