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 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!!
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.
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.
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’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.
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'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.
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.
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.
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.
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 polar exploration history. Especially the history of the Northwest Passage search. Such amazing and harrowing stories, truly the astronauts of their day.
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.
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.
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!
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.
I can always count on you to bring me History That was not remembered to now, Remember! Thanks HG for information on this expedition I had never heard of and the men who survived the ordeal are now able to be remebered by a much wider audience.
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!
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
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
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!
Thank you for another amazing piece of history. If history classes had been this informative in high school I might have learned something instead of daydreaming & looking out the windows. Thank you for listing all the names so that we to could remember & honor them.
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.
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.
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.
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
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. :-)
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.
...A suggested topic...as a retired meteorologist, I'm always interested in how the weather played a part in many decisive points in history. Many of your fascinating stories include weather issues. It might be cool to put on your list..”weather's role in historical events” or some such wording. From the time before ww2 when it was mostly a guessing game, to the war itself which initiated major scientific and observing and communication systems, to today when the need for a meteorologist skills and knowledge is mostly gone because the numerical weather prediction models are so powerful. I was privileged to have seen the transformation from analogue to digital, from the earliest pc's and automated weather stations to the first supercomputer weather models. It was a blast. Thanks Mr & Mrs Guy. Never a dull story.
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).
I really like your videos. You do a great job at presenting them. By far this channel is the best history channel on TH-cam. Keep up the great work. Thank you for your time and effort.
No radio, no means to communicate back home to call for help, these were truly heroic men, risking their lives to advance our knowledge of this Earth. IT is hard to understand what their motivation was, my had is off to all of them.
Thank you for this wonderful look at the bravery of these men who went out and explored the world.They gave there lives for knowlage and understanding broading the scope of understanding and the endurance of man, they endured much for the hope of bringing better understanding to the world and the world around us thank you again for this awesome video.
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.
Another piece of history I never heard of. Bravo The History Guy! You never cease to amaze me with your knowledge. Thank you for expanding my knowledge of history.
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.
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.
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.
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 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"
Two days ago, I just finished listening to about a 13 hour audio book about this expedition: Labyrinth of Ice: The Triumphant and Tragic Greely Polar Expedition By: Buddy Levy Narrated by: Will Damron This is a wonderful book and I recommend it, if you love history. : ) As far as major misconduct: Another member of the expedition, Dr. Pavey was accused of suggesting extra rations for a seriously frost bit man, then stealing and eating the extra rations from that man. He was also accused of withholding medicine from men...painkiller opiates...and using them on himself. But he was their only doctor, so there was a blind eye turned...so that accusations were as far as it went...rather than setting out to prove he did those things, such as what they did to the man they eventually executed for food theft. But, given everything they went through, it sounds like most of the men behaved as gentlemen, and they took care of each other. And it was said that Greely, more often than not, cradled the heads of those men who were dying...being there so they felt the comfort of a human touch before they passed away.
Man, they all look like Edgar A. Poe. Another interesting episode. Did anyone else see Kirk fighting the Gorn? The Franklin Expedition has fascinated me since I was a kid.
For those interested, to fully grasp how poorly this expedition was planned and lead, I suggest Ghosts of Cape Sabine, by Leonard Guttridge. If the Shackleton expedition is often praised as one of the best exemple of leadership and bravery, the Greely expedition is the exact opposite, one of the most disastrous failure of all polar expeditions.
To be fair, Greely and his team lived for two years at the most northerly research station in the world, and not only successfully managed thousands of scientific measurements, explored significant unexplored areas, and broke the record for exploring the farthest north, but also did so without losing a single person. When they traveled south, they did so professionally, and following the expedition plan. It is difficult to say the expedition was poorly led. Rather, it was poorly supported by an apathetic administration.
All I can say is read the book. Seriously. Among just about all arctic/antarctic expeditions, this one sets the mark as the best example not to follow, for planning and leadership.
@@carlveilleux5744 For poor planning and leadership, I nominate the Stefansson's Canadian Arctic Expedition, 1913-1916. There are several good books about it but I happen to like The Ice Master by Jennifer Niven. For runner-up I would nominate the utter failure to colonize Wrangel Island in 1921. Kenn Harper wrote an excellent book about it but an easier book to find is Jennifer Niven's Ada Blackjack: A True Story Of Survival In The Arctic.
