Description
Grouping to Major General Robert Alexander
Commander of the 77th Infantry Division
It was the first American division composed of draftees to arrive in France in World War I, landing in April 1918; overall, it was the seventh of 42 divisions to reach the Western Front. The division fought in the Battle of Château-Thierry on 18 July 1918 and later in the Meuse–Argonne offensive, the largest battle in the history of the United States Army, from late September until the Armistice with Germany on November 11, 1918. During its service in France, the 77th Division sustained 10,194 casualties: of these 1,486 men were killed and another 8,708 were wounded.
Major General Robert Alexander (October 17, 1863 – August 25, 1941) was a senior United States Army officer. He served in World War I, where he commanded the 77th Infantry Division, in which the famous Lost Battalion served, on the Western Front in 1918.
Robert Alexander was born in Baltimore, Maryland, on October 17, 1863. His parents were Judge and Mrs. William Alexander. His father had been Justice of the Circuit Court of Baltimore City and the Court of Appeals of the State of Maryland.
Alexander studied law in the offices of J. B. and Edwin H. Brown in Centreville, Maryland. He attained admission to the bar, but decided against a legal career, instead enlisting in the United States Army’s 4th Infantry Regiment as a private on April 7, 1886.
In 1887, he became the first sergeant of his company, and in 1889 received a promotion to second lieutenant.
As he rose through the ranks he took part in the American Indian Wars, served in Puerto Rico during the Spanish–American War. He was with the 11th Infantry in 1901 when it was ordered to the Philippines during the Philippine–American War, and he served at Carigara on the island of Leyte. In 1902, he took part in combat against Filipino insurgents on Leyte and Samar, and in one engagement he was wounded by a bolo. During the Pancho Villa Expedition, Alexander served on the Texas–Mexico. At some point he attended both the United States Army War College and the United States Army Command and General Staff College.
When the United States joined the Allied forces in World War I, Alexander proved his valor and was able to rise through the ranks. He was also given the responsibility of inspector general in the Zone of Communications from November 1917 to February 1918. Alexander was promoted to brigadier general in February 1918 and then to major general in August 1918.
From the headquarters of the 77th Division in France, Alexander was one of the officers who reported on the Lost Battalion incident.
A group of around 500 soldiers, in nine companies, had disappeared after going into the Argonne Forest expecting American and French Allied troops to meet them.
This had followed an American attack on German forces and, with Major Charles White Whittlesey leading the group, the men found that the French troops had been stalled. As a result, the battalion was cut off by the Germans who surprised them and suffered large losses with only 197 men coming out of the ravine. In the report he states:
“General Order Number 30:
I desire to publish to the command an official recognition of the valor and extraordinary heroism in action of the officers and enlisted men of the following organizations: Companies A, B, C, E, G, H 308th Infantry Company K 307th Infantry Companies C, D 306th Machine Gun Btln. These organizations, or detachments therefrom, comprised the approximate force of 550 men under command of Major Charles W. Whittlesey, which was cut off from the remainder of the Seventy-Seventh Division and surrounded by a superior number of the enemy near Charlevaux, in the Forest d’Argonne, from the morning of October 3, 1918, to the night of October 7, 1918. Without food for more than one hundred hours, harassed continuously by machine gun, rifle, trench mortar and grenade fire, Major Whittlesey’s command, with undaunted spirit and magnificent courage, successfully met and repulsed daily violent attacks by the enemy. They held the position which had been reached by supreme efforts, under orders received for an advance, until communication was re-established with friendly troops. When relief finally came, approximately 194 officers and men were able to walk out of the position. Officers and men killed numbered 107. On the fourth day a written proposition to surrender received from the Germans was treated with the contempt which it deserved. The officers and men of these organizations during these five days of isolation continually gave unquestionable proof of extraordinary heroism and demonstrated the high standard and ideals of the United States Army.
Robert Alexander, Major General, US Army Commanding”
April 15, 1919
In France, he commanded the 41st Division, 63rd Infantry Brigade, and the 77th Division.[1] He commanded the 77th from August 1918 onwards, including during the Meuse–Argonne offensive, where he was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) in October for heroism at Grandpré, Ardennes.
