The Kadoka press and Kadoka reporter. [volume] (Kadoka, S.D.) 1910-1923, 1921-12-09
Interesting Story Of
"LOSt Battalion

iesey had made away with himself
and disappeared from the ship in
which he was returning to thi.
country. Col Whittlesey, (at tn
at time Major) was in charge OF
what became known as the Los,
Battalion" and Immediately supp
orting him were the troops under
the command of Col. C. II. Engels
5y of Watcrtown, and in comment
ing on the death of Col. Whittle
;ey Col. Engelsby gave out the foI
owing interview in which he tel.
interestingly of the story OF the
Lost Battalion
Il vividly recall the extra stress
).aced upon all of Us when the VIC
ID was flashed along the lines that
an entire battalion of the 77th di.
vision was surrounded by Germans
n our immediate front near La
Hazarce in the North Argonn,
forest during the general otfens
I'VE the first American army wa
conducting in September 1918.
My regiment. the 53rd pionee
infantry, a Brooklyn, N. Y. out
it, had been assigned to the firsi
army corps and the first corps ha,
been assigned to the task of tax
ing the Argonne in which the Gen
mans had been entrenched for 70
ur years. | had one battilior 49,
Grating with
,lSlOnS on TIN ....- ~
The 77th division was on the eA
rene left. connecting with tn
french army and our ground wa
conceded to he the most difficult
If any with which the American
had to contend.
1T was not known outside
he ,77th division officers whic'
attalion was lost but that some
nc was in a prccarious predica
hcnt we knew from the stream
oundcd men pouring out Of th'
yoods and gulches in front Of
nd the terrible din of battle tina
'ould be heard in the direction fl
m which they were coming.
1T was the duty of my troop
o keep communication lines pI
With the advancing infantry, t
epair the roads and bridges, re
move barb wire and other obstl
lctions and assist in keeping W
he supply of food and ammuni
On as we'll as aid the advance o
he artillery. One company
ny regiment was assigned to th'
york of burying the dead will
he 18th division. Another Com
pany was given the task Of reach
ng the 'lost battalion" with sup
,lies if possible and for nearly fo
IT days they worked incessantl!
rying to get food up to Majo
Nhittlcsey and his men.
Major Whittlescy had been cut
fl and was surrounded on three
idcs by ten times his number o.
iermans who were occupying ar
elaborate system of bomb proof c'
nent constructed dugouts and en-
.renchments on the reverse SLOPE
,f chain of high hills, forming
he walls of several convergins
'avineS.
1T was one of these ravines, ir
n exposed meadow partially filled
with water, that Major Whittlesey
was compelled to dig himself il
with what was left of his i'll fatet
battalion. There was no chance
70 fall back as his only avenue o.
possible escape was completely en-
iaded with German machine gun!
He had no other choice but to wa
t for the slowly advancing Amer
lcan lines (then moving on fro
at of approximately twenty miles
to come up and drive the German
! out.
The American advance had be
on temporarily delayed by tcrrifi
| fighting at Montfaucon over ol
our right in the sector of the 3r,
corps. Major Whittlesey contin
ued to wait and for four days an
nights he and his men remainc
buried in the water and mud o
the shell holes in which they ha
taken refuge. Once the German
sent in a flag Of truce and aske
him to surrender, to which he pl
omptly, Yankee fashion, returne
the famous answer to the Germa
general that he could go to hell
With the general reorganizat
ion of the American lines and tn
new advance that was ordered, tn
position of the Germans here an
elsewhere were made untenabl
and they fell back in the directio
Of Grand Pre- and st. Juvan whic