I can't help thinking this would be a thrilling survival movie, but I'll only watch if THG helps them research for the movie script. Cool story. Thanks for sharing 😊
Idea for future episode!!! Post WWII reconstruction in Europe and or Asia. Most history text books that I find shift from WW2 to Berlin airlift/Cold War or from WW2 to Korean War depending on which theater of conflict you look at. I’d also love to see a history guy episode on the war crimes trials after WW2.
I didn't know this but Fort Greeley, Alaska (100 miles south of where I am at in Fairbanks) is named after Adolphus. The base is used for cold-weather testing and ballistic missile defense.
There is an excellent book titled "The Ghosts of Cape Sabine" -- for anyone who's interested. There was reportedly quite strong evidence for cannibalism, including knife marks on the the bones of the deceased suggesting they had been skillfully butchered, and it was noted that the good doctor didn't seem quite as dreadfully skinny as the rest...
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
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.
I would love to more about Frederick Shwatka. His expedition was integral in the later expeditions that eventually found the wrecks of the two ships Terror and Erebus.
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.
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.
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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.
If you aren't one then you should become a writer. You seem to have a gift for the written word.
A
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.
The big mystery to me in this fantastic tale is, did you eat two lunches? Three even?
@@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.
This channel is what the Discovery & History channels should be.
The History Channel used to be good
Absolutely correct!
More like what they used to be
@JZ's Best Friend don't forget loggers and swamp 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.
I was up the road at Eielson AFB, I’ve been to Ft. Greely several times, also having grown up in Fairbanks !
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!!
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.
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 wish history class in school had been even a fraction as interesting as what you make it. I'd probably have ended up a historian myself.
It was. No you wouldn't have.
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.
@@otpyrcralphpierre1742 History that is taught in school is always propaganda; in all countries and at all times.
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.
Iceland is green, Greenland is ice
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'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.
Geez , I complain about shoveling the driveway .
😆
😅🤣😂
Rich, if you are in the US northeast now, that is a valid complaint! 24" of freshly fallen snow here in NJ. Point still well made!
eat your seal blubber and mush on !
" we've miles to go before sleep . "
" miles to go before sleep . "
@@oceanexploration and still going at least over by me
I enjoy hearing about such tragedies and thinking that such a thing could never happen in our modern age again.
And then I remember space exists.
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.
aaalllllleeeeee aaaaaallllllleeeeeeee aaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyeeeee 😄hhhhhhhoooooooooooooo
Good lesson. I feel a need to read each of the brave mens names, to respect their service. Rest in peace.
Automatic like for a THG post, 4min after posting. Thankyou for your content THG. I always look forward to it.
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.
Not if he did an episode on your momma...
Just kiddin...
But I guarantee you wouldn't 👍 if he did an episode on my momma...
Somebody get me out o here.
Appreciate the posting of the expedition names. A tribute to their daring to explore.
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.
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.
Makes the Shackleton Expedition to the South Pole seem pretty benign.. and highlights the brilliance of Shackleton's leadership.
Both were Badass
@@HighlandLaddie The lead poisoning theory has been disproven
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 polar exploration history. Especially the history of the Northwest Passage search. Such amazing and harrowing stories, truly the astronauts of their day.
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.
This piece of history DESERVES to be remembered!
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.
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!
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.
I can always count on you to bring me History That was not remembered to now, Remember! Thanks HG for information on this expedition I had never heard of and the men who survived the ordeal are now able to be remebered by a much wider audience.
Inspirational story. To have the slow realization that help is not coming but yet to persevere.
I NEVER miss any of your stories but this one was possibly the most powerful one yet. Keep up the great work!
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!
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
Just finished ready "labyrinth of ice" by buddy levy and it is a great read on the Greeley expedition. Couldn't put the book down!
Fascinating story about an oft overlooked era! Thank you for the fitting tribute and the end!
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
I second, third, and infinity this. Dr. Rae got such a raw deal from them.
@pado joe biden I had no problem reading it. Perhaps you're just a little dull?
