The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1884-07-24
GENERAL HAZEN TAKEN TO TASK
BY FRIENDS OF LIEUTEN-
ANT GREELY.
The Orders for Leaving Pro-
visions at Certain Stations
Again Criticised.
Darlington Defended and the
Signal Service Chief Upbraid-
ed for his Course.
Arthur Replies to VictOria's Tel
egram of Congratulations on
Lieut.. GreeIy's Rescue.

WASHINGTON, July 22.-Mr. Lin
den Kent, counsel for Lieut.. CARING
ton before the Proteus court OF
inquiry, has written a letter to Gen
Hazen, chief signal officer, whose
import is as follows:
The world now knows that the sac
fate of eighteen victims of the Greely
party was due to the failure to deposit
a proper quantity Of stores at Cape
Sabine. You say that the rations
which Lieut.. Darlington left at Cape
Sabine were in accordance with Lieut..
Greely instructions. Of course
if more stores had been left. more lives
would have been saved. The legiti-
mate inference from this is that, while
the few stores left by. .Garlingtons say
ed the lives of six of the Greely party,
the loss of the others was due 10 his
failure to leave a larger supply. Whose
fault was it that there was not sutfi-
cient deposit of stores at Cape Sabine /?
If Garlington's, let him answer for it;
if not, YOU would not wish that he
should remain longer under such sus-
picion.
In 1882, the BeebeIexI edition, under
your instruction, was organized for
the relief of Lieutenant Greely. 1t
was transported north IN the ship
Neptune. In accordance with the in
structions, she received from you
"canhe F." for provisions was establish
ed upon Littleton Island, and another
on Cape Sabine, of 25O rations each.
The rest of her stores was, by your
orders, brought back to st. Johns
and landed for futurei use. There
was every opportunity to establish
cache" for 10000 rations instead of
25O, at Cape Sabine, had you so
stated in your testimony before the
court of inquiry.
On the 18th OF November, 1883, you
approved of Beebe's course in
thus making depots in accord
ance with their instructions,
though, in your testimony, before the
same court, on the November 20, in
relation TO the propriety of leav-
ing the stores at Cape Sabine, you
say, l have regretted, very
much, ever since, that such instruc-
structions were not given and that
his supplies were not all left at Cape
Sabine. Surely, it was not CARING
toms fault that the stores OF the Nep-
tune were deposited at st. Johns. in
Stead of Cape Sabine, or Littleton Is
land, nor Gun l believe that it Was
Greely :, as you suggest in your men,
orandum of the 18th.
Referring to the relief expedition un-
der Darlington, Kent reminds HaZen
that, under his instructions, CARING
ton had neither permission, or orders,
to leave any provisions at Cape
Sobine, and the court of inquiry justi-
fled his course in not doing so. He
also calls HaZen's attention to the
fact that he specially appreciated the
necessity of not permitting CARING
ton to deposit any stores on the north
ward Journey and continues: LAS you
seem to be in doubt whether
any responsibility should be fixed on
Greely or Darlington, these facts are
recalled to your attention, and will
greatly relieve you of any doubt where
it should, in fact, TEST. l may add
that the court took occasion to note
from July, 1882, to August, 1883, not
less than $4,000 rations were
taken in the steamers Neptune,
Yantic and Proteus up to
or beyond Littleton island, and
vet, OF that number, 1000 ouly were
left in that vicinity, the remainder
being returned to the United States
or sunk with the Proteus. This was
the provision made under your in
structions for Greely's arrival at Cape
Sabine, Notwithstanding the fact that
Lieut.. Greely himself, in letter adj
dressed to you from Lady Franklin
bay, bearing date of August 10, 1881,
says: Il feel it proper to here state
that, in my opinion, the retreat from
here southwark to Cape Sabine, in
case no vessel reaches us in 1882 or
1888. will be safe and practicable
Thus foreshadowing to you the very
course that he subsequently pursued
with such indiscribably terrible re-
suits. If a strict obedience to orders
be the highest duty of soldier, let
Darlington have the credit, which the
court accorded him, of having faith
fully executed yours. That regret
oyer fatal consequences to him and
his expedition in having done so, may
be, in some degree, assuaged with the
reflection that, as a soldier, he
conld have done nothing else,
pardon me, if 1 express surprise at
your attempt, in your memorandum
of the 10Th inst, to shift the responsi-
bility of Garlingtons instructions from
yourself to Greely. When the court
says Darlington carried out your or
ders, you, in substance, answer, "they
were Greely's instructions, not NINE"
Does it not occur to you that the coun-
try may think if Greely is to be res
ponsible for orders that issue from
your high Office he should also enjoy
its emoluments and dignities.
Amid the expression of the worlds
admiration for the heroic conduct of
Lieut.. Greely and his courageous
band, the one single reproof and criti-
cism from his chief, will be au unex-
pected greeting to him, emerging
fromI an Arctic night of suffering
and starvation.
Very respectfully,
(SigneO Under KENT.
BODIES OF THE SURVIVORS.
WASHINGTON, July 22.-Secretary
Lincoln had a conference with Gen.
Hazen, this morning, as to the dispo-
sition of the bodies of the dead of the
Greely expedition. 1t is probable they
will be taken to Covers island, New
York harbor, and placed in charge of
Major-General Hancock, until de-
cision shall be reached as to their final
disposition.
LOgan's Letter.
uo,o-o>, TuIu % EoII0winor