[Rarebooks] FS: Arthur Conan Doyle INSCRIBED to A. W. Greely

[Charles Agvent]

[DOYLE, Arthur Conan and GREELY, A. W.] STANSBURY, Hubert. IN QUEST OF 
TRUTH. London: Watts, 1913. First Edition. Original cloth. Superb 
association copy INSCRIBED and SIGNED in full on the title page by the 
creator of Sherlock Holmes to Polar explorer General A. W. Greely. 
Doyle's inscription, which amounts to a short note taking up the top 
half of the title page, is as follows: "This is the book of which 
I/spoke. I have not added my/annotations because you can make/better 
ones, but I think the book is/earnest and interesting though 
the/conclusions are more negative than I/have personally come to." 
Regrettably, Greely has only made one annotation, a pencil line marking 
a paragraph, and we wish Doyle had not been so humble. A large, heavy 
stock piece of dark paper with Greely's bold signature is laid down on 
the front pastedown. In addition to the common bond of spiritualism 
between Doyle and Greely, they also shared the experience of having 
explored northern seas. Doyle had written about his voyage as a ship's 
surgeon on an Arctic seas whaler in 1880, just about the time Greely was 
establishing the farthest north colony in existence eclipsing the 
previous record which had stood for over 300 years. Light wear. Near Fine.

Adolphus W. Greely, the Signal Corps' fifth Medal of Honor winner began 
his life of service on some of the Civil War's bloodiest battlefields - 
Balls Bluff, Antietam and Fredericksburg. After rising from Private to 
Sergeant in the 19th Massachusetts, Greely accepted a commission in the 
81st Colored Troops in 1863.

Lieutenant Greely, Regular Army, saw frontier service in places like 
Wyoming and Utah. In his spare time, he studied telegraph and 
electricity. The training served him well when he was detailed to the 
Signal Corps in 1867.

After serving as a "trouble-shooter" in the construction of frontier 
telegraph lines, Greely volunteered in 1881, to lead an Arctic weather 
expedition. On a three year stint to Ellesmere Island near the north 
pole, Greely's party amassed a great deal of data on Arctic Weather and 
tidal conditions, but was almost wiped out when relief ships failed to 
reach them for two successive summers. When they were finally rescued on 
22 June 1884, nineteen of Greely's 25-man crew had perished from 
starvation, drowning, hypothermia, and in one case, gunshot wounds from 
an execution ordered by Greely. The survivors were themselves near 
death, and one did die on the homeward journey. The returning survivors 
were venerated as heroes, though the heroism was tainted by sensational 
accusations of cannibalism during the remaining days of low food.

In 1887 President Grover Cleveland advanced Greely from rank of Captain 
to Brigadier General with his Appointment as Chief Signal Officer. In 
the following years, Greely's innovation led to the military use of 
wireless telegraphy, the airplane, the automobile and other modern devices.

Greely retired in 1908. After a trip around the world, he helped found 
the National Geographic Society and the first free public library in 
Washington, D.C.

On his 91st birthday, March 27, 1935, Greely was presented with a 
special Medal of Honor for "his life of splendid public service." Greely 
died the following October and was buried with full honors in Arlington 
National Cemetery. (#006336)        $4,500.00

http://home.ptd.net/~chagvent/006336.jpg

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