The medal’s citation reads:
The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to Major General Robert Alexander, United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with 77th Division, A.E.F., near Grand Pre, France, 11 October 1918. During the advance in the Argonne Forest and at a time when his forces were fatigued by the stress of battle and a long period of active front-line service, Major General Alexander visited the units in the front line, cheering and encouraging them to greater efforts. Unmindful of the severe fire to which he was subjected, he continued until he had inspected each group. His utter disregard of danger and inspiring example resulted in the crossing of the Aire and the capture of Grand Pre and St. Juvin.[4]
He was also awarded the Croix de Guerre (France), two citations and was made a Commander of the Legion of Honor (France).
In 1919, Alexander received the honorary degree of LL.D. from St. John’s College of Annapolis, Maryland.
Alexander later commanded the 3rd Division and Fort Lewis, Washington. He retired in 1927 at the rank of major general.
He authored a memoir, 1931’s Memories of the World War, 1917–1918. Also in 1931, Alexander received an honorary LL.D. from the College of Puget Sound.
In 1933, Alexander was a delegate to the Washington state convention that ratified the Twenty-first Amendment to the United States Constitution. He was a candidate for chairman of the convention but after a deadlock he withdrew in favor of a compromise choice.[9] On the ratification question, Alexander was in the majority, which voted to enact the Twenty-first amendment by a vote of 94 to 4.
In 1892, Alexander married Mollie Augur Thomas (1871–1953), the daughter of Brigadier General Earl D. Thomas. They were the parents of two sons, both of whom served in the army. William Dennison (1893–1978) attained the rank of colonel and Robert Jr. became a lieutenant colonel.
Alexander was active in freemasonry. In 1931, he attained the 33rd degree of the Scottish Rite.
He died in Manhattan on August 25, 1941,[1] and is buried at Arlington National Cemetery, in Arlington, Virginia.
Medal Description
3008 Ever Awarded
The National Order of the Legion of Honour (French: Ordre national de la Légion d’honneur [ɔʁdʁ nɑsjɔnal də la leʒjɔ̃ dɔnœʁ]), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour (Ordre royal de la Légion d’honneur), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon Bonaparte, it has been retained (with occasional slight alterations) by all later French governments and regimes.
The order’s motto is Honneur et Patrie (“Honour and Fatherland”); its seat is the Palais de la Légion d’Honneur next to the Musée d’Orsay, on the left bank of the Seine in Paris. Since 1 February 2023, the Order’s grand chancellor has been retired General François Lecointre, who succeeded fellow retired General Benoît Puga in office.
The order is divided into five degrees of increasing distinction: Chevalier (Knight), Officier (Officer), Commandeur (Commander), Grand officier (Grand Officer) and Grand-croix (Grand Cross).
It comes with both Ribbon/Buttons for Civil attire. It is as pictured, full length neck ribbon, the ring has some markings as expected. Damage – Only one of the enamel areas have a small crack as seen on the back side of the award. Production date on this medal must have been WWI or pre-WWI.
Art Relief of the Lion of Belfort
Silver Hallmarked – A.Bartholdi – The Lion of Belfort, in Belfort, France, is an 1880 monumental sculpture by Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi, the sculptor of the Statue of Liberty.
Presented to the Commander of the 77th Infantry Division U.S.A – Major General Robert Alexander 1917 – 1918 from – The Government of the French Republic
Silver Platter
Hallmarked – Brand – Chatillon Co. Sterling 735g/222 14IN
Major General Robert Alexander With Affectionate Regards From His Brother Officers Of The Seventy Seventh Division In Commemoration Of The Twentieth Anniversary – Meuse – Argonne Offensive September 26, 1938
Final Comments:
An incredible chance to own a rare and prestigious award awarded to an incredibly famous Division in WWI, his connection to the Lost Battalion make this an extra interesting grouping. We have not seen similar groupings come up for a long time.
Located in the U.S.A and can be shipped Tracked Worldwide. Last four photos are reference only.
