From what I have been able to learn, after a cursory search, is that Canada must have approved this temporary American station ( and a German one on Baffin Island) although I didn't find anything specifically saying so. But what blows my mind is that, to my knowledge, no one in Canada ever protested the American attempt to establish a permanent American colony in the region.
Thank you Lance. I'd never heard of the Lady Franklin Bay Expedition before but now I have, it just makes me very glad that I wasn't there! These were more than just brave, dedicated men: they were absolutely heroic. They were also, to a degree, scandalously abandoned by their home country. That anyone survived at all is quite remarkable, especially as some went on to make it to very advanced years. Perhaps all the mens' names should be recorded for posterity, as whether they survived or not, their sacrifice deserves to be honoured and remembered.
As an interesting sidenote: PVT Roderick H. Schneider was a german immigrant from my hometown. His german name was Roderich Robert Schneider and in everything I read about the expedition he was either the actual last, or second to last man to die. He passed only four days before the rescue ships arrived and was originally abandoned at the camp. The U.S. later went on a recovery expedition to retrieve the bodies and on demand of Schneiders Family his remains were transported back to his hometown of Chemnitz in Saxony. His gravesite still stands to this day, marking his death on the 18th June 1884 at Cape Sabine.
Just think. They were well aware of peoples that live in arctic conditions (for dozens of generations). Why not contact first them (by way of Canada perhaps?) and establish from pros how best to survive and travel in extreme winter conditions? We always re-invent the damn wheel - to our own demise.
I fear alot of folks that live in warmer climes may not be able to appreciate the severity of truly cold weather. Ten to thirty below is life threatening. Add in a wind of 15 to 30 miles an hour and the misery is quadrupled. At that temperature falling into water is a death sentence if you cant get to shelter in a hurry.
That's why I wasn't terribly surprised that David Brainard was one of the survivors. I live a few miles downhill from where he was born and raised and the people who live up there are tough cookies. I am happy to live in the valley.
This would be an amazing movie. The only thing I wonder is how would they deal with the sensitive issue that Abraham Lincoln's son comes off as an inept turd in all this.
Your tribute slide at the end, in honor of those who perished on the expedition, contains multiple mistakes. Both Edward Israel's and Joseph Ellison's first names contain typos, and I can find no mention at all of a "Wererck" on the internet; fortconger.org lists the man as having been named Frederick Thorlip Christiansen; there also seems to be some confusion as to whether the second Inuit hunter had the surname of Edward or Edwards. I know these errors were completely unintentional, and that you would appreciate the opportunity to correct them.
As a younger man, I also explored the Arctic. It's true! If you have a moment, allow me to regale you with my tale. Twenty years ago, after graduating from university, I accompanied my family on a two week trip around Alaska. When in Fairbanks, I borrowed a car and, with my trusty aunt in the passengers seat, set off on the Dalton Highway, north to the Arctic Circle. After a spell, we arrived at the Arctic Circle; it was easy to find as it was the only pull-off for many miles. After pictures in front of a large sign proclaiming our presence at the Circle and a leisurely lunch of sandwiches and Coke, we returned to the iron steed (a Saturn wagon) and turned for the exit. But instead of south, I turned north. My copilot inquired as to this change of plans, and after a moment, I filled her in. "We are now north of the Arctic Circle as according to the official sign. We are now officially in the Arctic. I don't know what's on this road, which makes this a trip into the unknown Arctic, and as I drive I see the unknown and explore it as we head further north. As I have never seen this before, this makes me an Arctic explorer. And you are now one too." We turned the car around after a mile and a half, having explored scenery I had never seen, all above the Arctic Circle. Pictures were taken, lunch was eaten, and a short jaunt into lands unknown north of the Circle meant that I and my travelling companion were true Explorers of the Arctic, adventurers for as long as we live. And that, dear reader, is my story and I'm sticking to it.
