The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1884-07-23
GARLINGT0N'S DEFENSE.
LINDEN KENT TO GEN. HAzEN.
He Defends Darlington and IncidentIy
Greely-Blames Hazen With the
Death of Greelys Men
From Starvation, Etc.
SARGENT ~ CO

WASHINGTON, July 22.--Mr. Linden
Kent, counsel for Lieutenant CARING
ton before the Proteus Court of Inquiry,
has written letter to Gen. HaZen, Chief
Signal Officer, which is in part as fol-
lows: The world now knows that the
sad fate OF eighteen victims of the
Greedy party was due to failure TO de-
post proper quantity of stores at Cape
Sabine. You say that the rations which
Lieutenant Darlington left at Cape
Sabine were in accordance with Lieuten-
ant Greely's instructions. OF course,
If more stores had been left more
lives would have been saved. The
Legitimate inference from this is that
while the few stores left by Darlington
saved tho lives of six of Greely's party,
the loss OF the others was due to his
failure to leave larger supply. Whose
fault was II that there was not sutf-
rlent deposit of stores at Cape Sabine?
II Garlington's, let him answer for it.
should remain longer under
such suspicion. In the wear
1882 the Beebe expedition, under
your instruction was organized for the
relief OF Lieutenant Greedy; it was trans
ported north in the snip Neptune in ac-
cordance with her instructions derived
from you: A cache of provisions es.
tablished upon Littleton Island and an
| other ON Cape Sabine, of 80 ratious
each. The rest Of her store was by your
orders brought back TO 81. Johns and
landed for future use. There was
every opportunity to establish n
80 at Cape Sabine, had you
so directed. In your testimony before
'he court of inquiry on the 18th of No
Vember, 1883, you approve of Beehe's
course in thus making depots in accord
anco with thor instructions, though in
| your testimony before the same court on
! the 10Th of November in relation To the
| propriety of leaving stores at Cape
Sabine you say: 81 have regretted very
much ever since that such
instructions were not given
and that his supplies were
not all left at Cape Sabine. Surely il
was not Garlington's fault that the stores
| OF the Neptune were deposited ut st.
Johns instead of ut Cape Sabine or at
! lhttlcton Island, nor can believe that
ii was Greely's as You suggest in your
memorandum of the 18th inst, referring
to the reliefeXpedition under Darlington.
| Kent reminds HaZen that UNI
der his instructions darlington had
neither permission or orders 10
leave provisions at Cape Sabine
and the court Of inquiry Justified his
| course in not doing so. He also called
! Hazen's attention to the fact that he es-
pecially emphasized the necessity Of not
permitting darlington to deposit any
s.o'ei ON thu northward journey, and
| continues: "As yOu seem to be in doubt
whether any responsibility should he
] lnrnplN
facts recalled to your attention,
think, will relieve you
OF any doubt as to where
It should, in fact, rest. | may add that
| the court took occasion to note that
from July, 1882 to August, 1888, not less
than 10000 rptions Wero taken i'm the
steamers Neptune, Nantic aud Proteus
up to or beyond Littleton Island, and
yet of that number 1000 only were left
in that vicinity, the remainder being
returned to the United States or sunk
with the Protous. This was
provision made under your instructions
for Greclys arrival at Cape Sabine
Notwithstanding the fact that Lieut..
Greedy himself in Il letter addressed to
you from Lady Franklin Bay, learine
date August 10, lSSl, said: Il feel ii
proper to acre state that, i'm my opinion.
retreat rom here southwark 10 Cape
SABINE, I'm ease no vessel reaches MS i'm
ISIS or 1851, will be safe and practcahlr,'
thus iOrc5hadoWing to You, his chiet
charged with his relief the vcrv
course that he subsequently, pur-
sued with such mdiScribablv
terrible results. IfStrirt obedience to
orders be the highest duty Or soldier.
lei darlington have that credit which
The court accorded him, of having faith
fully executed yours; that regret over
the tat Il consequences TO him and his
expedition IN having uOuc so may be IN
some degree aSsuageU with the reflection
that a. a soldier he could have done
nothing else. Pardon me IL | express
my surprise q. your attempt i'm
your memorandum Of the 18th inst.
to shift the responsibility of
Glrlingtou's instructions from vonr-
self To- Greedy, when the court
says darlington carried out your orders.
lou, in substance, answer, they were
Nreely's instructions, not mine.' Does
II not occur to you thHt the country may
think, If Greedy 10 10 be responsible
for orders that issue .i,.t "uur high Office
ho should also enjoy h., omoluments
and dignities. Amid the expression of
the worlds admiration for the hcoric
conduct Of Lieutenant Greedy and his
courageous band, the one word of re-.
proof and criticism from his chief will
he an unexpected greeting to him
emerging from the Arctic night Of sul-
icring and starvation.
Very Respectfully,
lSigned "lLNDEN KENT"