David Spilman Fine Books

The Rescue of Greely; [Illustrated from the photographs and maps of the Relief Expedition]

Schley, Winfield S. and J. R. Soley

New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1885. Near Fine. [8.25x5.75in] vii, 277 pp., frontispiece of Greely and five of the six rescued men, illustrated from 13 black-and-white photographic images, five fold-out maps at rear; Dark blue publisher's pebbled cloth covers with bright gilt lettering on cover and spine, all edges trimmed; Minimal shelf wear to covers, edges and corner, with light rubbing to edges and joints, some spotting on rear cover, prior owner ink signature on front paste down, prior repairs to crack hinges, archival repairs to closed and crease tears on large map. [Arctic Bibliography 15483, Arctic Bibliography 18385 (Navy Report)]. Item #14351

Winfield Scott Schley (1839-1911) was a U.S. Naval Officer that began service in the Civil War and gained experiences in command in various conflicts during the Civil war and after. He was also an instructor at the Naval Academy. His service ranged in in assignments to Europe and Africa.

After resupply and relief missions repeatedly failed to reach Lieutenant Adolphus Greely's Lady Franklin Bay Expedition in the Arctic, Schley was appointed in February 1884 to command the next relief expedition of four ships (USS Thetis, USS Bear, USS Alert and supply ship Loch Garry]. His flagship was the recently purchased Canadian sailing bark Bear, which would go on to have a long and distinguished career in Federal service. On 22 June, near Cape Sabine in Grinnell Land, Schley rescued Greely and six (of his twenty-four) companions, after passing through 1,400 miles (2,300 km) of ice during the voyage.

This book also includes an account of Lady Franklin Bay Expedition, 1881 -1884, and of the first relief expedition 1882; also a detailed account of the Yantic and Proteus relief expedition 1883. In 1884 the relief expedition, which rescued the original seven survivors near Cape Sabine, Smith Sound, and further details on the life of the survivors before the rescue. One of the seven survivors died on the return voyage after rescue. It was written from formal reports to the Navy at the time.

The five maps show the tracks of the Bear and Thetis in the search for the Greely survivors. Map 1 shows the south part of the Smith Sound to Cape Sabine and the survivor's camp [7.25x5.75in]; Map 2 shows the tracks of all four ships (Bear, Thetis, Alert, and Loch Garry) in Baffin Bay and the search patterns [7x9.125in]; Map 3 is Track Chart Pl. II detail of all four ship tracks in Davis Strait [7.5x9in]; Map 4 Track Chart Pl. III shows the search tracks in the vicinity of the Gulf of St. Lawrence [7x9.125in]; Map 5 shows the Polar Regions from the Baffin Bay to the Lincoln Sea [Sheet 27x21.25in, Neat line 26x20.75in].

Price: $150.00