Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-10-11
AMERICAN MAJOR REFUSED
TO HEED ORDER FROM HUN
When Told to Surrender He Advises
( Foe to Go Where Old Satan
= Il Said to Reside.
FELL INTO CUNNING TRAP
: Men OF Screnty.seventh Division Are
Subjected TO Grflling Shipping Mu-
: Ehine-Gun Fire After Germans
- Lead Them Into Hollow.
lBy Associated Press


WITH THE AMERICAN FORCES
!. EoRTHWEST OF NERDUN. Wcdnes-
, day, October s.--Tho brightest spot In
. the heroic and amazing story of the
! n6.p famous Got battalion" which be-
lonsed 90 the Seventy seventh Division.
as yet untold. was the climax to the
fourth day OF the troops beleaguer-
ment IN the Arsonne forest.
Whsn tho men were long foodless
ard almost wholly without ammunition.
AID when many were weak from eX-
hnOstion. but not oae deapairins, an
American who had been taken prison
CT ey the Germans suddenly appeare
, valley
rho man had been sen. blindfold 81
. from the German hcedquarters with Il
typewriter note 10 Majo- Whi.tlesey,
reading:
Americans. you arc surrounded on
all SIDES. Surrender in the name of h1-
, mainly. You will be we'll tre:,tcd."
Major Whittlescy did not hesitate i
traction of second.
Go to h" he almost shouted. Then
and his men. Notwithstanding their
WEAKNESS and hunger. and In immi-
nent danger every moment. chcered SO
loudly that the Germans h.ard them
1Ion. their observation posts.
A composite story CLEANED from a
eoasn recitals reveals that the bat
TALON, when ordered to advance. push
fc:est. and. in its eszerness TO catch up
With the retreating Germans. Eradu-
ally spread out and widened its ranks.
This allowed the Germans 10 iniiltrat:
unseen behind the Americans, an0 they
fell directly into cunning trap which
the Germans had set for them.
The enemy had planned to catch the
Americans In 4 hollow surrounded on
AN four sides by heights. the greatest
20: which WAS a steep hill directly
ahead. The americans, who were not
accustomed to forest fighting aad were
hollow without stopping to think that
tho enemy might be awaiting them.
Tie members OF the battalion were a.
rage. which had worked steadily for
ward. Nevertheless, II had not worked
as fast as the troops themselves, and
htil and there thev waited e.. for I The ii bar ar
they discovered that the Germans on
beth sides had jointly fankcd them
Snd had closed In upon their rear.
sIEAGEn RATIoNs FAIL TO
DAMIEN ARDoR OF YANKEES
Sheltered only by a shallow and has.
tiy constructed trenches, the mon were
subjected to a srilling shipping ma
< shine sun fire. as we'll as trench NOR
showed themselves Only with the
;Erestest difficulty and with extreme
caution could they move from place to
;p!aes, and keep Gqa1d against surprise
p, The battalion had started with
insakeF ,n Tae'oIns, eSpSSe:ns more TO
they were fairly we'll supplied with
Nightly and daily. too, they sent
baci: volunteer scouting parties. but if
these reached the positions in the rear
without being captured or killed they
!. Daily. American aviators. searching
Nainly for them. few overhead, but No
cutlery the men could make brought
from the xess o shGn IN rr and
and behind and TO the right and left
=, THE be,easuered men discovered
ALI around, and man to show him
@self ever SO briefly was the signal for
"a sweeping rain OF bullets. If man
pounded the vicinity vic!ously.
-PENyED IN LIKE so
:. MANY RATS IN TRAP
:: Just for diversion the enemy made
Erain-the hillside Where the impro-
iey tT s Hien were ere heated and the
~TEet leaves and water--resularly and
then ' RE Wig. machine guns.
s the more aS and p4s5$s sS G
more and more bearded. bu, ;hey neve.
gave UP hope. There was nothing bu;
- grim determination 10 hold out unit
It he last man was finished. There was
"-ilot man In the battalion. wounded
OR otherwise. hungry or starving but
secuted the IDEA OF surrender. Their
ammunition was depleted to point
where the few machine guns in the
outht had but one belt OF cartridges
apiece and the rife ammunition wa.
a unninE SO short that they had received
@ q 49, III.
until within such short range that Ills
:.death OF serious injury was almost in.
-. Major Wh!ttiesey. who is we'll
i:nown New Yorker, had his .ntir,
s battalion behind him to a man. Cap.
lam Leo Stromee. OF San Bernardino
= Gal. told the Associat ted Press his mer
Jeered at the Idea OF surrender, anC
THO men EGo 1,,t ~ e.,