National Republican., 1883-11-01
E.lP1I.NlgTON '1'.. MUST EXPLAIN
Why He Did Not Land Provisions at LittletOn
Island When He Could Have Done 50,
And Why the Proteus Did Not Keep
Closer Company With the Yantic,
Gen. Ha2en Also Taken 10 Task for The Loose Way il
Which His Orders Were Prepared
a Curious Contract for CosI-A Court OF
Inquiry Ordered,

lowing lctter to the chief signal officer, in
reply to the communication of tho latter
transmitting Lieut.. Garlington's report of the
relief expedition to Smiths sound:
ocT. 81, 1SS3-To THE CHIEF SIGNAL Or
F1cER, U. $. A.-Sir: l havo tho honor to
acknowledge the receipt OF your letter of the
sixteenth instant, inclosing the report of
First Lieut. Il, A. Darlington, 9TH cavalry,
upon the expedition sent 60 the Arctic seas
this summer for the relief of the international
meteorological expedition under the command
of Lieut.. A. w. Greedy, 9th cavalry, and also
the letter of the actiug chief signal officer of
the twenty-third instant, inclosing Lieut..
Garlington's responses to your special inter-
rogations.
1t is needless to say to you that the disas-
'rous failure Of this relief expedition, upon
The success of which depended, as IL may per-
haps hereafter be learned, the lives of q num-
ber of men, has widely excited public atten-
tion, and that there Is u general desire to
understand clearly the causes Of this failure,
and that it may bo known whero tho respon.
sibility therefor rests. 1t is apparent that
two things Mt least were omitted, either ono
of WHICH being dono the general object of
the expedition would have beon accomplished
up to certain point, and the party, not
seriously crippled, would have been loft at a
place from which it could have proceeded to
execute its further plans for the relief of
Lieut.. Greedy and his party.
The loss of the Proteus alone, happening
whree IL did, might have been n matter of no
Importance 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 reliefparty in winter quarters at
or near Littleton Island.
If Lieut.. Darlington had prudently made
base of supplies at or near Littleton island it
would have been matter of little conse-
quence to him or his party whether tho
Proteus went to st. Johns or, without loss of
life, to the bottom Of the ocean.
On the other hand, II the Proteus had sue
ceeded in reaching Lady franklin bay, its
extra stores would not, as i understand, have
been needed By Lieut.. Greely, who was there
abundantly provided for, and the taking of
these extra stores past Littleton island was
not only useless for any purpose, as conceive,
but was fatal risk.
1t would therefore seem that the directions
contained in the memorandum mentioned in
your letter, that Lient. Darlington should in
going up establish base of supplies, was
most prudent measure, the omission of which
after 1t had once been thought of is as diff
cult to understand as it is deeply to be re-
gretted. 1t is now clear that it was never an
order to Lieut. Darlington, 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 particu-
lar suggestion contained in it above men
toned
history ofthis memorandum. 1t appeared as
loose paper, inclosed with your letter of
instructions to Lieut. Darlington, dated June
Z, 1858, but it is not mentioned in that letter.
am advised by the secretary of the navy
that while he was preparing his orders for
the Yantic you furnished his department
with supposed copy of that letter, which,
Unlike manner, did not mention the memo
randum and did not inclose it. This copy, as
did the original, covered four mentioned
nnl. r.
been like its original. The three other in
closures, as now seen, 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 orig
inal letter.
After the telegraphic reports of the disas-
ter 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 many
copy of your instructions to Lieut.. Garling-
ton. This last, as furnished, contains only
three Enclosures, four being mentioned in the
body Of the letter One of them was sub
stantially like one of the Enclosures with the
original letter; another was substantially like
one of those with the first copy above men
TONED and the third was marked Enclosure
A. ian Enclosure being noted in the letter.,
and is copy of'the memorandum" in ques-
ton These latter papers were, Of course,
supposed by the secretary of the navy and
myself to be, as stated, an authentic copy of
your instructions to Lieut.. 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.
have had prepared, and herewith inclose,
} tabulated statement and memorandum Of
the above mentioned discrepancies, and some
others of less Importance existing in the
above mentioned papers, which it is thought
ought to be alike, and l request to be advised
what explanation there is, If any, for these
discrepancies; and, further, what the records
iof your office show to have bcen done with
the above memorandum after its original
preparations; and what, in case Lieut.. Gar
lington had himself been lost upon this
expedition, would have prevented the resting
upon his record of the imputation of having
disobeyed positive instruction as to landing
his extra stores at or near Littleton island on
his way north.
may also add that observe in the agree
ment between yourself and the owners Of the
Proteus, under which 1t started upon this
expedition, clause providing for the sale by
the Proteus to Lieut. Greey's party at Lady
Franklin bay of coal, II needed, to tho
amount of seventy 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 reaching Lady
Franklin bay
Ing OtnST Important omission to which |
have referred is the failure of Lieut.. CARING
ton to keen his ship in company with the
Hantic. l have not observed in any of his
papers satisfactory explanation as TO his
reasons for permitting the Proteus to be
separated from the Yantic before their ar
rival at Littleton island or its neighborhood
He was informed by his letters of instruc-
tions that the Yantic would accompany him
as far as Littleton island. The assistance of
the navy in this way was regarded byus as
adding greatly to the probable success of tho
expedition and as au almost perfect protec.
tion AGAINST great disaster But, instead of
sailing together, the movements'of the YES
sells were so conducted that for all tho good
the Yantic was to Lieut.. Greely's party in
any way,or to Lieut.. Garlngton's relief party
in saving their lives or their supplies, the
Yantic might as well have left st.
Johns in 1884 as when it did.
At the very outset at ST. Johns, it
appears from these papers that Lieut.. Gar
lngton and the commander Of the Yantic
made an agreement, embodied in an unsigned
written memorandum, that upon leaving st.
Johns the Proteus was to steam and the
Hantic was to 60 under sail and the agree
ment does not seem TO contemplate tho prob
ability of their being again in company until
about Aug. %, at Pandora harbor, not far
from Littleton island. As It happened,
Lieut.. Darlington was still at Godhaven
Nyh l,I,, . Il, a.