The New International Encyclopædia/Gilder, William Henry

GILDER, William Henry (1838-1900). An American Arctic explorer, born in Philadelphia, Pa. At the beginning of the Civil War he enlisted in the Fifth New York Infantry (Duryea's Zouaves), subsequently was transferred to the Fortieth, and was mustered out with the rank of captain and brevet major. In 1871-77 he was managing editor of the Newark Register, and in 1878-80 was second in command on the expedition of Lieutenant Schwatka in search of the relics of Sir John Franklin. He accompanied the De Long expedition on the Rodgers under Captain Berry, and after the burning of the vessel on the western shore of Bering Strait, made a midwinter journey of nearly 2000 miles across Siberia to telegraph to the Government the news of the disaster. He afterwards participated in the search for De Long in the Lena Delta. In 1883 he was in Tonquin during the French-Anamese War, and in 1884 visited the region of the earthquakes in Spain. On his expeditions and travels he was a correspondent of the New York Herald. He published Schwatka's Search (1881), and Ice-Pack and Tundra (1883).