Charles Whittlesey
The thought of the toll of the taking you on mentally and physically is hard for any person to endure. Charles Whittlesey had been the commander of the Battle of the Lost Battalion. His mystery has never been solved to what happened to his disappearance and the Battle of the Lost Battalion where he and his troops had become trapped between their enemy lines of Germany.
Charles was born January 20th, 1884 in Florence, Wisconsin. He was the oldest son of Frank R. and Annie Whittlesey and had three younger brothers Russell, Elisha and Melzar. The family moved to Pittsfield, Massachusetts where Frank was employed by General Electric Co. Charles then went on to Pittsfield High School and after graduation he went to Williams College. After graduation from Williams Whittlesey went to Harvard Law School where he had graduated in 1908. He went on to practice Law in New York City with the firm of Murray, Prentice & Howland from years of 1908 to 1911. He stayed with Pruyn & Whittlesey until August 8, 1917, where he was then placed on active duty. Whittlesey was asked to report to Camp Upton in Yaphank, Long Island. He was given three months of former the training of his term of service in Europe. One year proceeding to this, in August 1916 Whittlesey had graduated from the military training program in Plattsburgh, New York.
Attorney by trade, Major Charles Whittlesey later made his name as the uncompromising commander of the so-called “Lost Battalion,” an American unit that became stuck behind German lines. On October 2, 1918, the bookish and bespectacled Whittlesey led his men into hostile territory as part of a coordinated offensive in the Argonne Forest. But due to poor communication, his unit crossed the rough terrain too swiftly and was soon cut off and enveloped by German forces. Whittlesey’s nearly 600-strong force dug in and established a makeshift defensive line. Despite being low on food, water and, they spent the next five days dodging sniper fire and repelling wave after wave of German attacks. At one point, their own troops began accidentally shelling their position. Whittlesey launched a carrier pigeon and managed to stop the barrage of friendly fire. The Americans were later offered a chance to surrender, but Whittlesey held his ground and fought on against increasingly grim odds. Allied reinforcements finally arrived and forced the enemy to retreat on October 8. By then only 194 of the Americans were still standing, among them Whittlesey, who was later awarded the Medal of Honor for his extreme bravery and coolness under fire.
Whittlesey had said before leaving from dinner table that he was going to bed, and was never or seen again. He left behind 9 letter addressed to his family and friends and a note for the captain saying what to do with his luggage. He wrote up his will leaving his property to his mother and paid the months rent in advance. It is thought that he had committed suicide by jumping overboard, No had ever seen him do this nobody was ever recovered either. Charles had gone missing on November 26, 1821, and he was classified ad lost missing and possibly injured, he was 37 years old.
The war had taken effect on many people either during the war or when they had the chance to come home at the end unlike many others. Charles Whittlesey was one of those fortunate survivors that was able to come home but he had taken the route of many of the survivors of the stress and the images of all the death and conditions of the war. Charles had subconsciously had taken the route of possibly suicide by likely jumping of a boat. Whittlesey is an example of everything that could have happened either during or after the war from the after trauma of the war or that you can survive the war if you have bravery. Charles had showed many of his soldiers bravery and confidence during the war.
Charles was born January 20th, 1884 in Florence, Wisconsin. He was the oldest son of Frank R. and Annie Whittlesey and had three younger brothers Russell, Elisha and Melzar. The family moved to Pittsfield, Massachusetts where Frank was employed by General Electric Co. Charles then went on to Pittsfield High School and after graduation he went to Williams College. After graduation from Williams Whittlesey went to Harvard Law School where he had graduated in 1908. He went on to practice Law in New York City with the firm of Murray, Prentice & Howland from years of 1908 to 1911. He stayed with Pruyn & Whittlesey until August 8, 1917, where he was then placed on active duty. Whittlesey was asked to report to Camp Upton in Yaphank, Long Island. He was given three months of former the training of his term of service in Europe. One year proceeding to this, in August 1916 Whittlesey had graduated from the military training program in Plattsburgh, New York.
Attorney by trade, Major Charles Whittlesey later made his name as the uncompromising commander of the so-called “Lost Battalion,” an American unit that became stuck behind German lines. On October 2, 1918, the bookish and bespectacled Whittlesey led his men into hostile territory as part of a coordinated offensive in the Argonne Forest. But due to poor communication, his unit crossed the rough terrain too swiftly and was soon cut off and enveloped by German forces. Whittlesey’s nearly 600-strong force dug in and established a makeshift defensive line. Despite being low on food, water and, they spent the next five days dodging sniper fire and repelling wave after wave of German attacks. At one point, their own troops began accidentally shelling their position. Whittlesey launched a carrier pigeon and managed to stop the barrage of friendly fire. The Americans were later offered a chance to surrender, but Whittlesey held his ground and fought on against increasingly grim odds. Allied reinforcements finally arrived and forced the enemy to retreat on October 8. By then only 194 of the Americans were still standing, among them Whittlesey, who was later awarded the Medal of Honor for his extreme bravery and coolness under fire.
Whittlesey had said before leaving from dinner table that he was going to bed, and was never or seen again. He left behind 9 letter addressed to his family and friends and a note for the captain saying what to do with his luggage. He wrote up his will leaving his property to his mother and paid the months rent in advance. It is thought that he had committed suicide by jumping overboard, No had ever seen him do this nobody was ever recovered either. Charles had gone missing on November 26, 1821, and he was classified ad lost missing and possibly injured, he was 37 years old.
The war had taken effect on many people either during the war or when they had the chance to come home at the end unlike many others. Charles Whittlesey was one of those fortunate survivors that was able to come home but he had taken the route of many of the survivors of the stress and the images of all the death and conditions of the war. Charles had subconsciously had taken the route of possibly suicide by likely jumping of a boat. Whittlesey is an example of everything that could have happened either during or after the war from the after trauma of the war or that you can survive the war if you have bravery. Charles had showed many of his soldiers bravery and confidence during the war.