Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-10-02
Staggered and Fell.
Had an EVentfuI Career
in the United States Navy

Winfield Scott Schley was born in Fred
erick county. Md. October Q, 1899. son
of John Thomas and Georgianna Virginia
SclIley. Having entered the naval acad-
envy at Annapolis. Nd. September 20,
1856. he was graduated in 1860. and dur
ing the following year served on the
frigate Niagara. In 1861 he was pro-
NOTED to master and attached to the
frigate Potomac, storeship at Ship Island.
In 1S6a-6, he was on board the steam
gunboat Winona of the west gulf block
aiding squadron. and had an engagement
with field battery near Port Huron
La, December Il. 1862. March 10 TO July
49, 1863. he was present at the engage
ments which preceded the capture OF Port
Hudson, part of the time on the Winona
and again on the Monongahela and Rich
mond He received his commission as
lieutenant July l6 1857.
During 1s64-1S66 Lieut. Schley was on
the WaIeree, steam sunboat OF the Pa
cific squadron and distinguished himself
in 1850 during an insurrectior of Chinese
coolies on the middle Chncha Islands;
ard i'm the same year was at La Union,
San Salvador. whittier his vessel was or
dered for the protection of American in
terests during the progress of revolu-
ton.
July -. 1856 he was commissioned lieu
tenant commando, and then tiS6I- 1852
vas Instructor of languages a the United
states Naval Academy. lie was assigned
10 the BeEica, third rate, in 1870, and
was on the China station for three years
He some sharp fighting in June. 1871.
during the capture of the Korean forts
on the SuIee river leading the assauting
column. In 1SI3-1SI6 he was again at the
Naval academy. being appointed COM
niaIder June TO- 1874
Saves Shipwrecked Crew.
In 1877 he comma nded the Essex,
third rate, on the South American sta
ton. and rescued shipwrecked crew
from the Island of Tristan d Acunha.
He was lighthouse inspector from 1880
TO 1888 at Boston, alta hed to the bu-
reau of equipment in 1888, and in 1884
volunteered for and was placed in
command of the relief expedition sent
into arctic regions to search for Lieut..
Greedy and his companions. This party,
consisting of twenty-five officers and
privates of the United States Army, in
Guiding Lieut.. Greedy. had sailed from
st. Johns. Newfoundland. June, 1881,
with directions to disembark near
cape Sabine. Grinnell Island. and push
northward on sledges as far as Lady
Franklin bay. to make series of
scientific observations.
They were successfully landed in Au-
gust and then. making their way in
land were lost to civilization for nearly
two Years. An attempt to relieve them
was made in 1SS2 by an expedition under
the direction of Lieut. William NJ. Beebe
in the steam whaler Neptune, which.
before reaching the designated rem
devious stopped by the solid ice
pack In ISIS; Lieut. Ernest A. Darling
ton T. = A, in the whalers Proteus
and Yantic attempted the same object.
the result being the total wreck of the
Proteus in Kane sea, near Cape Sa bine
July %, and the narrow escape of the
crew.
Starts on Relief Expedition.
The task before Commodore Schley was
therefore, none of the simplest-he must
succeed where two well equipped parties
had already failed-but with character
ist:c thoroughness and system he made
every preparation for the undertaking.
Under his command We're the three steam
whaiers Thetis, Bear and Alert, and May
l., 1854. he set out from St Johns. New
foundIand bound for the first rendezvous
at Disco Greenland. Only his determine