Quick BIO

David Brainard was born in Norway, NY in 1856 and attended school locally until his family moved to Freetown.

He enlisted in the army in 1876 and saw action against the Sioux Indians under General Miles.

In 1881, he was made first sergeant of an arctic expedition led by Adolfus Greely. He spent three years in the arctic during which time he became one of three men to reach the highest northern point on the globe attained by man at that time.

The expedition was infamous for the problems it encountered. Nineteen of the 25 men involved died. The group worked their way back south in desperate conditions, preserving their collected scientific documentation. Brainard was credited with extending the life of the group through shrimp fishing. The group's plight went unknown for an extended period of time until their rescue in 1884.

The expedition has been the subject of several books and movies.

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