"Be it enacted by the Senate and House ofRepresentatives of the United States ofAmerica in Congress assembled, That theSecretary of the Treasury is hereby directedto bestow a gold medal of honor, ofsuch design as he may approve, upon FirstLieutenant David H. Jarvis, Second LieutenantEllsworth P. Bertholf, and DoctorSamuel J. Call, surgeon, all of the Revenue-Cutter Service and members of theoverland expedition of eighteen hundredand ninety-seven and eighteen hundredand ninety-eight for the relief of the whalingfleet in the arctic regions, in recognitionof the heroic service rendered by themin connection with said expedition."

Eight whaling ships failed to return to portby November, 1897. These ships were inthe Arctic. It was presumed that they hadbeen frozen into the ice. A plea for reliefwas sent to President McKinley.

The U.S. Revenue Cutter Bear was dispatched, hopingto reach Nome. Weather and slush ice preventedthe Bear from doing this. They back tracked andlanded at Tununak, opposite Nunivak Island.

Three men volunteered for the overland journey: 1stLt. David H. Jarvis, 2nd Lt. Ellsworth P. Bertholfand Dr. Samuel J. Call. The plan was to take dogteams to the Seward Peninsula, purchase domesticreindeer from herders and drive them to Barrow.

Dick adds: