The evening times., 1895-11-20
''FIGHT|N6 B0B" EVANS
Unique Personality Of the CON-
rnander of the Indiana.
THE HERO OF FORT FISHER
ceived the wonnd That Sttffened
His Knee-Congress Paid Him Ex-
traordinary HOnor-Valiant Defense
of Refugees.

"FightiDg Bob Evans-Capt. Robley
d. Evans on the naval registcr-is "a famil-
lar figure in Washington. lie is now in
command of the battleship Indiana which
went into commission today.
His is n striking personality. His whole
being brcathcs force, hut he is not what
women wou!l call n handsome man. His
couDtenance is fierce.
In fact, upon the occasion of a public
dinner, Gen. Nelson Miles, now general in
command OF Uncle Sans soldiers, a ftcr the
handsome appearance of army Officers had
been in some way commented upon, said,
in the course Of Il speech: The two nglicst
men in the United States service are its
two most courageous men: Capt. William
Wallace or the army, and Capt. Robley d.
Evans Of the navy" Wallace was known
among his comrades as Ugly Wallace.
He was killei while bravely battling at
the famous Sioux Indian fight at Wounded
Knee.
HIS WOUNDED KNEE.
"Fighting Bob has halt in his walk.
The lower part of his left leg is badly
twisted backward, the result of n wounded
knee, received during the sturming Of
Fort Fisher.
He was then miishpman who had been
graduated from the Naval Academy one
year ahead of his time. When the sailors
ana marines bad been landed Storm
ing party of about one hundred men was
told off and volunteers asked for to lead
it. -Four stepped forward.
Among them was Evans. They tossed
coin for the perilous honor. Evans won.
He WAS the first to mount the scaling lad
der, but when he reached the parapet shot
struck him in The knee and he fell inside
the rebel works, "A bleeding captive.
The next day Fort Fisher fell and the
young MILDLY WIS recapiured. He was sub
sequently placed on the retired list, but
pleading for active service Il Joint rcsolu-
ton was passed by both Houses of Con-
gress restoring him to the active list and
eNempting him forever from physical cx-
animation as to disability. He is lie only
officer in the navy who has been thus hon
orcd.
HIS MODEST REPLY.
An inquiry was addressed to Capt. Evans
5 To how he gained the sobriquet of Fight
ing Bob" His reply was modestIy given.
~ do not like the subject he said.
81 never courtcd that kind of distinction
in the service. am simply captain in the
navy. / am no more Of Il fighter ana no
more entitled to that title than any other
officer. Every man in the United States
navy will fight when 1t is his duty to do so.
Courage is a universal quality among
Americans. Cowarlice among Americans,
either afIoat or ashore, is rare that n is
not worth considering. If the captain OF
a battlcship with 500 men on board or the
colonel of "A regiment OF 600 American
regula Rs goes INTO action he does not make
Il discount Of one hundcedth part Of one per
cent for backing or skuking on the part
Of his men. one of the best Illustrations OF
this characteristic Of Americans was the
beiia yiur OF the Yorktowp's crew under my
command, in Valparaiso Harbcr.
"A very bad and hostile feeling prevailed
against America at that time. The York
town became the asylum uf certain political
refugees. The government un top at that
time dIma nICd the surrender of these pcn-
pie. refused to give them up. The cum
manding officer III Valparaiso Of the Chilian
forces requested the admiral commanding
one nf the European squldrnns on that sta
ton t. say Ia me that unless these refugees
were surrendered they would follow my
ship to sea with three cruisers. cdcn larger
than my own, and an iTUnClah nearly four
times her size, and as Soon as We got out
side the marine league they would hedve
me Ia and demand the surrender of the fugi-
tivcS-
CONVEY THEM IN SAFETY,
81 asked the admiral to excuse me for
moment. and went To see those who had
placed themselves In my care. said to them
that had promised them an asylum and I"
convey them in safety tn Calloa, Peru, aud
I meant To live up tu that atprumisc.
II then told them what had heard. I
told them that the Gillian fleet might at
tack me. and in that event would doubt
less be oyCrp"wrrcd. But | continued,
'thc.isyIum that have guara ntcCd To- you
shall be good until my ship is under water.
If you arr satisfied with That kind Of an
asylum you are welcome tu it,
They all assentcd, AMI | then returned
to the admiral and stated that would not
surrender the men. He then Informed me,
as I already stated, that | would be fol-
lowed, and he remarked that if the three
biz Chiian ships attacked me- my little
Yorktown would not last thirty minutes.
In reply | requested the ADMIRAL to say To
the officer commanding the Chiian squad
ron that, while my little ship might Not
last more than thirty minutes, she will
make Z hi of a lot of trouble while she
is aiIoat.' | do not know whether or not
the European admiral! gave this message
in these words, but do know that steam
ed ont of Valparaiso Bay the next day
about noon. with all my refugees un board,
and that no ship of the Gillian squadron
followed me-"
That sort of thing explains the Fight