Civil War

Newspaper Articles

No. 14

The Bunnell Newspaper Clippings

SRC NO. N14

NEWSPAPER: Unknown; possibly Whitney Point NY Reporter
DATE: Unknown, circa 1940 to 1946
AUTHOR: Herman E. Bunnell

Brigadier General David Brainard

My memory goes back to a school house about a quarter of a mile south of Freetown Corners in the winter of 1871-72. A Mr. Phillips was the teacher, and one cold morning the fire had not been built long ..... .... to get the room warm and ..... the school was called, the scholars were all gathered around the stove except one and that was David Brainard. He was in his seat in the back part of the room. I have thought since that he was getting ready for the Arctic experience which he had on the Greely expedition several years later when in the last winter the food got short, and they had to go on so short rations that only six were rescued in 1884 by Commander Winfield S. Schley, the rest had died of cold and starvation.

I also remember that the Freetown school was taken to Marathon in a pair of bobs on Feb. 2, 1872, and we had our pictures taken in front of the east part of the Swift store where Burn Hunt had a hardware store, and he is standing in the door. I think I have not seen David Brainard since that winter. I still have that picture. I think Brainard went to the Centennial and enlisted in the army and has been service ever since. He is now retired, and he is publishing a book, "Six Came Back." He is the last one alive of the Greeley [sic] Expedition.

I know little of his progress in the army except that the Arctic Expedition gave him a commission and his war service gave him promotion till .... ...ained Brigadier General's commission.

I have since learned that he enlisted in New York. He served in the Spanish-American War, in Cuba, the Philippines, and the World War retiring in 1918 with a Brigadier General's commission.

H. E. BUNNELL