@@dimesonhiseyes9134
It _was indeed_ a rough read. And since _you're_ being nasty, maybe learn to spell.
Jeesh. That read like all one sentence.😆
@@trishthehomesteader9873
They're called "run-on sentences".
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!
Thank you for another amazing piece of history. If history classes had been this informative in high school I might have learned something instead of daydreaming & looking out the windows. Thank you for listing all the names so that we to could remember & honor them.
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.
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.
@John Barber there is always a thin line between the two.
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.
Oldham's a cold place too!!
Thanks for recognizing the team.
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.
Thanks for the book suggestions.
@@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.
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
These men were the best of the best. Risking their lives for simple exploration, wanting to know the unknown. True human beings.
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. :-)
Because history deserves to be remembered. 🥂
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.
Great presentation! I also love history and I've never known about this expedition. More on polar exploration, pretty please?
There are a few in here: th-cam.com/play/PLSnt4mJGJfGgjh2UqFMz1VJmaeYGj3Vm5.html
I will definitely check that out. Thank you! By the way, I love the bowtie! Very classy on you!
@@TheHistoryGuyChannel thanks
Always the most informative and interesting videos as usual. Keep up the good work my friend. History can't be forgotten.
...A suggested topic...as a retired meteorologist, I'm always interested in how the weather played a part in many decisive points in history.
Many of your fascinating stories include weather issues. It might be cool to put on your list..”weather's role in historical events” or some such wording. From the time before ww2 when it was mostly a guessing game, to the war itself which initiated major scientific and observing and communication systems, to today when the need for a meteorologist skills and knowledge is mostly gone because the numerical weather prediction models are so powerful. I was privileged to have seen the transformation from analogue to digital, from the earliest pc's and automated weather stations to the first supercomputer weather models. It was a blast.
Thanks Mr & Mrs Guy. Never a dull story.
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).
American Experience did a great documentary on this expedition. Thank you for the refresher.
I really like your videos. You do a great job at presenting them. By far this channel is the best history channel on TH-cam. Keep up the great work. Thank you for your time and effort.
No radio, no means to communicate back home to call for help, these were truly heroic men, risking their lives to advance our knowledge of this Earth. IT is hard to understand what their motivation was, my had is off to all of them.
THG- the delicious part of any good breakfast..
Excellent video, as always informative and entertaining.
I've read a biography about Lady Jane Franklin.
Thanks for posting this!
It's not just the cold. It can be dark for nine months of the year. I suspect that has to add a bit of gloom to a tough situation.
Thank you for this wonderful look at the bravery of these men who went out and explored the world.They gave there lives for knowlage and understanding broading the scope of understanding and the endurance of man, they endured much for the hope of bringing better understanding to the world and the world around us thank you again for this awesome video.
I hope some of the survivors later found and beat the tar out of the captain of the S.S. Neptune for not leaving all the supplies he was supposed to.
This story brought me to tears; usually only reserved for the retelling of heroism in battle.
I find this story one of the best episodes I have watched. Thank you for your efforts.
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.
Another piece of history I never heard of. Bravo The History Guy! You never cease to amaze me with your knowledge. Thank you for expanding my knowledge of history.
Great episode, thank you. Have always been interested in polar exploration, but barely knew of this one.
A fascinating story. Well worth telling.
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.
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.
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.
A heroic age of polar exploration, indeed. Hard men!
Brave men all. Illuminating video on exploration and tough bastards, thanks.
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.
Please email me at THG@TheHistoryGuy.Net.
@@TheHistoryGuyChannel done
Resolute by Martin Sandler is a great read on this topic.
Appreciate your channel
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"
And the B-9 Robot and Robbie the Robot.
@@silvereagle2061 I'm just glad the bugle is back on the wall.....
Thank you for listing the members who died.
Two days ago, I just finished listening to about a 13 hour audio book about this expedition:
Labyrinth of Ice: The Triumphant and Tragic Greely Polar Expedition
By: Buddy Levy
Narrated by: Will Damron
This is a wonderful book and I recommend it, if you love history. : )
As far as major misconduct: Another member of the expedition, Dr. Pavey was accused of suggesting extra rations for a seriously frost bit man, then stealing and eating the extra rations from that man. He was also accused of withholding medicine from men...painkiller opiates...and using them on himself. But he was their only doctor, so there was a blind eye turned...so that accusations were as far as it went...rather than setting out to prove he did those things, such as what they did to the man they eventually executed for food theft.
But, given everything they went through, it sounds like most of the men behaved as gentlemen, and they took care of each other. And it was said that Greely, more often than not, cradled the heads of those men who were dying...being there so they felt the comfort of a human touch before they passed away.
I am listening to this. And we are hitting a cold snap this week in my city. -40°C predicted for the weekend.
These men face way harsher conditions
Man, they all look like Edgar A. Poe.
Another interesting episode.
Did anyone else see Kirk fighting the Gorn?
The Franklin Expedition has fascinated me since I was a kid.
Just read Ghosts of Cape Sabine. Crazy story, a lot of blame to be spread around in Washington, the relief parties, and Greely.
For those interested, to fully grasp how poorly this expedition was planned and lead, I suggest Ghosts of Cape Sabine, by Leonard Guttridge. If the Shackleton expedition is often praised as one of the best exemple of leadership and bravery, the Greely expedition is the exact opposite, one of the most disastrous failure of all polar expeditions.
The failure was in resupply.
To be fair, Greely and his team lived for two years at the most northerly research station in the world, and not only successfully managed thousands of scientific measurements, explored significant unexplored areas, and broke the record for exploring the farthest north, but also did so without losing a single person. When they traveled south, they did so professionally, and following the expedition plan. It is difficult to say the expedition was poorly led. Rather, it was poorly supported by an apathetic administration.
All I can say is read the book. Seriously. Among just about all arctic/antarctic expeditions, this one sets the mark as the best example not to follow, for planning and leadership.
@@carlveilleux5744 For poor planning and leadership, I nominate the Stefansson's Canadian Arctic Expedition, 1913-1916. There are several good books about it but I happen to like The Ice Master by Jennifer Niven. For runner-up I would nominate the utter failure to colonize Wrangel Island in 1921. Kenn Harper wrote an excellent book about it but an easier book to find is Jennifer Niven's Ada Blackjack: A True Story Of Survival In The Arctic.
Funny how it was in a place named after Lady Franklin. At least they actually looked for/found these guys before they all died.
Well done as always. Thanks History Guy
thanks
I can't help thinking this would be a thrilling survival movie, but I'll only watch if THG helps them research for the movie script. Cool story. Thanks for sharing 😊
As usual, a very good dissertation, thanks !
"Baby, it's cold outside!"
BRRRRR
I love your intro's and that tagline gets me juiced. Very choice.
Idea for future episode!!!
Post WWII reconstruction in Europe and or Asia. Most history text books that I find shift from WW2 to Berlin airlift/Cold War or from WW2 to Korean War depending on which theater of conflict you look at. I’d also love to see a history guy episode on the war crimes trials after WW2.
Thanks for the good show.
I didn't know this but Fort Greeley, Alaska (100 miles south of where I am at in Fairbanks) is named after Adolphus. The base is used for cold-weather testing and ballistic missile defense.
There is an excellent book titled "The Ghosts of Cape Sabine" -- for anyone who's interested. There was reportedly quite strong evidence for cannibalism, including knife marks on the the bones of the deceased suggesting they had been skillfully butchered, and it was noted that the good doctor didn't seem quite as dreadfully skinny as the rest...
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
Absoultely excellent! Thank you!
Interesting as always. However my attention was distracted by the struggle between Capt Kirk and the Gorn up on the bookshelf.
Lol
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.
Read “in the Kingdom of Ice” by Hampton Side about the USS Jeannette
I would love to more about Frederick Shwatka. His expedition was integral in the later expeditions that eventually found the wrecks of the two ships Terror and Erebus.
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.
I saw Franklin and I never clicked faster I love the history of the expedition I have a small collection of books on the event.
this was a well told story and as a canuck im impressed you pronounced newfoundlad as the maritimers do newfunland
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.
It would be, ultimately, an act of desperation.
I remember the cannibalism bit but I do not remember the source stated that human meat is rather indigestible
@@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.
Coldest I’ve ever been was at Ft. Greeley back in the 90s. It was -65 ambient temperature.