The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 69, July 1965 - April, 1966 Page: 72
591 p. : ill., maps, ports. ; 23 cm.View a full description of this periodical.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
Southwestern Historical Quarterly
1861, and by successive promotions was commissioned as major
general Feb. lo, 9go6, and retired by operation of law on his sixty-
fourth birthday.29
Greely was born in Newburyport, Massachusetts, on March 27,
1844, with a New England lineage which extended back over two
hundred years. He was educated in the local schools and grad-
uated as the salutatorian of his high school class. After being
rejected several times because of age, he finally managed to enlist
in a local company on July 3, i861, as a private in the Massa-
chusetts militia. The unit became Company B, i9th Massachusetts
Volunteer Infantry.30
Greely fought throughout the war and was wounded three
times. He took part in many battles including Fair Oaks, An-
tietam, and Fredericksburg. He was breveted several times and
rose to the rank of brevet major in the 81st Colored Infantry. In
1867, after being mustered out of that outfit, he was appointed a
second lieutenant in the 36th Infantry and in the same year was
assigned to the Signal Service. He took actively to the work and
served both in the West and in Washington, where he was in-
volved in the establishment of the Weather Bureau.
Greely is perhaps best remembered for his association with the
tragic Lady Franklin Bay Expedition or Greely Expendition, 1881-
1884, which he commanded.1 The undertaking resulted from the
recommendations of the International Geographical Congress in
1879 to establish an Arctic station. By Congressional action the
expedition was authorized to be under the army. The party suc-
ceeded in establishing the "farthest north" station, 83 24' N.,
400 45' W., to that time.
g9Ibid.
8There is no definitive study of Greely's life. He relates a portion of his inter-
esting life in Reminiscences of Adventure and Service: A Record of Sixty-five Years
(New York, 9g~7). William Mitchell's General Greely: The Story of a Great Amer-
ican (New York, 1930) is largely a paraphrasing of Reminiscences. Excellent brief
sketches of Greely's life and works are to be found in accounts by W. Elmer Ekblaw
in the Dictionary of American Biography, XXI, 352-355, and in the New York Times,
October 21, 1935.
81Greely gave an account of the Lady Franklin Bay Expedition in Three Years of
Arctic Service (2 vols.; New York, 1886) and in his Report of the Proceedings of
the United States to Lady Franklin Bay, Grinnell Land (2 vols.; Washington, D. C.,
1888). A. L. Todd, Abandoned (New York, 1961), has recently contributed a fine,
objective study.
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Periodical.
Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 69, July 1965 - April, 1966, periodical, 1966; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth117144/m1/90/: accessed May 5, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.