The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-12-24

take up a position in the rear of
the Americans. They had also re-
strung wire through the under
brush
WhittIesey knew that he was cut
or
By the use of carrier pigeons he
dispatched this information to regi-
mental headquarters. After that 1t
was impossible to re-establish COM
munication.
It was during the next morning.
while General Alexander was max
ing superhuman efforts to get sup
plies and reinforcements to Whit
tlesey, that correspondents in tell
ing of the lone. single handed fight
of the battalion coined the term
Lost Battalion" Had they said
"Beleaguered Battalion" it is pos
sible that the cruel misconception
would have been avoided
When l called at General Alex
ander's headquarters that day he
was in a high state of nervous
anxiety. 1t was imperative for the
stabilizing of the whole division
front that Whittlesey hold his posi-
ton The general had ordered
Whittlesey to hold it and he felt
reasonably sure of his man. II it
was a human possibility he express
ed confidence that Whittlesey would
not weaken, but he feared that the
whole command would be wiped out
before reinforcements could fight
their way to its side.
Every possible means was taken
to communicate with W'hittlesey,
without avail. Airplanes tried
dropping supplies and carrier
pigeons in the dense little pocket,
but they missed.
In the meantime Whittlesey and
his men began to hear German
voices all around them Some Of
the German officers tried using
English commands to fool the
Americans, but the cultural &C
cent was too pronounced. Sudden
ly the Germans hurled a shower of
potato Washers (grenades with
wooden handles) over the crest of
the sharp hill on the Americans.
The Americans did not return the
fire Immediately, but waited until
they heard a German voice cry ont
allies list in Stellpng" every one
in position). But the voice never
uttered the rest of the command
"AlIes zusammen!" Cali togeth-
erD
Almost as one report the Amer
lean line, which had been waiting
for this moment, fired. They had
caught the Germans out of their
funkholeS and standing in an erect
70
howl all down the Boche line and
they dropped their potato Washers,
resorting to machine gun fire in
stead.
Kept Up Three Days.
This kept up all during the night.
In fact, it kept up for three days.
until Whittlesey's force of over 900
men had dwindled to about 250.
They drove off attack after attack,
always with heavy losses.
Whittlesey's men were without
| food and their ammunition was get
ting scarce. He had no idea how
long he would have to stay there
and fight, so he carefully nursed
the ammunition. The men had
found a good spring of drinking
water, but no trip was made to it
without some one being killed.
Despite this danger patrols would
volunteer to go for water. The
! Germans also located this spring
and covered it with machine gun
fire. They even laid fixed aim
their guns on it and kept up an in
I termittent fire to rake the spring
and its approaches during the
night
/ Would Not Surrender.
! Despite their hunger and thirst
the men showed no disposition to
give up. Time and again some Eng
/ lish speaking German would yell
over the cliff, why don't you sur
render?' Then they would shout
! commands to their own forces in
4 German, such as Bring up ten