Charles White Whittlesey, 37, vanished from the SS Toloa after boarding in New York for a November 26, 1921 voyage to Havana. That evening he dined with the ship’s captain and was seen leaving the smoking room at about 11:15 p.m., saying he was going to bed; he was reported missing at 8:00 a.m. the next morning.

Before leaving he settled personal affairs: drafted a will leaving property to his mother, paid a month’s rent in advance, and prepared nine letters to friends and family. Those letters and a note for the captain about his luggage were found in his cabin; the letters were not written on ship stationery and their contents have not been published. No one witnessed his death and his body was never recovered, but it is believed he jumped overboard.

Whittlesey was a Williams College and Harvard Law School graduate who practiced law in New York and had commanded the Lost Battalion in World War I, receiving the Medal of Honor. If anyone has family recollections or information about his final voyage, please share it.