Deep in the north lies Beachy Island, one of the most important historical locations in the Arctic. Practically uninhabitable, the remote island has nevertheless become a popular tourist attraction because it was once the camp of one of the most infamous Arctic expeditions of all time, Sir John Franklin’s ill fated attempt to sail the Northwest Passage.Today, Beachy Island holds an unusual clue to that expedition. Three graves belong to Franklin’s men, John Torrington, William Hartnell, and John Brain, whose names are well known in Arctic history. But just beside them lies the grave of a fourth man that hardly anyone talks about.Franklin and his men made their way safely to Disco Bay, Greenland, before leaving on July 12th and setting their sails for what is now northern Canada through the ice choked waters of Baffin Bay. Whaling vessels spotted them there in what would become the last known sighting of Franklin and his crew.The rest largely remains a mystery. When Franklin failed to return, numerous expeditions were sent to find him. Explorer William Penny landed at Beachy Island in 1850 and discovered the three graves, later learning that the men had died from pneumonia, tuberculosis, and, according to one theory, perhaps lead poisoning.But Penny was only one of dozens of expeditions searching for Franklin. Commander Robert McClure captained HMS Investigator on what would become a spectacular endeavor, setting sail from England in January 1850 and eventually reaching the Arctic Circle through Hawaii and Alaska.The Investigator made its way east past Point Barrow, searching for clues, until McClure and his crew encountered dense pack ice on August 19th. After attempting to sail through it, they eventually decided to winterize the ship and stay put, surrounded by ice with no way to continue.Nearly a year passed before the surrounding ice finally melted. The crew continued sailing, but loose ice forced them to secure the ship to an iceberg before eventually reaching an open bay and preparing for another winter.By April 1852, supplies were running low. McClure and seven men set out toward Melville Island, hoping to find other British explorers, but returned without making contact. Supplies, morale, and physical strength continued to disappear as another year passed with the ship trapped in ice.On April 5th, 1853, John Boyle became the first of McClure’s men to die. The following day, while the men were digging his grave, they saw a figure approaching from the sea. They had been found by Lieutenant Bedford Pym of HMS Resolute, another ship searching for Franklin.The Investigator was eventually abandoned, and McClure and his crew joined the men aboard Resolute and Intrepid. Yet they were still not free of the Arctic ice and were forced to overwinter again.In the spring of 1854, a crew traveled on foot to meet the ship North Star at Beachy Island. In making that journey, they became the first to formally complete the Northwest Passage.On May 22nd, 1854, able bodied seaman Thomas Morgan of HMS Investigator died aboard North Star. He was buried on Beachy Island, next to Franklin’s men.McClure eventually returned to England, where he was court martialed, pardoned, and awarded the prize for completing the Northwest Passage. He never made another Arctic voyage.Today, the graves of Torrington, Hartnell, and Brain remain a place of Arctic pilgrimage. Their connection to Franklin’s doomed expedition has made their names famous.But spare a thought for Thomas Morgan. His journey into history was a four year voyage of pain and hardship, and of the four men who now lie at rest on Beachy Island, only Thomas Morgan actually completed the Northwest Passage.