Farthest North: The Life and Explorations of Lieutenant James Booth Lockwood, of the Greely Arctic ExpeditionLanman, Charles
History
Farthest North: The Life and Explorations of Lieutenant James Booth Lockwood, of the Greely Arctic Expedition
Lanman, Charles
Arctic regions; Lady Franklin Bay Expedition (1881-1884); Lockwood, James Booth, 1852-1884
Another and most touching reference made by Brainard to the
burial-place of his friend Lockwood occurs in his journal under date
of May 31, 1884, and is as follows: “In my daily journeys across
Cemetery Ridge, it was but natural at first that my reflections
should be sad and gloomy. Here lie my departed comrades, and to
their left is the vacant space where, in a few days, my own remains
will be deposited if sufficient strength remain to those who may
survive me. The brass buttons on Lieutenant Lockwood’s blouse, worn
bright by the flying gravel, protruded through the scanty covering
of earth which our depleted strength barely enabled us to place over
him. At first these dazzling buttons would awaken thoughts of those
bright days spent at Fort Conger, of the half-forgotten scene of his
death, and of the universal sorrow that was felt at his departure.
But later my own wretched circumstances served to counteract these
feelings, and I would pass and repass this place without emotion,
and almost with indifference.”
The supply of food had been almost entirely exhausted during the
first few days of April, and it was impossible to obtain any game or
rations from distant caches. An effort made by Rice to secure
certain provisions that had been abandoned on a former expedition in
order to save the life of Ellison when frozen, resulted in his own
death, breathing his last in the arms of Fredericks, his only
companion, who buried him in a lonely, ice-made grave. Nor were the
horrors of the situation lessened by the discovery that the man
Henry had been guilty of stealing their food, for which, after ample
warning, under orders from Lieutenant Greely, he was summarily shot,
according to the law of self-preservation. His remains were not
deposited in the cemetery, but by themselves in a place near by.
The total number of deaths out of the twenty-five composing the
complete party of explorers was nineteen, and, while twelve of them
were buried at Camp Clay, the remainder, like the lamented Rice,
were buried elsewhere or where they died. Jans was lost in his
kyack. During a discussion that occurred, about the final
disposition of the dead, Lieutenant Greely expressed the wish that
the remains of his men might be left undisturbed. They had died, he
said, beneath Arctic skies. Arctic desolation witnessed their
sufferings, heard their cries of anguish. They are buried in Arctic
soil. Let them lie where they fell. Lockwood told me that he wanted
to rest forever on the field of his work. Why disturb them? Why not
respect their wishes?
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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