The Washington herald., 1921-11-29
Col. Whittlesey Unnerved
By Burial Rites of Un-
known Soldier.
WAS LEADER OF
LOST BATTALION
Leaves Notes to Father
And to One of His
Law Partners.

NEW YORK. Nov. es.-His mind
unnerved by the horrors of the
world war which were brought
vividly back to him when he acted
as pallbesrer to Americas Un-
known Hero at Arlington two
r weeks ago. Col. Charles w. Whit
tlesey. famous commander of the
Lost Battalion" and himself one
OF the foremost heroes of the war.
Is missing from the United Fruit
Company's liner Toloa, en- route
from New York to Havana. since
some time Sunday night
Word OF the death OF the noted
hero. who when his battalion was
surrounded by Germans and sur
render had been demanded sent
back a message to the German
lines. saying. go to hell" reached
here today in wireless dispatches
TO the United Fruit Company.
Left Notes I'm Cabin.
They came as a distinct shock to
whittlesey's friends and TO his law
partners Of No. - Wall street. who
were unaware that Col. whittlesey
had even contemplated a trip to
Havana.
Col whittlesy left notes. one of
them directed to his father. who
lives somewhere in Massachusetts.
and who ha, ,ot yet been infor m ed
Of his sons fate. and the other to a
law partner. Robert Pyne. of this
city. The notes were discovered in
his cabin on the Toloa. soon after
his absence from the ships COM
pany had been noticed
Efforts to reach Mr.. Pyne tonight
were fruitless. but a woman who
said she was Mr.. Pyne's sister,
spoke over the telephone from the
Pyne residence in Riverside Drive.
seemed In Good Spirits.
1T is all a great mystery TO u.s.
she said. col. whittlesey went to
the theater with friends last Fri
day night and seemed to be in the
best OF spirits.
He did not tell us. or any OF his
friends. that he had even considered
a sea voyage.
From what we can gather we
are afraid that the ceremony in
honor of Americas unknown hero.
had unnerved him. He was a pail
bearer. you know. and friends who
saw him after the ceremony said
he appeared to be profoundly i'm
pressed by what had occurred. U.s.
uaIly of a cheerful disposition, he
seemed on this occasion unwarrant-
ably depressed.
NO. there was no romance. He
was not engaged"
Sacrificed for His Men.
Col. whittlesey was very close to
the common soldiers OF the ranks,
in fact. his record overseas was one
Of continuous and painstaking sac
rifces for the welfare of his men
and their affection for their COM
manding officer was none the less
marked.
whittlesey's war record is one OF
the most romantic adventures ot
the war. and so great was his hero
kism that Gen. Pershing only re-
Gently ranked him next to Sergt
woodhl as one of Americas fore
most heroes. He was the possessor
ot decorations from virtually every
United States in the war.
Col. Whittlesey's modesty on his
exploits was one of his typical
characteristics Hardly ever could
he be brought 10 say anything of
the famous 60 to He'll. message
which rang round the world as a
sample of American heroism. He
was at all times, however. ready to
tell Of the bravery and tns forti-
tude of the men who fought under
him
One of First in France.
The leader OF the lost battalion
was one OF the hrst American Off
GERS TO see servi"e in France. He
also was one Of the first t. leay,
the army after the signing Of the
armistice and the break-up OF the
50sth. Infantry. of which he was an
cfficer. He went frst to his family
home in Pittsneld, Mass AT this
time he announced his intention of
resuming law practice in New York.
His heart was as great as his
backbone was frm. On on, occa-
kion since the srmist;ce he made a
special plea to Washington in order
that a Polish stowaway might en-
ter this country. Just 4 month agr
ne Was Icnocfed a IldlrIianShlp in
the Red Cross and accepted 1t, i'm
mediately plungIng into the work
of the campaign just ended
Col Whittlesey was not a swear
ing man, according to a one-,ime
iIndlady who dismissed his famous
Go to He'll" as mSrsly AN excel
lent piece of advice tc the Ger
mans"
Received Highest Decoration.
The colonel was one Of the first
three Americans to receive the
highest decoration that the United
states can give. the Congressional
Medal of Honor. He was publicly
decorated in Boston in 1918, the
citation reading: For conspicuous
gallantry and intrepidity in action
with the Germans northeast of BIZ
narville, in the Forest of the Ar
Gonne, France. October to- Z.
1918"
The feat for which Col. Whittie-
sey was honored was one of the
greatest exploits of the American
fCrces in the war. He and his bat
talon were for six nights cut of
frgm the base and entirely sur
rounded by enemy troops.
The colonel was called upon to
surrender.
Go to He'll" was his answer.