66 EXECUTION OF PRIVATE HENRY. 



circulation. The next day they resumed the journey. Elison 

 soon gave out, and begged them to leave him to die and push 

 on with the meat. They left the meat cached, and continued 

 the march ; Elison having to be supported at nearly every 

 step. Linn next gave out, and it was decided then that Rice 

 should leave them and go on to camp for assistance. The 

 men remained in their sleeping bags until twenty-four hours 

 later, when Searg't Brainerd reached them with restoratives, 

 which soon revived them. The remainder of the relief party 

 soon arrived, and they were taken into camp. Elison lost the 

 use of his feet, and all of his fingers and thumbs. Linn never 

 recovered entirely from the exposure. The situation now of 

 the little band was most critical, on account of the failure to 

 bring the meat from Cape Isabella. They were at last 

 obliged to resort to soup made of boiled seal-skin, mixed 

 with reindeer moss and small shrimps. This was an extremely 

 innutritions and indigestible diet. The men rapidly grew 

 weak, and after January 1st the death rate was appalling. 



We have now to record a very serious incident, which is 

 the only blot on a long chapter of heroism and unselfishness. 

 Private Henry had many times been caught in the act of 

 stealing provisions. Lieut. Greely's expostulations and 

 warnings were of no avail. At last Greely, feeling that the 

 safety of all depended upon Henry's removal, ordered him to 

 be shot, which was quietly done, and the entire justice of the 

 act was concurred in by the rest of the party, and has since 

 been sanctioned by public opinion. 



One more effort was made to obtain the meat which had 

 been abandoned by the Elison party. Rice and Fredericks 

 volunteered to go for it, and bravely started forth. But they 

 were both weak from their scanty diet, and after wandering 

 three days, they became completely exhausted. Rice sank 

 down and died in his comrade's arms. Fredericks, after burying 

 his friend, nerved himself for a mighty effort, and after three 

 days wandering, succeeded in finding his way back to camp 



