Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1921-11-30
BROODING CAUSE OF
SOLDIERS RASH ACI

New York. Nov. 29.-Secrst
brooding over the memories OF ms
experiences in the war, from when
he emerged one of America great
est individual heroes, was ascrioed
TODAY by friends and relatives OF
Lieut., Col Charles w. Whittlesey
as the cause Of his taking ms NE
Sunday while on the way to Ha-
vana.
Leaving several letters. presum-
ably explaining his act, the COM
mander of the lost battalion DIS
appeared from the steamship
Toloa, twenty-four hours out from
New York. His intimate trlends
had no idea he was making an
ocean voyage.
Members of his family and busl-
ness associates We're incredulous at
first and then recalled incidents as
indications that his spirit was
shaken by recurrent memories OF
his brothers in arms who had dlea
before his eyes in France.
The last blow they said, more
trying than the rest, was IN WASH
ington fortnight ago When ne
took part in the funeral services lor
Americas unknown soldier. lie re-
turned from the capital more de-
pressed than before. the haunting
visions clearer than ever. eearihg
him down. There ne had met nun
dreds of former friends and had
marked anew the gaps in the ranks
of the men he loved.
oils mind stopped" was the eX-
planation of Robert Forsythe LII,
lie. OF the law firm of White ana
Case. with which Colonel Whlttle-
sew had been associated Tor ABOUT
a wear. at had all it could bear
remarkable mind though 1t was
don't think there was a man IN
the country who has had the trying
experiences Colonel Whittlesey mas
had in the past two years.
"He YVES the hero who was always
accessible to those who thought ne
could help them. the olsapieu'
the iobless, the friendless, the
widows of the war--all or mem
were on his mind constantly fol
the last two years there mas scaLce,
" been an hour when the grlet anu
horror of the war was not brought
viyldly and specifically before MN,
When he left his office FRIDAY
afternoon 1t was with some cneerS
remark regarding the Army-N3Vy
football game which he intended 10
see, At his boarding house on
Eost Torty-fourth street, he tola
friends he was going away TO pc
nv mvseif-to rest" when he leIt
| Saturday morning with a traNe'ii'e
bag. ,.,o n w
whittlesey, OF New YORK, aGteeu
with his nephew's legal assoclateS
thot he came back from Arlington
with the recollections induced pS
the memorial services "eiei'ii7
heavily on his mind. ,oorod
Colonel Whittlesey's name leapeu
| into worldwide promlhenCe 90 go
night through his retort TO tne 80
man officer who called on MN "a
surrender after he was SURROUNDED
in the Argonne. ,.,..1 bis
command, the First batta non, S e,o
Infantry. Seventy seventh dlVlslon,
had lain under fire, cut OH from
aid. without food or fresh waeei :,
All but eighty-seven men hao Oe'''
killed or wounded. 49, rro-
Rlindfolded and under the pre-
tense of a flag, a German solulea
stumbled into the American strong
point. .,os nin the
name of humanity" and ne t1,o a
how, from the German trenches, ! ene e
agonies and cries of the Amer -
wounded could be heard. ,..,o
you 20 to hell" was WHITE
sey's reply. ,u,oor re-
serves attacked all along the me,
the Germans were pushed p az n,
and the little band OF survivors
saved. a.. ,rrited
Ct tes he was voted the congress
sional medal of honor, the most mos,
coveted American decoration TOT
/ heroism.