As a child I was very interested in arctic exploration and read books on all the Arctic and Antarctica explorers. As an adult I have been above the arctic circle and have gone to Antarctica achieving my dream to see both. Antarctica is one of the most beautiful places on earth.
@@Al-jt3dw Only a single sandwich and bottle of Coke each. Any more than this risked contaminating the pristine environment with certain excursions behind roadside trees. And with said trees being of rather small stature, those activities would scarcely remain hidden from view. Eww.
I appreciate that you end these harrowing stories by listing the names of the men that were lost and survived. Souls lost trying to discover the world we live on.
Excellent history teachers are, unfortunately, few and far between. That said, I'm sure one contributing factor is school teaches only specific things in certain ways. THG, thankfully, has complete freedom to teach what he wants, when he's ready, how he desires.
Most history classes were indeed wretched in public American schools. There are a wide array of educators and methods by which they choose to teach their students. I chanced upon an educator, a Mr. Anderson, that taught history at Benjamin Franklin Junior High School in Fargo ND and he was equally passionate about history to the gentleman that runs this channel. That was during my first year of middle school all the way back in 1990. Despite his passion, his unorthodox lesson plan and plentiful historical anecdotes, my fellow students found his classes bothersome as they didn't fit the mold of other classes which relied entirely on teaching quite literally by the book. It's the only class within which to my recollection I might've been viewed as something of a teacher's pet. Early on I came into the possession of a permanent pass to enter the school early or to remain after hours to stay in his classroom, study and submit extra credit reports on a myriad of topics related to history. As history was something I was already passionate about, as a result of my upbringing, I flourished in that environment and under his tutelage. I made the top of his class that year while most of my other grades were the finest example of mediocrity one could imagine. After his class there was one singular history course available to me in the small town high school I attended a few short years later. The educator in charge was of very different character as he taught by the book but supplemented it with his own natural charisma and animated personality. This seemed to help the broader student body to better relate broader and generalized chapters in history to their own personal experiences or at least to imagine it to a certain degree. In closing passion and anecdotal episodes of history often aren't suitable for the mass consumption of the contemporary American student body. Most of us are conditioned from a young age to follow a rigid lesson plan. It's only if a student is already passionate about learning from the past that an educator, such as the gentleman in charge of this channel, can successfully impart knowledge or wisdom in a meaningful and enjoyable way.
@@athelwulfgalland I salute your intense desire to learn, and to teach, History. Indeed, The History Guy is the MOST genuinely interesting history teacher that I have come across to date. I also noticed that you are an inspirational writer. Kudo's to that, too. Now, here's the rub. History is now being so perverted in the U.S. Public Education system that it no longer is "History". It has become "Propaganda". True history, especially American history, is being perverted by the guidance of the Federal Government and the teachers' unions. Some universities can actually give a bachelors' degree in history without even taking any course in AMERICAN history. There is a reason for this. If you cannot figure that out, and what the purpose is, then you haven't studied history. I suggest you keep learning, and keep teaching. And "Political Correctness" is NOT the Language of a Free People.
I was stationed at Ft. Greely Alaska for four years and never heard this story. Thank you very much for telling it, my life just became a little richer.
You both are lucky. I tried getting assigned to an Airborne unit in Alaska but spent most of my career at Ft. Bragg. I've been dying to visit Alaska most of my life but have never had the opportunity.
@@e.b.1728 I believe in exercise “ BRIM FROST 81” a unit w/ the 82nd flew a “ 141” non-stop from Pope and dropped over Fort Greely, the mean temperature was about - 20F at the drop zone!!
thank you very much for releasing this video. One of my ancestors was a part of this expedition. His name was William Whistler. As you were scrolling through the names of the men who are involved I saw his name on there. He was from the Logansport, Indiana area. He was one of the last men to die before they were brought back and his body was brought back with them. It was almost immediately buried once it reached Indiana. A few days after it was buried it was exhumed because of the possibility of cannibalism. My great grandfather was there when his body was exhumed and saw what little was left. It was a few bones basically and there were cut marks on the bones. This exhumation made the New York Times. another video that you might consider making is actually about William Whistler's brother, Clarence Whistler. Clarence was one of the first Greco-Roman wrestlers.
Other bodies showed the same marks. The government seemed not to want to address the issue, and Greely simply said that he never personally witnessed it. The alternative explanation is that the men's flesh had been used as bait for fishing, which seemed for some to be less distasteful than cannibalism. Incidentally, the man's name is recorded as "Whisler," is that not correct? He died May 24, 1884.
@@TheHistoryGuyChannel sometimes you see his last name with the 't' some of his ancestors spelled it without the 't'. He is buried in the Whistler Cemetery in Indiana. His headstone does not have the 't'. I was just looking through the book that I have about my ancestor. It actually mentions his last name and the lack of the 't'. The reason his headstone does not have that letter in the last name is because this marker was provided by the military and that is how his military records spelled his last name. And by the way the military marker did not mention his arctic service. So that was added later at someone's personal expense.
@@TheHistoryGuyChannel if anyone wants to read more about William Whistler and the lady Franklin Bay expedition there is a book that is called William Henry Whistler and the lady Franklin Bay Greeley expedition. It was compiled by Richard l funkhouser. My mother wrote an essay when she was in school that was included in this book and it is extremely detailed. My mother forgot about it until many years later when she was contacted by someone and asked if they could include her essay in this book.
I’ve been to Thule Greenland. I would not want to be out there with minimal shelter or food. It made Iceland feel like a spa compared. I had never been so cold.
Sgt. Brainard would go on to eventually become a general in the US Army and directed the rescue of survivors of the San Francisco earthquake. He started out as a private during the Civil War and is one of only a few men to start out as a private and end up as a general. The Grelly expedition's data has been recently used for climate change research.
I remember seeing an amazing documentary about the Franklin expedition. The bodies of Torrington and Hartnell were exhumed from the permafrost in good condition. On site autopsies indicated that their cause of death may have been lead poisoning from cheap food cans and not necessarily hypothermia.
I've always been fascinated by the race for the poles. I know all about Cook, Perry, Shackleton, Amundsen, Scott, and know the name "Greely," I did not know about the Lady Franklin Bay. Thanks for bringing us more history that deserves to be remembered.
Shackleton's expedition is a tale of two halves. There was also the Ross Sea party that was supposed to cache stores inland for the Shackleton party to pick up during the final third of their journey. Total disaster. Minimal supplies cached, an almost wrecked ship, marooned & dead men. Barely gets a mention.
I love it when my home harbour is mentioned in a story, but this was a really tough one. At least some survived. But these folks were abandoned and deserved better.
What would you expect one to do? Get out and walk hundreds of miles across snow and ice? There is a difference between being abandoned and unreachable.
@@kevinwebster7868 While I understand your sentiment, I think it is safe to say they were abandoned. It was only the actions of a few who mobilized public opinion that saved those few who survived. Had the first relief expedition done what they were supposed to, more and perhaps all might have survived. Had those sitting in the rear, comfortably, shown more alacrity, perhaps the rescue force might have reached them sooner and again, saved more.
I suspect the name at the end should be Edward Israel, not "Edwrad." The death of President Garfield is worth a History Guy segment of its own, as would the International Geophysical Year (1957-58).
As usual, well-researched and brilliantly delivered! I had heard of this debacle (or should I say farce?), but nothing I read had your deft emphasis on some very glaring failures in planning. No research to support assumptions? Apparently, the mild Summer of their arrival in Franklin Bay was more fluke, than common. Contingencies inadequately executed-- not just the usual "design by committee" failure, it was a "design by political committee" failure: Harding's death put paid to to any organized hope for those guys. Much more shameful than I had known. Thank you, History Guy!
Good to hear more about the history of Arctic exploration. Here in the UK, the Antarctic tends to dominate. The heroic failure of Captain Scott (but rich in scientific achievements) and the heroic leadership of Ernest Shackleton (with no loss of life). Norway's Roald Amundsen simply got the job done.
