The Dillon tribune. [volume] (Dillon, Mont.) 1881-1941, 1885-02-14
NJ. M. Library.
ARCTIC ANTICS.
More Particulars About the Greely Expe-
CitiOn.

More Particulars About the Greedy EXpe-
ditiOn.
The journal of Private Henry, who was
shot for stealing provisions, by order of
Lieutenant Greely, in the Arctic regions,
covering period between October, 1889,
and June, 1884, has been made public
He writes under date OF May 1st as fol-
lows "He (Whistler) who was loudest in
his denunciation of the unfortunate who
was tempted to purloin scrap of meat,
was to-day caught in the commissary, hav-
ing broken open the door, and he was
found with about a pound of bacon in his
pocket"
The entry of May 18th is "The cowardly
action Of Greely for wanting to shoot DR..
P, and drew his rifle Oh Bender, called
kislingbury liar and apologized to the en-
listed men,"
Four days later is the following: ayes
terday Blederbeck and Whistler had row
out doors, and some one stole Elison's ba-
con, which was under charge of Lieuten-
ant Greely. There was terrible struggling.
Death by starvation actually had no ter
ror for us. We looked with stolid indiffer-
ence upon our coming fate. A few hours
before death, instead of craving for food,
they kept calling for water, and could
hardly be controlled or satisfied All, with
one exception, were unconscious for hours
before dying. Poor Lockwood came out
of his bag to stand in the alley waiting for
a while in the ,noonshine distillery, going
on to get his potation. Ere the rest of US
had their share he requested repetition of
the dose from the officiating steward, and
on being reprimanded by the officer for
asking such thing from the steward, he
turned around to the doctor, and said:
well, I will go to the fountain head and
he repeated his demand. On being abso-
lately refused, he dropped to the floor, and
hardly ever opened his mouth again to
utter word"
On May 23d, after noting that Whistler
was dying, Henry says: Il called in the
tent and was informed that Pavy stole Ell
lison's rations, and that an official record
concerning it had been tampered with. If
he does die, he dies the death Of a misera-
BILE .cowasd --s.z-s 7 s s. 44z1
On May 18th is the following entry:
"Poor kislingbury is sinking rapidly, and
the doctor has given him up. Last night
DR.. P. and Lieutenant Greely had another
squabble over medicines. The majority of
us Qourteen) have given up all hopes OF
seeing our friends again, and but few still
have chance at the conclusion of this ter
ribe tragedy to be welcomed with univer-
sal acclamation as worthy frontiersmen of
Uucle Sam, and as men who made them
selves immortal by their splendid victory
and innumerable suferings, hitherto in
comparable in the annals of Arctic explo-
ration and against the laws of nature"
The notes of the first four days Of June
are brief memoranda of the rapidly sink
ing condition Of those left. These were
made just prior to his being shot. Extracts
from other diaries show deplorable state
of affairs. INSTRUMENTATION prevailed to a
considerable extent, and quarreling-some-
times leading to blows-was not an un-
thing.
Sergeant Brainard's diary is in his per-
sonal possession, and not obtainable, while
Sergeant Cornell declines to allow his
diary to be inspected, stating that it was
written with an express understanding
that no one but General Hazen should be
permitted to read it.