Adolphus greely biography

American polar explorer and army general (1844–1935)

Adolphus Washington GreelyFRSGS (March 27, 1844 – October 20, 1935) was a United States Army officer and polar explorer.

He attained the rank of major general and was a recipient of the Medal of Honor.

A native of Newburyport, Massachusetts, and an 1860 graduate of Brown High School (now Newburyport High School), in 1861 he enlisted in the Union Army for the American Civil War.

He received his commission as a second lieutenant in 1863 and was promoted to first lieutenant in 1864 and captain in 1865.

Adolphus greely biography

At the end of the war he received a brevet promotion to major in recognition of his wartime accomplishments.

After the war, Greely accepted a second lieutenant's commission in the regular army. In 1881, he was appointed to command the Lady Franklin Bay Expedition, a 25-man expedition organized to carry out Arctic explorations.

The expedition ran short of food and several resupply and rescue missions were