Spottswood Poles was born on December 9, 1887, in Winchester, Virginia. In the early 1890s, Poles’ family moved to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. By the age of six, Poles started playing baseball, often using a broom stick as a bat. In 1897, his father, French Poles, signed him up to play on one of the local sandlot teams. In 1902, Poles joined the Springdale Athletic Club, an all-Black amateur baseball team in Harrisburg. He continued to improve as a player and was recognized for his speed and hitting ability. This impressed Charles Strothers, owner of the Harrisburg Giants, a semi-professional baseball team. In 1906, Strothers recruited Poles to play outfield for the Harrisburg Giants. In 1908, the Harrisburg Giants won the “Colored Champions of Pennsylvania”. In June 1909, Poles signed with Philadelphia Giants, an all-Black professional baseball team. Fans referred to him as the “Black Ty Cobb” as he was often compared to the Major League Baseball star, Ty Cobb. That year, the Philadelphia Giants won the “Colored Championship of the World”. In 1911, Poles signed with the New York Lincoln Giants and moved to Harlem, New York. They won the championship in 1913, 1914, and 1915. After each season, they played exhibition games against Major League Baseball teams. By 1916, Poles played 21 games against Major League Baseball teams and held a batting average of .405. This included three hits against Hall of Fame pitcher Grover Cleveland Alexander. On July 12, 1916, Poles enlisted in the all-Black 15th New York Army National Guard Regiment in Harlem, New York. They were nicknamed the “Harlem Rattlers” after the rattlesnake on their uniform patch. He was assigned to Company M, attached to the Third Battalion. The 15th New York didn't have enough rifles for training, so many of the soldiers used broom sticks. The training schedule was flexible, which allowed Poles to continue playing baseball. This changed on July 25, 1917, as the unit was called into federal service. They reported to Camp Whitman near Poughkeepsie, New York. After two weeks of training, they were activated and given three different assignments. The First Battalion was assigned to protect the railroads in New York and New Jersey. The Second Battalion was assigned to improve Camp Upton in Long Island, New York. The Third Battalion, which included Poles, was assigned to guard German prisoners of war at Ellis Island in New York Harbor. On October 8, 1917, the 15th New York regrouped and were sent to Camp Wadsworth in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Trenches were constructed there to simulate the conditions in France for combat training. They also endured racial discrimination and attacks from the local community. Despite being antagonized, the soldiers refrained from violence and focused on their training. On October 27, 1917, they received orders to return to New York and prepare for deployment to France. On December 27, 1917, they arrived at Brest, France aboard the USS Pocahontas. They were assigned support roles, such as building railroads and draining swamps. Poles was promoted to Corporal and served as a wagoner. He oversaw horses and wagons that transported supplies to the frontlines. On March 1, 1918, the 15th New York was redesignated the 369th Infantry Regiment and assigned to the 93rd Infantry Division. General John J. Pershing served as the American Expeditionary Force commander. He received requests for soldiers to support French and British units on the frontlines. General Pershing ordered US combat units to only fight under the US chain of command. He also refused to assign Black soldiers to combat units as he believed they were ineffective on the battlefield. He agreed to assign them to the French Army. This was due to the French Army’s experience deploying Black colonial troops in the war. On March 12, 1918, the 369th Infantry were transferred to the 16th Division of the French Army. The US Army discouraged the French from treating Black soldiers equal to white soldiers. The French Army ignored this and welcomed the 369th Infantry into their unit. As the 369th Infantry arrived, they were greeted by General Le Gallais, commander of the 16th Division. The men were given French Lebel rifles, Chauchat machine guns, French ammunition belts, pouches, and helmets. They trained for three weeks on how to use the new equipment. General Gallais wrote that he was impressed by their discipline and "excellent spirit." Poles participated in the battles of Chateau-Thierrey, Bellaeu Woods, Champagne-Marne, Meuse-Argonne, and Champagne. They pushed the Germans back and never lost any ground or had a soldier captured. The Germans called them “Hollenkampfer”, which translated to hellfighter. This is how the 369th Infantry got the nickname “Harlem Hellfighters”. In October 1918, they were relieved after 191 days on the frontlines. They served longer than any other American unit on the frontlines during the war. On November 11, 1918, the armistice was signed which ended the war. Poles received the Purple Heart due to the injuries he suffered during the war. On February 17, 1919, the 369th returned to New York City and were honored with a victory parade. They marched seven miles from 23rd Steet up Fifth Avenue to 145th Steet and Lenox Avenue in Harlem. The streets were filled with both white and Black citizens celebrating their return. On February 28, 1919, Poles was honorably discharged with the rank of Sergeant at Camp Upton. Poles returned to baseball and signed as the player manager for the Hell Fighters. This semi-professional baseball team comprised of veterans from the 369th. They played several games including some against the Harrisburg Giants. In 1920, Poles returned to the New York Lincoln Giants. On July 11, 1920, the New York Lincoln Giants played the Atlantic City Bacharach Giants at Ebbets Field in Brooklyn, New York. This marked the first time two all-Black teams played a game in a Major League Baseball stadium. In 1923, Poles retired from professional baseball and moved to Winchester, Virginia and started a taxi company. He also worked as an umpire for the Negro League and continued to play baseball with local amateur teams. In the 1935, Poles moved back to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania with his wife, Bertha. During World War II, they worked at the Middletown Air Depot in Middletown, Pennsylvania. They serviced airplanes for the Army Air Corps and constructed engines for cargo planes. After the war, Poles continued to work at the Middletown Air Depot and returned to baseball. He managed his old team, the Harrisburg Giants, which now had white and Black players. He also mentored players, including Brooks Lawrence, who later played for the Cincinnati Reds. On September 12, 1962, Spottswood Poles died from cancer in Lebanon, Pennsylvania. He was given a full military funeral at Arlington National Cemetery and was buried in Section 42, Grave 2324.