History of Norway, (Herkimer County) New York United States of America

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David Legg Brainard, soldier, was born in Norway, Herkimer county, N.Y., Dec. 21, 1856. His preliminary education was acquired at the Norway village school, and he afterwards attended the state normal school. He enlisted in the U.S. army in 1876, and was assigned to Fort Ellis, Montana, and engaged in Indian warfare under General Miles, being wounded at Muddy Creek, May 7, 1877. In July, 1879, he was promoted sergeant, and in 1881 was ordered to Washington at the request of Heutenant Greely, and detailed to join the Lady Franklin Bay exploration party. In his position as first sergeant be was chief of the enlisted men of the party, and had charge of provisions and of all out-door or field work. He assisted Heutenant Lockwood in his geographical expeditions, and was one of the three men who camped for two days on the northwest coast of Greenland, in latitude 83? 24' 30" and longitude 40? 46' 30", the most northerly point of the globe ever reached by man up to that time (1882). They discovered the vast inlet, which was named by them "Greely Fiord." The sufferings of the party at Camp Sabine were indescribable. An unusually severe winter set in and they were obliged to construct a camp out of stones, snow, canvas and the remains of an old boat. Their food supply gave out and the remnant of the party that was rescued by Captain Schley, in June, 1884, was only kept alive by the efforts of Brainard, who placed nets under the ice, and thus contrived to catch a small quantity of fish each day. When the rescuers arrived, Lockwood had been dead seventy-three days, and Brainard and his few surviving companions were just about to succumb. Sergeant Brainard kept account of the food suppHes during this trying time of privation, and Heutenant Greely has made especial mention of his heroism in this connection: "I firmly beHeve," wrote he, "that not one ounce of unauthorized food passed his lips during all that terrible winter. That a starving man for months could daily handle such amounts of food and not take for himself speaks volumes for his courage." He was commissioned 2d Heutenant Oct. 22, 1886, and assigned to the 2d cavalry; 1st Heutenant, Aug. 14, 1893; captain, Oct. 14, 1896, and assigned to the commissary department. He became chief commissary in the subsistence department and Heutenant-colonel of volunteers, May 9, 1898; colonel, Nov. 8, 1898; major, Feb. 14, 1900, and became purchasing commissary at the Army building, New York city.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

History of Norway, (Herkimer County) New York

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