The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1885-03-07
ARCTIC HORRORS.
Private Henry's Opinion of Lieut..
Greeley.

Greeley.
The following extracts from the journal
of Private Henry, shot by order of Lieut..
Greeley for stealing his companions pro-
visions, casts a new and painful light
upon the leader in that iIl-starred Arctic
expedition. 1t will be remembered that
when the remains of Henry were brought
back from Lady Franklin Bay for inter-
ment, an examination disclosed the fact
that the feshy parts of the thighs, arms
and breast had been cut away and eaten.
The journal, covering the period between
October, 1888, and June, 1884, has been
made public. He writes under date of
May Sd: HE (Whistlerl, who was loudest
in his denunciation of the unfortunate
who was tempted to purloin a scrap of
meat, was to-day caught in the commits
sary tent, having broken open the door,
and was found with about a pound of
bacon in his pocket
The entry of May 18th is " 1t was a
cowardly action in Greeley wanting to
shoot DIR. P. He also drew rife on
Bender. He calls Kislingbury liar and
apologies to enlisted men,"
Four days later is the following: Eyes
terday Biederbeck and Whistler had a
row outdoors, and some one stole Ellison s
bacon, which was under charge of Lieu
tenant Greeley. The terrible struggling
death by starvation actually had no terror
for US, and we looked on with a stolid in
difference upon our coming fate. few
hours before death, instead of craving for
food, they kept calling for water, and
could hardly be controlled or satisfied.
With one exception, they were uncon-
scious for hours before dying. Poor
Lockwood came out of his bag to stand
in the alley-way while the moonshine dis
tillery was going on, and was the last to
get his potation. Ere the rest of us had
our share, he requested repetition of the
dose from the officiating steward, and
upon being reprimanded by the officer for
asking such thing from the steward, he
turned around to the doctor and said:
We'll, 1 will go to the fountain head
and he repeated his demand. On being
| absolutely refused, he dropped to the
floor and hardly ever opened his mouth to
utter word"
May 23-After noting that Whistler is
dying, Henry says: 81 was called in the
tent and informed that five men had made
sworn statement that Pavy stole Eli
sons rations. and that the official record
concerning it had been tempered with.
A. W. O.. If he does die he dies the
death of a miserable coward"
On May 28th is the following entry:
Poor Kislingbury is sinking rapidly, and
the doctor has given him up. Last night
DR.. P. and Lieutenant G. had another
squabble over the medicines. The ma
jority of us, fourteen, have given up all
hope of seeing our friends again, but a
few still have a chance at the conclusion
of this terrible tragedy to be welcomed
with universal acclamations as worthy
frontiersmen of Uncle Sam, and as men
who made themselves immortal by
splendid victory and innumerable suffer-
ings hitherto incompatible in the annals
of the Attic explorations and against the
laws of nature"
The notes of the first four days in June
are brief memoranda of the rapidly sink
ing condition of those left. These were
made just prior to his being shot. Ex-
tracts from other diaries show deplora-
BILE state of affairs. characterization pre-.
vailed to considerable extent, and quar-
reling, sometimes leading to blows, was
not an uncommon occurrence. Sergeant
Brainerd's diary is in his personal posses
sion and not Obtainable, and Sergeant
Connel declines to allow his diary to be
inspected, stating it was written with the
express understanding that no one but
General Hazen should read it.