Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-11-02
GARLINGTON,s REPORT.
Some Curious Discrepancies Between
Lieut.. GnrliDgtOn's Instructions ana
the Official Copies of them.

Lieut.. GarliDgton's Instructions and
the Official Copies of them.
[By Telegraph 10 the Free Press and. Tlnos.l
WASHINGTON, d. G., Oct. 31.-Sccrctnry
Lincoln has written letter to the chief sig
nal officer on the subject of the failure Of the
Greedy relief expedition. The letter says
| "The directions contained in the mcmoran-
dunn mentioned in your letter-that Lieut..
Darlington should In going up establish
base of supplies was n most prudent meas
ure, the omission Of which is difficult TO un-
derstand. 1t is now clear that 1t was never
an order 10 Lieut.. Darlington, but equally
| clear that having scen it and having under
| your orders discretion he could have not
done M re wisely than to follow the sugges-
ton contained in 1t. consider it necessary
to inquire further into the history Of this
memorandum. 1t appeared as Loose
paper incoscd with your letter of
instructions to Lieutenant Darlington,
dated June 4th, 1888, but it is not mention
I'd III that letter. You furnished copy Of
this letter and of the four enclosures TO the
navy department ut that time, but Of the
copies Of the four enclosures only one seems
to have ben Ike its original. The three
other enclosures ~ nGw seen are diifsre mt
entirely from those wlth the original letter
and do not of course m ct their own dcscrip-
| ton as found ia the body Of the supposed
copy Of the original tier. After the tle-
graphic reports of the disaster were recciv, d
| directed the acting chief signal officer in
your absence to prepare copy OF your IN
structions to Lieut.. Darlington. This la>t'as
furnished contains only three enclosures fur
being mentioned in the body Of the letter.
One of them was the memorandum IN ques-
| These al
by the secretary of the navy and myself to
be an authentic copy of your instructions TO
| Lieut.. Darlington, and we in our confer
ences formed an opHiOn as to his having
disobeyed an order which it now appears he
did not in fact receive rs All order.
| | Request to be advised what explanation
there is if any for these discrepancies furh
er what the records of your Office show t..
have been done with the ab we 'memoran-
dum' after its original preparation, and what
in case Lieut.. Darlington had been lost UPON
the expedition would have prevented TIC
resting upon his record of the imputailon OF
having dsobcyed a positive instruction as &c
landing his extra stores at or near L,ttletDn
island on his way north. / observe in the
agreement between yourself and the owners
Of the 'Proteus' clause providing for The
sale by the 'Protcus' to Lieut. Greely's party
at Lady Franklin Bay Of coal, it needed, &c
the amount of 10 tons. | beg you will ad
wise me why 1t was supposed that the part,
might reed fuel to that amount IN case the
'Proteus' reached Lady Franklin Bay"
The letter refers to the failure OF the
Proteus and Yantic to remain together a
contemplated aud asks an explanation OF
Gen. Hazen's wording of the instructions 1
Lieut. Darlington that the Iantlc woulC
accompany him."
The sprretary continues 81 am uU
satisfied with Lieut.. GarlingtoEs explanation
Of tine causes which led him into the very
grave, perhaps fatal, error of going s)utf
from Litleton Island after the loss of the
Proteus. If he had remained there he wouit
have bceu succored by the Yantic in eight day
and relief station for Lieut.. Greely's party
would have been established. Can rot IN
derstard how it was that, while on July 22
on his way north when, in his own words,
the weather was perfect, calm, warm, dc
,, lightful and there was ice 50 far as could b
seen he felt so safe even away from all com
muncation with the Yantic that he saw n
necessity for making base of supplies u
Littleton Island, yet four days later at tn
same place he did not suppose the Ianti
! could get up to where he was and SO put /
sea with all his party in small boats in til
/, Arctic ocean. The Ian,ic was bound to q
!, there. Imagine il possible the rcceptin
which the commander of the lantic woul
have had If he had returned home i
September with no news IT the Proteus an
without having been TO Littleton Island.
is not forgotten that Lieut.. Darlington wa
not in pleasant place nor that he endure
, very great hardships, but he had volunteers
! for the performance of important duty wit
= full knowledge of the certain diff
i culties and of the desolation whic
= would surround him, and the demand upo
a him. was correspondingy great" the sec
rotary thus concludes his view of Lieut.
u Garlington's report; Lieut.. Darlington
= singularly unfortunate errous of judgment O
. to his own safety, in going in one directio
, and as to the Yantic's danger in coming fror
!, the opposite direction were each productive {
!, disaster. His supplemental report Only tend
u to make moIe difficult an understanding {
= his failure to remain at Lltleton Island aft
y, the loss of the Proteus. If he had no hoi
u Of the Yantic coming north how is it he e.
- pecled to carry out the plan outlined in b
:, supplemental report, where lac said he d'
tcrmine to communicate with the lantlc q
soon as possible, get from Ecr supplies an
establish n depot at Life Boat cove, which
| near Littleton Island.