You need to Remember John Rae who Discovered the North west passage found the in fated Franklin expedition Walked and mapped More of the polar areas than ANY other man but was deleted from maps and history by Miss Franklin and her friend Charles Dickens et al He also had many other interesting points to his life some have called him the greatest polar explorer to date
Another good story is Capt. Bob Bartlet of Brigus, Newfoundland who was the captain on Perry's Arctic expedition and the ill fated Karluk expedition where he saved the lives of the crew and those who decided to listen to him rather then wandering on open ice between Wrangel Island Siberia and Alaska in 1914.
A not-for-the-squeamish comment about cannibalism: "In the Heart of the Sea", about the ill-fated whaling ship Essex (the origin event for Moby Dick), notes that cannibalism doesn't provide sufficient nutrition for long-term survival, because starving human bodies devoid of fat aren't easily digestible by the human gut ---- the protein stresses the kidneys but provides few usable calories.
@@dimesonhiseyes9134 , without fat in the meat or in one's diet, meat is difficult for humans to digest. This was detailed in the book. Starving humans would have little or no body fat left.
@@goodun2974 Same thing with a diet of only rabbits. A human can't survive long only eating rabbits. It's called 'rabbit starvation' (protein poisoning).
@@Johnny_Tambourine, interesting, I didn't know that. BTW, I read somewhere the reason Inuit and other indigenous peoples of the Arctic don't suffer from scurvy is because they get Vitamin C from raw seal meat and salmon and whale blubber, which would be destroyed if cooked.
God, thank you for healing America from the foundation, the history, the elements and timing and it’s people, animals, and all living and man made things in Jesus name. Amen 🙏
Jeannette Expedition and Shackleton's 1914-1917 expeditions are also worth checking out. Both are similar survival stories in horrendous conditions. There are some good books written about all three of these; Labyrinth of Ice by Buddy Levy, In the Kingdom of Ice by Hampton Sides and Endurance by Alfred Lansing.
@@stevedietrich8936 I've real all of them since. Kingdom of Ice is the most depressing but also one of the slightly more hopeful ones because they actually managed to salvage much of the documentation needed to know the final fates of the expedition party and leader.
Signal Soldiers are typically taught a cursory overview of "the Greely Expedition" as a part of US Army Signal Corps history. It's nice to hear "the rest of the story." Paul Harvey would be proud. :-)
Since there is so much unknown about the 1846 Franklin expedition to find a northwest passage, a TV show called The Terror took some liberty at filming their story. If you have not watched the show, I highly recommend it! Just keep in mind it's not historically accurate, but as such as there is no knowledge, anything is possible
Lance I invariably enjoy each unique intro graphic and look forward to the surprise that presents itself when I look at them with a "What did they do with it today." anticipation. A fun addition to your thoroughly enjoyable channel. Long subscribed, always a thumbs up. Your work is a welcome distraction from the cares and pressures surrounding us during these trying pandemic times. Thanks to both of you for your hard work. Cheers from Canada
You have to be very brave to go to the Arctic. I wouldn’t be willing to go to a place that was not just miserable because it was so cold, but deadly. Such a sad tale.
Actually you have to be prepared properly and have some knowledge of what you are getting yourself into. Inuit have been living in the high Arctic for Ages without ships or any other modern equipment. You just have to know what you're doing. The arctic is full of dead idiots who weren't half as smart as they thought they were. Its an unforgiving environment for those who know their way around...fatal for those who don't.
Thank you. Thank you. Thank you. Not only is the effort you make here to educate entertain and remember the deeds of others appreciated it’s becoming necessary for at least a piece of my sanity during these trying times.
