Greely, A. W. (Adolphus Washington), 1844-1935

• Greeley, Adolphus Washington, 1844-1935

Adolphus Washington Greeley (or Greely) was born on March 27, 1844, in Newburyport, Massachusetts and died on October 20, 1935, in Washington, DC. His parents were John Balch Greeley and Frances Dunn Cobb Greely. In 1878, Greeley married Henrietta Nesmith, and they had seven children. In 1861, he enlisted in the Union Army for the American Civil War and received his commission as a second lieutenant in 1863 and was promoted to first lieutenant in 1864 and then captain in 1865. In 1881, Greeley commanded the Lady Franklin Bay Expedition, a 25-man expedition organized to carry out Arctic explorations. On this expedition, they reached the furthest point north then attained by settlers but ran out of food. He was one of the six men who survived, and they were rescued in 1884. Greeley continued to serve in the army until his retirement in 1908. For his services in organizing relief operations in San Francisco following the earthquake in 1904, he was raised to the rank of major-general. Greeley was awarded the Medal of Honor in March 1935. He wrote several books and magazine articles on Arctic exploration and his experiences.

Revised on July 17, 2024, by Leah Louttit-Bunker