American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1918-12-20

at any time during the first two days
he could have cut his way back,
though each hour the task would have
become more difficult, so steadily was
the surrounding party reinforced.
Later, the battalion was far too
weak to have attempted such a move.
But while it was still quite feasible,
the idea never seriously considered,
was rejected for two reasons.
In the first place, the commander
OF the battalion had been ordered to
advance rapidly and at whatever cost
through more than a mile of treach-
erous jungle; to station himself IN
that ravine by the C~harlevaux Mill,
not far frcm Binarville, and to hold
it as the division line until such time
as elements could come abreast OF
him on either side.
Met With Heavy Resistance
II did not matter that these ele-
ments had obviously met with unex-
pectedly heavy resistance. 1t did not
matter that later and possibly contra
dictory instructions had failed to
reach him. There he was on the
northern slope of a ravine that pro-
tected him from the German artillery
and that kept the greater part OF his
position shielded from ar industrious
trench mortar which had opened up
at the side.
From there, and so reporting, he
had sent up all the pigeons he had
brought, and he had not let a day go
by without making vain efforts to send
runners through the German lines.
No word from the division or the regi-
ment had reached him, no word OF any
kind. though he knew by the message
cylinders seen falling from the air
planes. only to be lost like needles in
a haystack, that an effort was being
made to send instructions to him. SO
he had only his original orders. By
those he must abide.
That was the first reason.
The second reason, the n that ap-
pealed to all the men and hushed
every dissenting voice, was the fact
that in the advance 80 men had been
wounded. To fight their way back
would have meant deserving the 80.
It was u~nthinkable. Then each hour
added fresh names to the list of
wounded, each name a fresh reason
why the battalion must hold the ra-
vine at all costs.
Brotherhood of the Besieged
Among the men who came alive out
OF that ravine was visible a fraternity
!, that had not, and could not have
existed when they went in, the broth
: erhood of the besieged. Approach
/ any one of them today and their first
: and last word on experience is always
a word in devoted praise of our ma
= jor," the officer around whom they
= rallied and whose steady, dauntless
= spirit saw them through.
"Our major"-he is Lieutenant Col
onel Whittlesey now-is a product OF
Plattsburg, a Williams College man
who. in the dim forgotten days before
April. 1917, lived at 163 East Forty
, fourth street, New York, and prague
4 ed law down at 2 Rector street, where
the Sixth Avenue L thunders by on
its way to the Battery.
It is to the stamina of the men tna'
: Colonel Whittlesey speaks-speaks II
wonder and admiration. He had known
a them first at Camp Upton, an unprom'
: ising miscellany of youngsters, goinl
q forth TO war from Fifth Avenue anC
II from the lower East Side, trucF
= drivers. ~collegians, dressmakers
sweatshop workers, actors, clerks
u idlers. all of the stuff of which New
o York is made. How one and all the.
e proved true, %steadfast, honorable
T American soldiers-that is their com
l. nlander's story.
And Gothamite though he is, you
nav be sure he does not fail to with
hold some of the praise from New
York. but insists fiercely that II D
il shared with certain rangy replace
ments from Oregon who leavened tn
lump.
d He speaks particularly of a NeN
ye York broker who was in command Q
at one detachment. Though wounde
slightly in the leg the first day, an
= though later so outstanding a large
that a German potato masher carom
cd off his shoulder before exploding
this officer was always up and a
them every time the German han
grenade throwers came stealing dow
over the crest through the u~nderbrus
nor did he collapse till long after tn
relief had come and he had been abb
to see every last one Of his men a
tended to.
Colonel Whittlesey likes to tell, to
Of one CHEEKY lieutenant who, unit
he was killed. displayed always a
infectious cheeriness, always sml
ing. always, until the very last F;
bright and shining as if he a Ju
prepared for inspection.
Caring for the Wounded
Above all. he likes to tell how u
little food stock was scraped an
boarded for the wounded and no
cheerfully the few coats and blanke
that had been carried through q
forest we're heaped on those who Il
hurt on the hillside.
He has a warm place in his heart
three runners one a little stenogr
pher from New York who was kill
in his course on the fifth night. a
two others who, in the last houi
though the forest was as black
uidnight did somehow manage