David H. Jarvis
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David Henry Jarvis (August 24, 1862 – June 23, 1911) Bagley, pp 416–417Wickersham, p 247 was a
captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...
in the
United States Revenue Cutter Service The United States Revenue Cutter Service was established by an Act of Congress () on 4 August 1790 as the Revenue-Marine at the recommendation of the nation's first U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton. The federal government bod ...
. During the harsh winter of 1897–1898, Jarvis, then serving as a
first lieutenant First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment. The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a se ...
aboard the U.S. Revenue Cutter ''Bear'', led the Overland Relief Expedition, bringing a three-man rescue team with a herd of about 400
reindeer The reindeer or caribou (''Rangifer tarandus'') is a species of deer with circumpolar distribution, native to Arctic, subarctic, tundra, taiga, boreal, and mountainous regions of Northern Europe, Siberia, and North America. It is the only re ...
across 1,500 miles of
tundra In physical geography, a tundra () is a type of biome where tree growth is hindered by frigid temperatures and short growing seasons. There are three regions and associated types of tundra: #Arctic, Arctic, Alpine tundra, Alpine, and #Antarctic ...
and pack-ice to Point Barrow, Alaska, to bring needed food to 265 whalers whose ships had become stranded in the ice off the northern Alaska coast.King, pp 94–108Noble(1979)


Early career

Jarvis was born at
Berlin, Maryland Berlin is a town in Worcester County, Maryland, United States which includes its own historical Berlin Commercial District. The population was 4,485 at the 2010 census, and has since grown in population. It is part of the Salisbury, Maryland ...
, on August 24, 1862. He was appointed as a cadet to the United States Revenue Cutter Service on May 28, 1881.Noble (1990), p 37"Captain David H. Jarvis Inspirational Leadership Award", Programs, United States Coast Guard Office of Leadership On June 18, 1883, he was commissioned as a temporary third lieutenant and his first assignment was aboard , reporting at
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
on July 5, 1883.Record of Movements, p 244Record of Movements, p 246 This assignment lasted a little more than two months as he was transferred from the cutter on September 11 for an undisclosed reason only to be reassigned to ''Hamilton'' again on November 24. While assigned to ''Hamilton'' his temporary rank was changed to permanent third lieutenant on December 26, 1883. During the time Jarvis was assigned to ''Hamilton'', her cruising area was from Great Egg Harbor, New Jersey, to Bodie Island, North Carolina, including
Delaware Bay Delaware Bay is the estuary outlet of the Delaware River on the northeast seaboard of the United States, lying between the states of Delaware and New Jersey. It is approximately in area, the bay's freshwater mixes for many miles with the saltw ...
. Jarvis was transferred from ''Hamilton'' to based out of
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, on June 13, 1885.Record of Movements, p 329 On March 16, 1888 Jarvis received orders that transferred him to the Pacific coast where he spent the balance of his career with the RCS. He reported aboard USRC ''Bear'' based in
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, for the first time on April 3, 1888.Record of Movements, pp 164–165 Aboard ''Bear'', Jarvis made the first of many cruises on the
Bering Sea Patrol The United States Coast Guard is the Coastal defence ship, coastal defense, search and rescue, and Admiralty law, maritime law enforcement branch of the United States Armed Forces and is one of the country's eight Uniformed services of the United St ...
. After his return from the patrol, he was transferred to USRC ''Thomas Corwin'' also based in San Francisco on October 18, 1888. ''Corwin'' spent the winter patrolling waters near San Francisco Bay and was docked for repairs when Jarvis received orders transferring him from ''Corwin'' on March 14, 1889.Record of Movements, pp 193–194 On January 2, 1890 he reported aboard based in San Francisco. While assigned to ''Rush'', Jarvis received orders promoting him to temporary second lieutenant. ''Rush'' left San Francisco bound for the Seal Islands on June 5 and returned from the patrol on October 15 at
Port Townsend, Washington Port Townsend is a city on the Quimper Peninsula in Jefferson County, Washington, United States. The population was 10,148 at the 2020 United States Census. It is the county seat and only incorporated city of Jefferson County. In addition ...
.Record of Movements, pp 284–285 While assigned to ''Bear'' in August 1891, Jarvis helped load reindeer purchased in Siberia onto the decks of the cutter.Strobridge and Noble, p 54 The reindeer were transported to Unalaska in an effort to establish a herd and teach animal husbandry to the Eskimo natives. The experiment station was eventually moved to Teller Reindeer Station with the assistance of personnel from ''Bear''. On 18 January 1896 Jarvis was promoted to first lieutenant.