Un-freakin'-real, man. That's some crazy Man vs. Nature _and_ himself _and_ I'm sure his crew mates at times but the fact that they made it through losing that many men and dogs and were down to literally scraps just goes to show the resilience of the human spirit. You never know how strong you really until life comes at you like that and nobody immune. It doesn't matter how rich or successful you are, you could lose it all in the blink of an eye. I'm glad I stumbled across your channel while scrolling through all the stupid "shorts." You just got yourselves one more satisfied subscriber. 😀 Thanks for all your hard work, guys and gals, you _really_ have an awesome thing going here.
Awesome episode. So sad I haven't seen your gift on set.. better not see it on Ebay! Jk, love the show keeps it up! Your doing a great service to the world.
I love polar exploration history. Especially the history of the Northwest Passage search. Such amazing and harrowing stories, truly the astronauts of their day.
Thank you for paying tribute to the men who lost their lives during the expedition. But to properly honor their memories and accomplishments, please ensure that their names are spelled correctly. I’ve never heard names such as ‘Edwrad’ and ‘Josehp’ and suspect they are misspellings. If my assumptions are incorrect, I offer my apologies in advance.
You know what awesome fact about human nature and life on Earth that this historical documentation proves and points out?? It points out that competition and the desire to be number one advances human culture and our scientific, mathematic, sports, language and anything you could name of, drives it forward at an astronomical pace and if it wasn't for competition We would be in the stone age. The reason why I point this out is because in schools nowadays if your last you still get a f****** award. Is that not scary?? Kids are taught now that competition is bad and mean and hurtful to people who try a little bit not hard enough to do anything or make a substantial Mark in there endeavors against their Pierce. Sad man
I enjoy watching the longer episodes you put together. If they were to go longer than 20 minutes, I wouldn't mind. Thanks. The history of the button hole would be interesting to me. Rather mundane I suppose, but it be history that deserves to be remembered.
I have never understood the stigma attached to cannibalism in a survival situation. I’ve always been of the mind that extreme circumstances require extreme measures. I’ve discussed this at length with friends & colleagues. Some understand & others were repulsed by the mere idea.
Those who are repulsed by the mere idea might feel differently if they were actually starving to death. If not, they might provide sustenance for the rest of their group.
I really like your videos. You do a great job at presenting them. By far this channel is the best history channel on RU-vid. Keep up the great work. Thank you for your time and effort.
Wow. Another stunning piece of history that was unknown to me before this. What heroic men to have gone on such an expedition back in that era, much less to have struggled through the unimaginable challenges that they faced to have survived. Thank you so much for sharing their incredible story with us all so well. Please keep the outstanding videos coming and God bless you and your family, my friend!
This story seemed familiar to me. Then I recalled that I recently read a book about this from my local public library. Searching around it was: "Labyrinth Of Ice The Triumphant And Tragic Greely Polar Expedition" by Buddy Levy.
Thank you yet again for another interesting and relevant video. We living today owe so much to those countless people who risked their lives to discover and explore. RIP brave women and men. We salute you!
Interesting that the U.S. Navy backed the USS Jeanette expedition during the same timeframe with the goal of finding the northern sea passage mentioned in this episode. The Jeanette’s story is very interesting as well. The Jeanette’s crew suffered from the same wrong assumptions and severe weather conditions discussed here.
Because these expeditions almost never consulted the Inuit or indigenous people who actually lived and survived in these areas and knew the weather and conditions.
Thank you for that summary. I have original copies of Greeley’s two volume record of that expedition and have read numerous other second hand accounts in an attempt to understand the complete story of their hardships at Cape Sabine and the decisions that led to their situation. It is altogether too easy to retroactively second guess decisions made by others but it is also very valuable to learn from others who have gone before us. Your presentation was very well done.
I see Kirk and the Gorn from Star Trek "Arena" episode 18 season 1, Now that's history that deservers to be remembered. Thanks H.G. "you have more toy's than I do"
Kirk vs the Lizard creature. Hahaha. Now regarding this Expedition, wow! How the human mind can be affected by circumstances. Thank you for sharing. Love the Star Trek figurines.