Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1898-04-02
FIGHTING BOB EVANS.
ca1egargec in Philadelphia Times

GMegargec in Philadelphia Times.)
Another one of Uncle Sans naval
crack a jacks.
Yesterday we were talking about
Commodore SGh1ey.
YeSt erday we read :l,ut Captain ROB
ley ID. Ev>anS-''1'i glltiqlg Isub"-hii
reelched Key West and was in charge
| Of the Iowa. n baiitleshp like the dis
membered Main. The last time we
heard Of Captain Evans heree,buuts.
he had become IL familiar figure i'm
Phiii delphia. He had been assigned to
the bautleship Indiana, whfci, was then
lying at Cramps Sllipyard. ami during
the period when that great vessel of
war was hcing given its finishing touch
es The spent every day-cXccpt Sunday,
! OF course--from 3 y. NJ. TO 3 T.. NJ. SUI
pelnte,nding on the banks of the Del
| a ware G'he completion of that formidable
foe TO those Who do nUf approve OF
| American methods. He is Il striking
personality. His whole being brttlthes
force, hut he is not what women would
cu,gl Il handsome man. lies countc-
nance is fierce. In fact, upon the oc-
casion OF i public dinner, General Mel
son n. Miles. now chief in command
u: Uncle Sans soldiers, after the
Handsome appearance of army officers
had been in some way commented upon.
| sSitM, in the course of his speech: The
two uglio:f men in the United States
service are it's Two most courageous
men. Captain William Wallace, of the
army. and Captain Itobley ID. Evaiss,
OF The navy" Wallace was known
|amCny his coml!aIes as Ugly" Wallace.
He Was Killed white bravcly battling
al the famous Sioux Indian fight ut
| NYounieN Knee.
''F:gt;ins Bob has a halt IN his
walk The lower part OF his left leg
is badly twisted backward. the result
Of Il wounded knee received during the
.stprming OF INprt Fisher. He was then
In miJlhipn,an who mad been graduated
from the NAVAL Academy cne year
and marines mad been landed. Il storm
ing party Of about one hundred men
was IOIu of and volunteers asked for
To lead it. -Four stepped forward
Among them WAS Evans They tossed
Il coin for the pei.il1us homer. Evans
Scaling ladder, but when he reached
the 1aral>-.t a Shot struck him on the
knee and he fen Inside the rebel works.
a bleeding captive. The next day Fort
FISHER. fell and ehe young muddy was
rcc.lpturud He was subsequently,
|placed on the retired list. but pleading
| for active service 4 join; resolution was
,satssed by both houses of Congress re-
storing him 10 the active list and cX-
e,npting him forever from physicai eN-
animation as to disability. lie rs tine
onIy officer in the navy who has been
thus hinored.
An inquiry was once addressed 10
I,apllaGn ITvrlns AVS to how he gained
,,tht eobr.quet OF Fighting Bob. Ills
lcply was mudcstly given. II do not
lskc THE subject, ne sud. ne.s
court.h tina, kind of distinction in the
service l am simply Il captain in the
navy. avn no more of a fighter ana
no more, ENTITLED to that title ihan amy
other officer. Every man in the ljhlten
states navy Will fight when 1t is ms
~ IN &c q Nt-rs
courage among Americans. Cowarulce
,alnunG Americans, either atioat or
ashore Is; i:o rare that 1t Is not worth
cctns:d eril,g. If the cap; ain OF q oat-
,s!esliiip With 500 men on D0aTd, OF cne
cC.lIpnel of n regiment of 1000 American
repuanl;s goes into action. he does not
make a Discount of one-Iundredah pspI f.
If one Der cent. for backing or Skll!klilS
on the purt Of his men. one ol 'ic
BEST bitus tiu tiOns OF thls chsractet ls i y
of Americans was the behavior on plle
Yyrlllpwnis crew under my cnnnlaliI
in VALPARAISO ha rbor. y very tad ana
h,,ss;ine feeling prevIfied against Amer :
NJ, v,t that time lNhe Yorktown became
re ASYLUM of certain po!ltiS7pl isdu
cces The government on top deiElhu-
"a ;,hc surrender Of these people.
f.sad 10 give them up. The command
~, ntfi,-ar at Valparaiso of the Cn!Ilin
forces requested the admiral conins.iha
.u.r one of the European spu.ulfohS On
rnat station to say 10 me p!lat " i,s
,.lS4:e refugees We're snrtehhcie" uiles
would follow my ship 10 sea WIN li..se
cruistI,s. each larger than my own,
and i'm ironvIlad nearly foYr times 4lei
s;Ze. and as soon as Sc gov outs!ae VI
,lr,. marine league they wound he'lSe
me- W prnd demand the surrender Oh taie
fuSltiVeS 60.
II asked rhe admiral 10 excuse ME iof
a ,rpmrnt and l Went 10 see those "hi,'
Rad p.g,cstl themselves in my care. !
said 10 l,hcm Tint | had promised them
an asylum and 10 convey them In safety
10 Cailao, Po;'u, and ineumt 10 ave up
10 That promise. then told them what
had heard told them trat enc LII
ian fleet mil ht attack me, and an thlt
event | would doubtless be oTerpoWercd.
.R,,t.' continued the asylum l nave
guaranteed YOU shall be good until my
ship is under water. If you are salts
fed viii! that kind Of an asylum you
are welcome tn it,.
They ALL alEssented anu ] then re-
turned TO ,llc admiral and STATED that
| would not surrender the men. He
then informed me that l would he fol-
lowed. and he remarked that If the
three big Chilian ships attacked me
my EiiHGe Yorktown woua.l mot last
.h.rty minutes. In reply l requested
The admiral to say to tile officer COM
III mding the CHILEAN squadron that
while my little Ship might NOT last
more than thirty minutes, she would
make q HI of a lot of trouble while
she was afloat. do not know whether
or not the European admiral gave ihis
| message in these words, but l know
that I steamed out OF Valparaiso Buy
the next day about NOON with all my
refugees on board. anu that no snip of
the Ghi.an squadron followed me-"
That's the kind of men that make up
the American navy.
And Spain