The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1919-05-08
1t. George Sutherland Fell
Facing the Foe In First
Assault of a Famous
Victory.
LED A BRILLIANT CHARGE
Letters Reveal the Fact That Kenosha
Officer Long Listed Missing Died
Heroically In the Maneuvers of
September 2eth.

with the return ana = muster OUT
of the famous 10Th New England Divi-
sion, all hope for the survival of Lieu
tenant George R. Sutherland, the son
of Mrs. R. E. Sutherland and one of
Kenosha s most courageous soldiers and
gentlemen, has been completely dis
sipated. In fact, the gallant officer s
sister, Mrs. Harry Shnkle of 221
Sheridan Road, is in receipt of letters
which prove conelusively that her
brother, who has been listed missing"
since September Goth, 1918, was killed
in action while leading the charge that
inaugurated the immortal battle of the
Argonne Forest.
Immediately after receiving word
that 1t. Sutherland had been engaged
in the famous encounter that ended
the war and had not returned with the
remnants of his company, Mrs. Skinkle
began the investigation which brought
to light the facts concerning the Ke-
nosha officer s heroic service and death
Having read in an army bulletin that
1t. Ralph G. Harshmann had come back
to his home in Ada, Ohio, and knowing
that he had been a member of the same
unit with LIT. Sutherland, Mrs. Skinkle
wrote to him about her brother and
received a discouraging but revealing
reply. 1t. Harshmann told of riding
out to battle with Lit Sutherland early
on the morning of September goth, of
waving him farewell as he went for
ward with the first wave and of re-
turning to his headquarters with a
grim presentiment of the truth
that he would never see his colleague
and friend again,
1t. Harshmann Gives First News.
The Lieutenant went on to tell that
the unit had Jared badly during the
day, that it had been ambushed by the
Germans and all but cut to pieces, that
he himself had been badly wounded,
and had heard while in the hospital
that 1t. Sutherland had been among
the men who had come not back De
tails regarding his death he could not
give but he referred Mrs. Skinkle to
Sergeant Frank T. Hitchcock, who had
been sub-commander of 1t. Suther-
LAID 5 platoon and who would know,
if anyone did, exactly what happened
to his superior officer in the first fight
ing of most memorable offensive.
Sergeant Hitchcock Tells His Story.
Mrs. Skinkle found it difficult to get
into communication with Sergeant
Hitchcock but finally succeeded in To-
eating him at his home in Boston, Mas
sachusetts, shortly after the famous
10Th returned to the States in late Feb
ruary. Her letter said simply that he
was known to have been with 1t. Suth-
erland on the morning of the s6th and
that the latter S family and friends
would greatly appreciate any informa-
ton that he could give them relative
to the Lieutenant S last hours in the
shelI-drenched Argonne Forest
In reply the sergeant, who is APP
.parently highly educated, wrote the fol
lowing account of his experiences with
the local officer during the morning of
a most glorious and never-to-be-for-
gotten day.:
F was with Lieut.. sutherland IN
the action of Sept. 26th He was my
platoon commander, and / being his
platoon Sergeant accounts for our
being together. We went 'over the
top about daybreak on the 26th; we
were met with heavy artillery fire, and
were forced somewhat apart. Lieut..
Sutherland went with the infantry
commander, andI with the platoon. [
did not see him until about ten when
our entire front was held up by the
enemy machine gun fire. He was alone
whensI met him here. ] stayed with
him about an hour. Our guns were so
far apart that it was decided that /
should 90 to the two guns on the left,
and he to the two on the right I left
him here and went over to the left.
The enemy at this time were Smelling
us pretty heavy, and it was then that
the Lieutenant was Instantly killed.
Unit Was Almost Annihilated.
~ know the Lieutenant Is not. or
was not, missing in action. But because
all Of our officers were either killed
or wounded, and most of our men. great
confusion of reports resulted If
had not left the company to attend
an Officers Training School the next
dayaI could have told that the report
should have been killed, not missing
In circumstances of this kind it is,
Of course, hard for the War Depart
ment to make accurate reports. The
Company was left without officers, and
many things were overlooked, I guess
that would have been attended to had
we had an ofneef.
An officer and a Gentleman
IT. was very closely connected with
the Lieutenant and thought the world
of him as an officer and a gentleman,
and it was, indeed, hard blow to