American military officer and polar explorer (1844-1935) who led a notable expedition to the Arctic during 1881-1884, setting a new 'farthest north' record. Stranded and without food, the party lost 18 of its 25 men to starvation, drowning, and hypothermia, and another man was executed per Greely's orders. Greely was awarded the Medal of Honor in 1935. ALS signed "A. W. Greely, U.S. Army," one page, 8.25 x 11, November 24, 1884. Handwritten letter to the "E. Howard Watch & Clock Co.," praising the quality of their product under extraordinary environmental conditions in the arctic. In full: "It gives me pleasure to testify to the extreme satisfaction I derived from the performance, in the Arctic Circle, of watch #44192 made by your company. It was in use by me for all of my personal observations for time and latitude in the field, and was considered by me the most reliable watch in the expedition. From my three years experience I would especially recommend such watches for field work in Arctic or other explorations where time pieces are subjected to remarkably rough treatment and extreme changes of temperature." In very good condition, with scattered foxing, overall toning, creasing to edges, and several small chips and tears.
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