Charles Whittlesey and His Ancestors Have Left Lasting Contributions to American Life

Major General Clarence R. Edwards pinning the Medal of Honor on
Lieutenant Colonel Charles W. Whittlesey,  Boston Common, 24 December 1918

By Philip R. Devlin

Few stories of World War I are better known than the story of the Lost Battalion, a unit in the 308th Infantry of the 77th Division commanded by Major Charles W. Whittlesey. Numerous books and at least two movies exist to tell the dramatic story of the Lost Battalion. Few people realize, however, the remarkable story of the Connecticut 17th Regiment during the Battle of Long Island on 27 August 1776. Like Major Whittlesey’s World War I unit, the Connecticut 17th, a unit of about 300 men, was cut off from the rest of its army. It was surrounded by thousands of British and Hessian soldiers; nevertheless, the 17th inflicted more casualties on the enemy that day on Battle Hill than any other patriot unit. Most importantly, it guarded the flank of the Maryland 400, enabling that valiant unit’s rearguard action to effect the successful retreat of Washington’s army from Brooklyn.

One member of the Connecticut 17th was Private Duren Whittlesey of Haddam, Connecticut, a third cousin four generations removed from Major Charles W. Whittlesey. It is simply an amazing historical coincidence that these distant cousins, both directly descended from John and Ruth Whittlesey, 17th-century settlers of Old Saybrook, Connecticut, found themselves in desperate, parallel circumstances in their respective wars.

Major Whittlesey’s battalion of 554 men was ordered to attack a heavily fortified German line on 2 October 1918, during the Meuse-Argonne campaign. When French units on either side of the 308th withdrew under heavy fire, Whittlesey’s unit was cut off in the Charlevaux Ravine in the Argonne Forest and surrounded by German attackers. The 308th refused to surrender and withstood withering attacks for five days—including friendly fire—before being rescued. Just 194 men of the battalion were able to walk out of the ravine.

Following his unit’s valiant five-day ordeal, Major Charles W. Whittlesey was promoted to lieutenant colonel and was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor. Feeling personally responsible for the loss of so many of his men, he was besieged by both survivor guilt and incessant media attention for being a hero. Whittlesey finally died by suicide in 1921, jumping off the stern of a boat bound for Havana, Cuba. The Williams College and Harvard Law School graduate was only 37 years old.

Private Duren Whittlesey (1726-1776) was raised in Old Saybrook, but he spent his adult life in Haddam, Connecticut, raising five sons and contributing to the local community as both  a farmer and a tradesman. (Whittlesey is a DAR Patriot Ancestor #A125571.) Duren Whittlesey died as a result of the Battle of Long Island (sometimes also called the Battle of Brooklyn.) The exact circumstances of his death are unknown. He may have died on the battlefield; more likely, he died in captivity as a POW under the brutal circumstances of the notorious British prison ships in New York.

Commemorative Stamp for the Battle of Brooklyn (Long Island)

The small town of Haddam, Connecticut, paid a severe price during the American Revolution, losing 35 of its soldiers. Private Duren Whittlesey was one of 19 men from Haddam who died as a result of the Battle of Long Island, the largest open field battle of the entire American Revolution. It should be noted also that two of Duren’s nephews, John and Stephen Whittlesey, were both killed in action during the Fort Griswold Massacre in Groton on 6 September 1781, an attack that was led by General Benedict Arnold. John was 23 and was bayoneted to death; Stephen, just 16, was shot through the forehead. Duren’s cousin, Captain Asaph Whittlesey, served with the 24th Connecticut Militia Regiment and was killed in Pennsylvania in the infamous Wyoming Valley Massacre on 3 July 1778.  Asaph’s brother, Martin, was with Washington in the defense of New York where he suffered a wound so severe that he collected an invalid pension for the rest of his life. Wars have indeed taken a heavy toll on the Whittlesey family.

Captain Gordon Buell
(Key In-Law)

Both Duren and Charles Whittlesey have numerous interesting connections to other well-known historical figures. Duren’s younger sister, Martha, married a Revolutionary War officer from Killingworth, Connecticut, named Captain Gordon Buell. They were the parents of Sarah Josepha Hale. Sarah not only was the author of the verse “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” but she is also known as the “Mother of Thanksgiving.” Sarah began a letter writing campaign to presidents, starting in 1846 with Polk, advocating for Thanksgiving to become a national holiday. President Lincoln liked her idea, thus Thanksgiving became a national holiday in 1863. As an editor of Godey's Magazine and Godey's Lady's Book—the first female editor in American history—Sarah Josepha Hale might be regarded today as an “influencer,” as her articles about Thanksgiving in that popular magazine have established most of our Thanksgiving traditions, especially traditional Thanksgiving meals.

Mother of Thanksgiving
Mary Josepha Hale

The Whittlesey family is also connected to Ulysses S. Grant. Duren’s son, Samuel, married Anna Grant from Windsor, Connecticut—the ancestral home of President Grant. Anna was a cousin of our famous Civil War general and 18th president.

Duren’s youngest son, William, married Mehitable Fitch, the great-grandmother of John Fitch, now thought by many to be the first inventor of the steamboat. Yet another Charles Whittlesey (1808–1886), a Civil War colonel from Ohio as well as a geologist and historian, published a lengthy defense of John Fitch as the first inventor of the steamboat.

Model of John Fitch's Steamboat
(Library of Congress)

Interestingly, Private Duren Whittlesey of Haddam had two grandsons and three great-grandsons who were graduates of Williams College, the alma mater of Major Charles W. Whittlesey of World War I fame! Furthermore, another relative of Duren Whittlesey who fought in the American Revolution was also named Charles Whittlesey. Charles served as a lieutenant in Colonel Charles Webb’s 19th Continental Regiment. His captain in that unit was none other than Nathan Hale!

Despite all of these interesting historical relationships among members of the Whittlesey family, nothing, however, tops the simply amazing coincidence of two distant cousins—Duren and Charles—who found themselves fighting for two valiant cut-off units in their respective wars 142 years apart!