Evans was born in New Jersey, date and place of birth are unknown. Evans was first appointed as a midshipman, 11 May 1798. he later advanced to the rank of lieutenant, on 25 November 1799 and to master commandant (commander)on 24 April 1806, he attained the rank of captain on 4 July 1812. While a midshipman, he served on the . While serving on the "Ganges" he sailed from Philadelphia 24 May 1798, under the command of Captain Richard Dale, and cruised on the Atlantic coast in the early part of the Quasi-War with France (1798-1800). Evans in 1799 was ordered to the , which was attached to the squadron of Commodore Thomas Tingey on the Guadaloupe Station. In 1801 he again served with the USS "George Washington" 2 June 1801 informed that he was one of the Lieutenants selected to be retained in the Navy under the Military Peace Establishment Act of 3 March 1801, where he took part in naval actions against the Barbary pirates, the "George Washington" carried tribute to Algiers in the summer of 1801, and remained in the Mediterranean on convoy duty for several months during the first part of the War with Tripoli (1801-1805), sailing for home early in 1802. On 27 August 1802 Evans was ordered to Washington DC and on 6 September 1802 to the . In September 1802 Evans again sailed for the Mediterranean aboard the USS "John Adams" under the command of Captain John Rodgers.