Overland Relief Expedition

In 1897, eight whaling ships were trapped in an Arctic ice field surrounding Point Barrow, the northernmost point of Alaska. Trapped by ice, the harsh environment, and a dwindling food supply, the whalers had little chance of surviving. On November 29, 1897, the ''Bear'', commanded by Captain Francis Tuttle, sailed from
Port Townsend, Washington Port Townsend is a city on the Quimper Peninsula in Jefferson County, Washington, United States. The population was 10,148 at the 2020 United States Census. It is the county seat and only incorporated city of Jefferson County. In addition ...
.McKinley, "To the Senate and House of Representatives, Messages and Papers of William McKinley", V.2 It was too late in the year for the cutter to push through the ice, so it was decided the party must go overland, enlisting the help of natives, stopping by a reindeer station to purchase a herd of reindeer. The overland trek left from Cape Vancouver, Alaska, on December 16, 1897. The expedition was led by First Lieutenant Jarvis, the
executive officer An executive officer is a person who is principally responsible for leading all or part of an organization, although the exact nature of the role varies depending on the organization. In many militaries and police forces, an executive officer ...
of the ''Bear''; the second-in-command was Second Lieutenant Ellsworth P. Bertholf. They were accompanied by Dr. Samuel J. Call, the
ship's surgeon A naval surgeon, or less commonly ship's doctor, is the person responsible for the health of the ship's company aboard a warship. The term appears often in reference to Royal Navy's medical personnel during the Age of Sail. Ancient uses Special ...
of the ''Bear'', and for part of the way by reindeer handlers Frederick Koltchoff and Alexis Kalenin.Taliaferro, pp 210–211King, p 94Kroll, p 40 They were also assisted by William Thomas Lopp, the superintendent of the Teller Reindeer Station, and Charlie Antisarlook, a native reindeer herder.Taliaferro, p 216 The distance to Point Barrow overland from Cape Vancouver was roughly 1,500 miles.King, p 96 The rescue party traveled and carried the provisions using dog sleds, sleds pulled by reindeer, snowshoes, and skis. Because of a lack of trained dogs, Jarvis instructed Bertholf to continue searching the
Inuit Inuit (singular: Inuk) are a group of culturally and historically similar Indigenous peoples traditionally inhabiting the Arctic and Subarctic regions of North America and Russia, including Greenland, Labrador, Quebec, Nunavut, the Northwe ...
villages for sled teams while he and Call went ahead to Cape Prince of Wales, where there were large numbers of domesticated reindeer. Bertholf caught up with Jarvis and Call and helped re-provision the relief mission.Kroll, pp. 43-45. The group reached Point Barrow on March 29, 1898, having walked most of the distance and endured temperatures as low as −45 degrees Fahrenheit.King, p 102 Jarvis assumed command in accordance with orders from the
Secretary of the Treasury The United States secretary of the treasury is the head of the United States Department of the Treasury, and is the chief financial officer of the federal government of the United States. The secretary of the treasury serves as the principal a ...
. The expedition brought 382 reindeer to the whalers, having lost only 66. On July 28, 1898, the ''Bear'' reached Point Barrow and the expedition officers could rejoin their ship. In spring 1899 Jarvis was promoted to command of the ''Bear'' and returned north to pay the Inuit for the reindeer.Taliaferro, p 348


Recognition

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William McKinley William McKinley (January 29, 1843September 14, 1901) was the 25th president of the United States, serving from 1897 until Assassination of William McKinley, his assassination in 1901. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Repub ...
recognized the achievements of the rescue in a letter dated January 17, 1899 to the
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, in which he requested of Congress "That gold medals of honor of appropriate design, to be approved by the Secretary of the Treasury, be awarded to Lieutenants Jarvis and Bertholf and Dr. Call, commemorative of their heroic struggles in aid of suffering fellow-men." In recognition of their work, Jarvis, Bertholf and Call were awarded
Congressional Gold Medal The Congressional Gold Medal is the oldest and highest civilian award in the United States, alongside the Presidential Medal of Freedom. It is bestowed by vote of the United States Congress, signed into law by the president. The Gold Medal exp ...
s for "heroic service rendered" in legislation passed on June 28, 1902.Evans, p 139 The enabling statute reads as follows:


Later career and death

Three years later, Jarvis stood by his post as a special government agent at
Nome, Alaska Nome (; , , also ''Sitŋazuaq'', ''Siqnazuaq'') is a city in the Nome Census Area, Alaska, Nome Census Area in the Unorganized Borough, Alaska, Unorganized Borough of the US state of Alaska. The city is located on the southern Seward Peninsula c ...
during a
smallpox Smallpox was an infectious disease caused by Variola virus (often called Smallpox virus), which belongs to the genus '' Orthopoxvirus''. The last naturally occurring case was diagnosed in October 1977, and the World Health Organization (W ...
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. In February 1902, he was named collector of
customs Customs is an authority or Government agency, agency in a country responsible for collecting tariffs and for controlling International trade, the flow of goods, including animals, transports, personal effects, and hazardous items, into and out ...
for the
District of Alaska The District of Alaska was the federal government’s designation for Alaska from May 17, 1884, to August 24, 1912, when it became the Territory of Alaska. Previously (1867–1884) it had been known as the Department of Alaska, a military des ...
by President
Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. (October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), also known as Teddy or T.R., was the 26th president of the United States, serving from 1901 to 1909. Roosevelt previously was involved in New York (state), New York politics, incl ...
. March 29, 1905, Jarvis was promoted to captain but resigned three months later from the Revenue Cutter Service on June 30 to become manager of a
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salmon cannery. He also oversaw the development of the Alaska
copper Copper is a chemical element; it has symbol Cu (from Latin ) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pinkish-orang ...
districts and the building of a
railroad Rail transport (also known as train transport) is a means of transport using wheeled vehicles running in railway track, tracks, which usually consist of two parallel steel railway track, rails. Rail transport is one of the two primary means of ...
by a
syndicate A syndicate is a self-organizing group of individuals, companies, corporations or entities formed to transact some specific business, to pursue or promote a shared interest. Etymology The word ''syndicate'' comes from the French word ''syndic ...
consisting of the Guggenheim family and
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.Taliaferro, p 349 President Roosevelt, who had recommended Jarvis for the position with the syndicate, twice offered him the governorship of Alaska. Jarvis was a close friend and adviser of Judge James Wickersham, who wrote of him in 1901, "I am very fond of Capt. Jarvis; he is a loveable, honest and competent man—I think those three words cover about all that is necessary in a man." When Wickersham ran for delegate to Congress in 1908 on an anti-Guggenheim platform, he broke with Jarvis and accused him of
corruption Corruption is a form of dishonesty or a criminal offense that is undertaken by a person or an organization that is entrusted in a position of authority to acquire illicit benefits or abuse power for one's gain. Corruption may involve activities ...
,
bribery Bribery is the corrupt solicitation, payment, or Offer and acceptance, acceptance of a private favor (a bribe) in exchange for official action. The purpose of a bribe is to influence the actions of the recipient, a person in charge of an official ...
and other crimes. Jarvis resigned from various offices connected with the syndicate. Jarvis committed
suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Risk factors for suicide include mental disorders, physical disorders, and substance abuse. Some suicides are impulsive acts driven by stress (such as from financial or ac ...
on June 23, 1911, shooting himself in his room at the Seattle Athletic Club, one day after Wickersham demanded a new investigation of him for allegedly defrauding the government on
coal Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as rock strata called coal seams. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other Chemical element, elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen. Coal i ...
contracts. Jarvis's suicide note read, "Tired and worn out." Wickersham, accused by his critics of responsibility for Jarvis's death, commented in his diary, "Poor Jarvis. Until he became the employee of the Guggenheim bunch of Jew thieves he was a man of honor and courage." Captain Ellsworth Bertholf commented, "I lived with him in the same tent, was his comrade in times of hardship and danger... Not many people really knew him, for he was a silent man."


Legacy

*, a ''Hamilton''-class United States Coast Guard cutter, commissioned on
Coast Guard Day Coast Guard Day is held every August 4 to commemorate the founding of the United States Coast Guard as the Revenue-Marine on August 4, 1790, by then-Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton. On that date, U.S. Congress, guided by Hamilton, au ...
, August 4, 1972 was named for Captain Jarvis. ''Jarvis'' was decommissioned October 2, 2012 and transferred to the
Bangladesh Navy The Bangladesh Navy () is the naval warfare branch of the Bangladesh Armed Forces, responsible for the defence of Bangladesh's of maritime territorial area from any external threat, the security of sea ports and exclusive economic zones of Ban ...
May 23, 2013."Jarvis, 1971", 378-foot Hamilton Class High Endurance Cutter (WHEC), U.S. Coast Guard Historian's Office * The U.S. Coast Guard's "Captain David H. Jarvis Inspirational Leadership Award" is presented annually and recognizes an officer that consistently demonstrates outstanding leadership skills which motivate and inspire personnel to strive for excellence.Patrick, "Capt. David H. Jarvis: Undertaking A Daring Rescue At The Top Of The World", Military.com * Mount Jarvis, a
shield volcano A shield volcano is a type of volcano named for its low profile, resembling a shield lying on the ground. It is formed by the eruption of highly fluid (low viscosity) lava, which travels farther and forms thinner flows than the more viscous lava ...
in the
Wrangell Mountains The Wrangell Mountains are a high mountain range of eastern Alaska in the United States. Much of the range is included in Wrangell-Saint Elias National Park and Preserve. The Wrangell Mountains are almost entirely volcanic in origin, and they i ...
of eastern Alaska, was named for him in 1903 by F. C. Schrader of the
United States Geological Survey The United States Geological Survey (USGS), founded as the Geological Survey, is an agency of the U.S. Department of the Interior whose work spans the disciplines of biology, geography, geology, and hydrology. The agency was founded on Mar ...
. * Jarvis's Congressional Gold Medal is now part of the collection of the U.S. Coast Guard Museum.


Personal life

Jarvis married Ethel Taber on April 2, 1896. They had three children: Anna (born during the Overland Relief Expedition), David H., and William.


Notes

;Footnotes ;Citations ;Bibliography ;Websites used * * * * * * * ;Publications used: * * * * * * * * * * * *


Further reading

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Jarvis, David H. 1862 births 1911 deaths 20th-century American businesspeople 20th-century United States government officials American transportation businesspeople Congressional Gold Medal recipients People from Berlin, Maryland Suicides by firearm in Washington (state) United States Revenue Cutter Service officers 1911 suicides 19th-century American businesspeople