The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1918-12-20
Whole Battalion,
Boche Encircled,
Relieved at Last
Troops Caught in Argonne Rescued
After Six FOOdless Days

the early hours or Monday evening
when relief came thru rain and dark
ness to a battalion of American SOL
diers that for six unforgettable
nights had been surrounded by Ger
man forces in that blighted jungle
which is known as the Forest of the
Argonne.
The story of that seige, the story
of the dreadful suffering borne with
a high and undaunted spirit, the
story of the defense and rescue when
it can be told in full, will take its
place in history alongside the re-
lief of Lucknow and will quicken
american hearbteats for centuries to
come
From the night of Wednesday,
Oct. 2. to the night of Monday, Oct
7, that battalion was isolated on the
northern slope of a bleak, unshel-
tered ravine, with the German army
on cliff above them and with a
powerful German detachment deeply
entrenched on the other side of the
ravine so close that the doughboys
burrowed into the hillside could hear
the calls and orders of their enemy,
could be reached by German machine
guns and German rifles if they
showed themselves in the open.
When night settled over the forest
on Monday last their situation was
desperate. What little food they
had had with them was spent on the
second day. For three days they
had been eating plugs of tobacco and
chewing on leaves of the under
brush. For water they had to de-
pend on muddy stream at the bot
tom of the ravine and on one clear,
greatful spring that bubbled there
invitingly, but each trip to it meant
exposure to snipers. More than one
doughboy fell in fetching water.
What few blankets and overcoats
had not been discarded in the first,
fine rush which carried the ravine
had long since gone to wrap around
the wounded. For their dead and
wounded lay with them on the hill
side.
Three Attacks Fought off
They were drenched to the skin
mad weak from hunger and long ex-
posure to the chill October wind.
They had fought off three savage at
tacks-fought them off with their
own machine guns, their own rifles
and bayonets, their own hand gre
nades-but by the sixth night their
store had so dwindled that there
was little chance of their resisting
successfully another attack.
They knew in their hearts and
knew by their senses that the rest of
| the Americans, not more than 1900
meters below them in the forest,
| were trying to reach them. They
had seen planes come looking for
them in the interminable fog. They
had seen planes shot down in the
effort to reach them. They had
heard from time to time the sound
of heavy firing nearby. They knew
that the effort to reach them had
been and would be unremitting, but
there had come to the stoutest heart
there doubt that relief would come
in time. Yet in all that beseiged
battalion there was none who
thought for one moment of surrend-
ering to the encircling enemy.
The battalion waited its fourth at
tack without much hope, for it's
stock Of ammunition had run low
and the men we're SO weak they could
hardly drag themselves to their feet.
Some had written little letters of
farewell to their folks and In there
last hours was entrusting his to some
pal on the chance that the pal
might get thru alive. There
were some thanks whispered shyly
for little unchronicled deeds of
kindness the week had witnessed.
Here and there men promised to
kill each other If it came to ques-
tion Of capture.
Rations for the Boys
Then suddnely out of the darkness
voices could be heard calling, Major
Whitlesey!" .e
The boys along the line could hear
him answering from his hole in the
ground.
major. we've got here!" The
whisperers were exultant. Were
up on your right. We're here!"
Then a pause "And-and we've
brought some rations for the boys"
There was a moment Of absolute
silence, and then all along the side
of the ravine could be heard gusts
Of hysterical laughter. Relief and
come.
The besieged battalion had gone
forward on the night Of the second
and taken it's position with orders to
hold It, Into some strongly fortified
German trenches just to the rear
there filtered a powerful German
force, how powerful can be guessed
from the fact that when that trench
was finally carried, a colonel. two
majors, and their entire stats were
among the prisoners.
| Major Whittlesey, when the dawn
of October showed that he was cut
of, sent back runners with report
on his position. The runners fell
in their courses. He sent up pigeons
and 1t was these couriers of the air
who carried the tidings to the other
lYanks in the forest.
| Attack after attack was then made
by companion regiments. Relief and
instructions were rushed thru the
air. Airplanes went over again and
again to drop munitions, bandages
and that best Of all iron rations,
chocolate.
Such was the lay Of the wooded
, ravine, such was the fog that the
, airmen had to work as tho blind
foIdad One great package OF sup