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

I was to such a battalion that the
hi for a surrender was made. Il was
bnught to the major by one of his
cmrmand who had been taken pris-
oIef.
This soldier was one Of nine who,
uahout orders and without telling
ay officer of their intention. had set
frth on an independent effort to
beak through to the main American
free in the forest below. OF this luck
less nine. five were killed outright.
the other four were wounded.
The least seriously wounded was
enbraced by the Germans, stuffed
With warm food, cheered with beer
and cigarettes and sent back to the
rsgine as an envoy. He was led there
blndfolded. led by a circuitous route
with a white flag in one hand and a
letter in the other.
This letter, composed in English
and neatly typewriter on a sheet of
God paper, was addressed to the com
mnding officer of the isolated bat
talon. II read:
Sir: The bearer of the present has
hen taken prisoner on October -.
n, refused to the German intelligence
officer every answer to his questions
and is quite an honorable fellow, do
inf honor to his Fatherland in the
s~tdctest sense of the word.
1e has been charged against his
will believing it doing wrong to his
cointry in carrying forward this pres
en- letter to the officer in charge of
thf second battalion, ~ Infantry.
win the purpose to recommend this
commander to surrender with his
forces. as it would be quite useless
to resist any more in view of the pres
ent situation.
The suffering Of your wounded men
can be heard in the German lines and
we are appealing to your human SEN
timents.
white flag shown by one of your
men will tell us that you agree with
these conditions. Please treat AS
an honorable man. He is quite a
soldier. We envy you.
Inc herman AOIilllldnulAE OAll1CA'
Already in the Forest of Argonne.
there is an unquestioned legend which
says that Major Whittlesey's answer
was written in three words on a piece
of crumpled paper, wrapped around
a stone and thrown into the German
lines and that those three words
were go to hell"
The Legend of the ArgOnne
This is pure legend. He sent nc
such answer. He sent no answer a
all. What he did was to send some
one out to take Immediately in from
their place on the hillside the white
cloth panels which served to sgina
to the friendly aircraft the exact 10
cation of the battalion. The Amer1
can commander did this lest the Ger
man commander should mistake then
for a white flag Of surrender an
think for one moment that his propo
siion had been accepted.
That was at 4 o'clock on the after
noon of October Z. At Z that evening
while the exhausted men lay crouche'
in waiting for an attack they knew Il
the bottom Of their hearts would fin
ish them, the word flashed from dug
out to dugout like electric sparks
mrrrdr fTress. efsr broth
regiment had fought its way I
kir side: that this time the attacf
bich had been family heard in IN
bhering dusk. had succeeded; tna
lief had come at last to New YORK
W.
A few moments later the men
E brother regiment were strlppin,
y iron rations from their own oacH
d rushing them along by jubilan
inning runner to the men OF M
Whittlesey's command.
Could Have Cut Way Back.
The full beauty of this chapter
herican history cannot be felt till
realized that when, on the mornln
October 3, the tidings from the rul
showed that he was surrounde
5or Whittlesey could easily nay
t his way back. 1t is probable TN