Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-11-01
THE RELIEF FOR GREELY.
A Court of Inquiry Ordered-The Sec
retary's Letter to Hazen.

WASHINGTON, Oct. 31.-The following
special order was issued by the War De.
partment to-day:
"By direction of the President of the
United States, a court of inquiry is here
by appointed to investigate the organiza.
tion and fitting out of the Greely relief
expedition party, transported by the
steamer Proteus, having particular refer
ence to the orders and instruc-
tions issued for the guidance and
government thereof, and arrangements
made for assistance from the United
| States steamer Yantic. The court will
make full and thorough investigation of
all matters relating to the general con-
Duct OF the expedition, including particu-
larly the failure of the Proteus to keep in
company with the Yantic up to Littleton
Island, or its neighborhood, and the fail
ure to establish well-proyided station at
or near LlttletOn Island, and will take
| INTO consideration IN their investigation
| such records and correspondence pertain
ing to the original Greely expedition as
! they may deem necessary, and will repOrt
the facts developed by their investiga-
tloh, ana their opinion as to whether
/ the conduct OF any officer of the army in
the premises calls for further proceedings
before general court martial, and the
reasons for the conclusions which they
may reach. The following is the detail
for the court: Brig. Gen. S. V. Benet,
Chief of Ordnance; Col. r. B. Ayres, of
the Second Artillery, and 1t. Col. o. M.
| Poe, OF the Corps of Engineers. Major
| Henry GOOdfellow, Judge Advocate of the
United States Army, will act as recorder
of the court. The court will meet In the
city of Washington on the 8th day of No
vember, 1888
| (Signed) ROBERT Il. LINCOLN,
Secretary of War.
| Tne Secretary of War has written a let
| Ter to General HaZen, Chief Signal Off
| Ger, III reply to communication of the
latter transmitting Lieutenant CARING
IONS report Of the relief expedition to
Smiths Sound. After acknowledging the
receipt of the enclosure Secretary Lin
coin says: ''It is needless to say
to you that the disastrous fail
ure of this relief expedition, upon
the success of which depended, as it
may perhaps hereafter be learned, the
Hyes OF number of men, has widely eX-
cited public attention, and there Is a
general desire to understand clearly the
cause OF this failure, and that it may be
known where the responsibility therefor
rests. 1t is apparent that two things at
least were omitted, either one of which
being done the general object of the expe-
dition would have had been accomplished
". W CGI CaIh PolnC anu Ine party
not seriously crippled would have been
left at place from which it
could have proceeded to execute it's
further plans for the relief of Lieutenant
Greely and his party. The loss of the
Proteus alone, happening where it did,
might have been matter of no import
ance IN this connection. 1t was fully
contemplated that if it failed to reach
Lady Franklin Bay it was to return to St.
Johns, leaving the relief party in winter
quarters at or near Littleton Island. If
Lieutenant Darlington had prudentlv
made the base of supplies at or near Lit
tletOn Island it would have been a matter
of little consequence to him or his party
whether the Proteus went TO st.
johns; or, without loss of life,
to the bottom of the ocean. On the other
hand, if the Proteus had had succeeded in
reaching Lacy Franklin Bay its extra
stores would not, as l understand, have
been needed by Lieutenant Greely, who
was there abundantly provided for, and
the taking of these extra stores past Lit
tleton Island was not only useless for any
purpose, as L conceive, but was a fatal
risk. 1t would therefore seem that the
directions contained in the memorandum
mentioned in your letter that Lieut.. Carl
lngtOn should in going up establish a base
OF supplies was most prudent measure
the omission of which, after it had once
been thought of it is as difficult to under
stand as it is deeply to be regret
tea. 1t is now clear that it was
never an order to Lieutenant Gar
lington, but it is equally clear that
having seen it, and having under your
orders discretion, he could not have done
more wisely than to follow the particular
suggestion contained in it above men
toned. lconsider it necessary to inquire
INTO the history OF this memo
randum. 1t appeared as loose
paper, inclOsed with your letter of in
structions to Lieutenant Darlington,
dated June, 1888, but it is not mentioned
IN that letter. | am advised by the Sec
retary of War that while he was pre-
pairing his orders for the Yantic you fur
nished his department with a supposed
copy of that letter, which in like manner
did not mention the memorandum, and did
not inclose it. This copy, as did the origi-
nal, covered four mentioned Enclosures.
but only one OF them seems to have been
like its original. Three other Enclosures.
as it now seems, differ entirely from those
with the original letter, and do not, of
course, meet their own description as
found in the body of the supposed COPY of
the original letter After the telegraphic
reports of the disaster were received /,
upon the request of the Secretary of the
Navy, directed the acting Chief Signal
Officer; in your absence, to prepare for
and furnish to the Secretary of the Navy
a copy of your instructions to Lieutenant
Darlington. This last as furnished con-
tains only three Enclosures, four being
mentioned in the body of the letter.
One of them was substantial
ly like the one of the enclosures
with the original letter. Another was
substantially like one of those with the
first copy above mentioned, and the third
was marked enclosure A." being noted
in letter, and is a copy of the memoran-
dun in question. These latter papers
were, of course, supposed by the Secre-
tary of the Navy and myself to be, as
stated, an authentic copy of your instruc-
tions to Lieutenant Darlington, and we in
our conferences formed an opinion as to
his having disobeyed an order which it
now appears he did not in fact
receive as an order. l have had prepared
and herewith inclose a tabulated state
ment and memorandum of the above men,
toned discrepancies and some others of
less Importance existing in the above men,
toned papers, which, it is thought, ought
to be alike, and | request to be advised
what explanation there is, if any, for
these discrepancies; and, further, what
the records of your office show to have
been done with the above memorandum
after its original preparation. and VIII at,
in case Lieutenant Darlington had him
selfbeen lost upon this expedition, would
have prevented resting upon his
record of the imputation of having dis
obeyed positive instructions as to landing
his extra stores at or near LittletOn
Island on his way North. l may also add
that | observe in the agreement between
yourself and the owners of the Proteus
under which ii started upon this expedi-
tion, a clause providing for the sale by
the Proteus to Lieutenant Greely's party
at Lady Franklin Bay of coal, if needed,
to the amount of 20 tons. beg that you
will advise me why it was supposed that
that party might need to have the benefit
of a contract for fuel to that amount in
case the Proteus had succeeded in reach
ing Lady Franklin Bay"
The letter then gives reasons for the
dissatisfaction with Lieutenant CARING
toms reports, which reasons have brought
about the order for the court of inquiry.
1t is understood that the Navy Depart
ment will not take any further action In
the case of Commander Frank Wildes,
commanding the United States steamer
Yantic, for the part taken by him in the
late expedition, unless it shall be deemed
eXpedient as a result of the testimony
which may be developed in the proceed
ings of the Court of Inquiry appointed by
the Secretary of War.
French Affairs.
PARIS, Oct. 31.-In the Chamber of
Deputies to-day NJ. Clemenceau, Radical.
resumed the debate upon the interpella-
ton OF the government on its Tonquin