New-York tribune., 1919-03-02


pare with anything of its kind in American
history.
Shaded on both sides by slopes that were
once dense clusters of trees and under
growth but too day marked by jagged stumps
and tortured earth, the small stone marks
the memorable fight of the Lost Battalion"
Before many weeks plans will be COM
ple.e for handsome monument to replace
tho small stone marker, and the regular
rows Of small white wooden crosses, not far
away, will be replaced by headpieccs Of
a more permanent character, bearing the
bronze insignia, every one, Of the Statue of
Liberty.
Five miles south, or there abouts, of the
small ravine-the Ravine de Charlevaux-
will be erected another monument BY the
same infantry regiment to mark the spot
where the "Lost Battalion" and other ele-
ments Of the regiments Jumped off" to tho
attack which seven days later brought the
battalion to the hallowed ravine where men
of our National Army fought, starved and
died for six days, with never thought of
surrender
The second monument, it is planned here
to-day, will cost approximately SIS, 900, and
the ravlne monument itself may come to an
al al I'LL
the nth Division Association, now formed,
and the cost of the second will be borne
by the infantry regiment to which the Lost
Battalion belonged
Many stories of the Lost Battalion or
versions thereof have been written | have
spent several days here at the headquarters
Of the 77th Division and have attempted to
gather from the divisions officers, men and
records the "lasting" story of Major Whit
Ncsey's command-~-the facts which will be
put down in the history of tho division now
being written here under direction of Cen
era AleXander's staff.
After seven days and nights of continuous
lighting in the wild tangled underbrush of
the Argonne Forest-a type of fighting that
compared with the struggles of American
forefathers against the Redskins except for
modern weapons which made it more ter
roie-the 7th Division on the carly morn
ing Of October ran flush against a system
OF German defence, feverishly built of wire
and trenches, studded with machine guns
and fanked by artillery. Here the enemy
made desperate fight and the division
mated In Its advance for breath. This halt
Tor breath, however, was not for long, be-
cause at 1880 o'clock that same afternoon
another American attack was launched in
Nalson with French forces on the left.
In the forefront of the attack was the
'orce commanded by Major Charles S. Whit
'eSey, under orders to break through and
mold at any cost. The force composed ele-
ments Of two battalions OF the 308th In
'antry, accompanied by sections from Com
panies G and D Of the 3O6th Machine Gun
Battalion. They forged ahead through the
underbrush behind powerful artillery
oasrage smashing into and through the Ger
man wire defence, suffering about ninety
casualties themselves and capturing two
ohcers and twenty-eght men and three
machine guns. Sending the prisoners to the
rear and continuing ahead, Whittesey's mon
encountered tho ravine destined for their
heroic defence and quickly filtered into it.
This was their objective previously planned
and they settled down to hold 1t until ele-
n'enss behind could como up. That night
company X Of tho 307th Regiment sue
'eeded in joining Whittlcscy, but they were
al for clements on tho right and left Of
ne Whittlescy force had not advanced so
lar az Whittlcsey in the general attack,
snd the Germans were able to refltcr in
''nind Whittlescy, joining up their line
"e're he had broken il and cutting him of
rom the rear.