The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1884-09-11
Monitowoe pilot.
A BRAVE MANS DEATH.
The Story OF Lieutenant Kislingbury's
Sufferings as Told by Greedy.

Greedy says of Kislingbury that he
was a brave and noble man, who did
his duty on every occasion, and did It
well. He never fiinched, and while he
could, he took even more than his share
of hardships. So far from there being
ill-feeling between him and Greedy it
was the reverse. He supported Greelv
and was one of his favorite officers.
Kislingbury and Connell did most of
the hunting, as they were the best
shots. Once, while hunting, Kislino-
bury fell through the ice and besides
rupturing himself got himself thorough
ly wet, a most disastrous thing in those
regions. He crawled into the bag that
was his bed and endeavored to dry,
which took him several days, and in so
doing caught severe cold. He would
crawl out in the sun when it was shin
ING in the effort to warm himself. He
recovered from the rupture but his
strength never returned. One day,
while out hunting he ran up hill and
came back quite exhausted. He said
as he sank down:
We'll, boys, think I've overdone
myself this time The bear which he
and lost. but Kislingbury, as delirium
came on, seemed to think that it had
been taken into camp. He continually
cried:
God sent that bear. Providence
sent it"
He often spoke of his boys and of
his friends in Detroit and Windsor.
Just before he died he sang the doxol
ogy. While lying there he made tin
box from the fruit cans, and in this box
he placed his wife's ring, the plants
and minerals they had collected, and
said that he wanted them buried with
him, or sent TO his boys, if the party
was rescued when he died. He wanted
to be buried in the North, where his
trials and sufferings had been.
Kislingbury was the most religious
man in the party and he did much good
among the men. He held services over
the dead and prayed frequently with
the living.
His last words were, "Aggie, Aggie,"
his wife's name.
Lieut. Greedy and his wife both knew
Lieut.. Kislingbury long before this i'll
fated expedition, and both spoke of
him in the highest terms of praise.
Among the party there was the kind
liest feeling. Mr.. Clark saw and talk
ed with all the saved, and they corrob-
Grated what Greedy said. Officers and
men shared the hardships alike. They
slept together, and ate from the same
dish.
1t has been said that an American
viii joke even in the presence of death.
The wretched, starving men had their
daily joke by getting up burlesque bills
of fare. While they were living on
sealskins they wrote out bills of fare,
many of which are in Kislingbury' s
journal. Each day one of the men
would write bill of fare, putting down
the articles of food which he would
like to have. 1t must have been rather
grim hunor when the starving men
read of fried oysters, oxtail soup,
Dreaded chops, ETC., as they took
their scanty rations. These terrible
Barmacide feasts, however, ceased
as death began to thin the ranks.
When Mr.. Clark spoke to Greedy
about the remarks that had been made
in reference to the destruction of the
boat and the failure to make an effort
TO reach the food on Littleton Island.
Greedy said; my God! do you think
there was any effort under heaven that
was omitted by men in our position to
better our condition? The current be-
tween US and Littleton Island ran six
miles an hour out to the open sea. The
| channel was full of floating icebergs
and foes over which we would have
had TO climb, and which would have
| crushed our boat like an egg-shell- y
| Detroit Free Press.