A. D. Breeding
| Date and Place of Birth: | March 25, 1888 Goliad, TX |
| Date and Place of Death: | October 12, 1918 Bois d’Ormont, France |
| Baseball Experience: | Minor League |
| Position: | Pitcher |
| Rank: | Private First Class |
| Military Unit: | Company A, 114th Infantry Regiment, 29th Infantry Division AEF |
| Area Served: | AEF - France |
A. D. Breeding played baseball for the oil company teams in Texas for many years and played briefly in the minors in 1911.
Albert Daryl Breeding was born in Goliad, Texas on March 25, 1888.
The first record of Breeding playing baseball is in 1909 with the Humble
Producers, an oil company team representing the Producers Oil Company at
Humble, Texas. In 1910, it’s believed he was with the Sealy independent
team of Texas. He signed with the Helena (Arkansas) Seaporters of the
Class D Northeast Arkansas League in 1911 and pitched a handful of games
during May, joining the Cairo Egyptians of the Class D Kitty League,
later that month where he was used sparingly. His last game was probably
against Hopkinsville on June 10, when he allowed nine hits in a 5-1
loss. His last known involvement in baseball was a tryout with the
Taylor (Texas) Independent team in May 1912, but he most likely
continued to play for the Producers Oil Company with whom he remained
employed.
By 1917, Breeding was still with Producers as an oil field laborer and
was based in Damon, Texas. He registered for the military draft in May
of that year and was inducted into service the following March. Breeding
trained with 52 Company, 13th Training Battalion of the 165th Depot
Brigade at Camp Travis, Bexar County, Texas. In April 1918, he joined
the 2nd Infantry Replacement Draft, awaiting assignment to an infantry
regiment.
In September 1918, 30-year-old Private Breeding was part of the
replacements for Company A of the 114th Infantry Regiment, 29th
Division, and deployed for overseas duty in France on USS Pastores
(AF-16), sailing from Newport News, Virginia on September 23, 1918. He
could only have been in France for a matter of days when Company A was
ordered to take up position on the night of October 11, ready for an
attack at 7am the following morning in the vicinity of Bois d’Ormont,
northwest of Verdun. At 3am, Company A reached the point where they were
to form the attack, a ravine which had been captured from the Germans
the day before. The area provided very little shelter and was under
continuous attack from German artillery. The company lost two men before
daylight (possibly Breeding was one of them). At 7am, the uphill advance
began. Artillery shells rained down and resistance was met in the form
of heavy machine gunfire. By the time Company A had reached the woods at
the crest of the hill, Albert Breeding had suffered fatal wounds and
died later that day.
Reports of Albert Breeding being wounded in action didn’t reach home
until Christmas, and it was not until June 1919, that his death was
confirmed. Albert Breeding was originally buried in Europe. On August 5,
1921, his body was disinterred and sent to the Belgian port of Antwerp
for shipment back to the United States. On September 1, 1921, Breeding’s
remains began the journey home aboard the transport ship USAT Cantigny,
arriving at Hoboken, New Jersey on September 13. He was reburied at
Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia, on October 13, 1921.
|
Year |
Team |
League |
Class |
G |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| 1911 | Helena | Arkansas State | D | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1911 | Cairo | Kitty League | D | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
Thanks to Chris Woodman for bringing A. D. Breeding to my attention.
Date Added May 21, 2023
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