The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-01-19
COL. BRA|NARD'S TRIBUTE
TO LATE SERGT, FREDERICK
Heroic Deeds of the Man in the
Frozen Regions of the
North.
NEW YORK SUNS STORY

In a recent issue of the New York Sun
Colonel Brainard, a companion of the late
Sergeant Frederick in the Greedy expe-
dition, paid the following tribute to his
dead friends heroic qualities:
while we were starving at Cape Sabine"
he said, I'VE knew that at Baird Inlet,
to the south, were 100 pounds of beef which
the English had cached. We might obtain
the meat if two men in our party were
strong enough to haul a sledge, but we
were all very weak, for we had been living
a ration of four ounces of meat and
four ounces OF bread a day. Some of our
comrades had already died, and others
could scarcely stand.
Sergeant Rice and Private Fredericks
were eager To make the journey, and were
chosen. as they seemed TO be the best men
for the work. They wished to take with
them only the regular ration, but Lieuten-
sedge so little food, and made them add
four ounces more to the daily allowance.
I'VE raised a feeble cheer as they set
out on April 6, 1888 dragging sledge on
which were dashed their rations, a double
sleeping bag, rife, ak and cooking pot.
They had been gone only a day when
terrible if1I storm arose. and they 6ad , 70
told heavily against them, and Rice's
strength rapidly failed.
"One morning when they crawled out OF
lnelr sleeping bag they 1OunQ IL necessary
to explore the route ahead to see where
hauling would be easiest. Rice walked
with totter1ng steps, and after struggling
on for some inches he sank in his tracks.
He could not go another step.
He grew weaker minute by minute
Frederick feared that Rice's feet would
freeze, and so he pulled off his jumper and
wrapped 1t around the feet of his dying
comrade.
HE sat down in the snow, after trying
vainly. to revive Rice with spirits, and
till he breathed his last. Then he laid
him down in the snow. Frederick was
half dead with cold, and he knew that he
must instantly return to the sledge for
When he awoke the next day he knew
he must return TO our camp or perish.
The longed-for meat was unattainable,
miles away TO the south His strength
was hardly adequate for dragging the
sledge, but, If possible he must deliver
Rice's rations at the camp.
"He struggled north a mile or so when
it occurred to him that he ought to bury
Rice under the snow. So he went back,
dug a trench in the snow, placed the dead
friend in it, and filled the trench again.
1t cost him ten miles of travel TO pay this
last tribute of affection and respect.
Two days later Frederick staggered
able to whisper the tragic details of the
journey. The meat had not been reached,
Rice,s body was lying in snow grave.
back all OF Rices rations. 1 knew we
would need them here, and did not touch
a mouthful of them
This was a fact Starving as he was,
and hauling a sledge that he might bring
back a few pounds of food and the small
equipment We could not afford TO lose, he
had eaten only the meager ration allotted
to him.
He was a plain and simple man, but a
hero every inch Of him; and in those three
years in the Arctic we always recognized
his true nobility of character"