The age-herald., 1898-04-08
FIGHTING BOB EVANS
 UNITED STATES NAVY
From the Philadelphia Times.

His is a striking personality. His whole being breatheS force, but he is not what women would call handsome man. His countenance is fierce. In fact, upon the occasion of a public dinner, Gen. Nelson A. Miles, now chief in command of Uncle Sam's soldiers, after the handsome ap- pearance of army officers had been com mented upon, said in the course of a speech: "The two ugliest men in the United States service are it's two most courageous men, Capt. William Wallace, of the army, and Capt. Robley D. Evans, of the navy"
 Wallace was known among his comrades as Ugly" Wallace. He was killed while bravely battling at the famous Sioux In dian fight at Wounded Knee.
 Fighting Bob" has a halt in his walk. The lower part of his left leg Is badly twisted, the result of wounded knee re- ceived during the storming of Fort Fisher. He was then midshlpman who had been graduated from the naval academy one year ahead of his time. When the sailors and marines had been landed, a storming party of about one hundred men was told off and volunteers asked for to lead 1t. Four stepped forward Among them was Evans. They tossed a coin for the perilous honor. Evans won.
 He was the first to mount the scaling ladder but when he reached the parapet a shot struck him in one knee and he fell inside the rebel works, a bleeding cap- tive The next day Fort Fisher fell and the young middy was recaptured. He was subsequently, placed on the retired list, but pleading for active service joint reso- lution was passed by both houses of congress restoring him to the active list and exempting him forever from physical examination as to disability. He is the only officer in the navy who has been thus honored.
 An Inquiry was once addressed to Capt. Evans as to how he gained the sobriquet of Fighting Bob." His reply was mod estly given.
 q do not like the subject" he said. "I never courted that kind of distinction in the service. I am simply a captain in the navy. I am no more of a fighter and 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 universal quality among Americans. Cowardice among Americans, either af1oat or ashore, is so rare that 1t is not worth considering. If the captain of battleship with 300 men on board or the colonel of a regiment of 1000 American regulars goes into action, he does not mako a discount of one-hundredth part of 1 per cent. for backing or skulking on the part of his men.
 "One of the best illustrations of this characteristic of Americans was the be- havior of the Yorktowns crew under my command in Valparaiso harbor. A very bad and hostile feeling prevailed against America at that time. The Yorktown be- came the asylum of certain political ref ugees. The government on top demanded the surrender of these people, refused to give them up. The commanding officer at Valparaiso of the Chilean forces requested the admiral commanding one of the Euro pean squadrons on that station to say to me that unless these refugees were sur rendered they would follow my ship to sea with three cruisers, each larger than my own, and an ironclad nearly four times her size, and as soon as we got outside the marine league they would heave me to and demand the surrender o. the fugitives.
 'T asked the admiral to excuse me for a moment, and went to see those who had placed themselves in my care. said to them that I had promised them an aslyum and to convey them in safety to Callao. Peru, and meant to live up to that prom ise. I then told them that the Chilean fleet might attack. me, and in that event I would doubtless be overpowered. But continued, the asylum that I have guar anteed you shall be good until my ship is under water. If you are satisfied with that kind of an asylum, you are welcome to It.
 'They all assented, and then returned to the admiral and stated that would not surrender the men, He hen@informed me that would be followed, and he remarked that if the three big Chilean ships attacked me my little Yorktown would not last thr- ty minutes In reply requested the ad-i miral to say to the officer commanding the Chilean squadron that while my little ship might not last more than thirty minutes, she would make a h--l of lot of trouble while she is afioat.' do not know whether or not the European admiral gave this mes sage in these words, but do know that I steamed out of Valparaiso Bay the next day about noon, with all my refugees on board, and that no ship of the Chilean squadron followed me-"
 That's the kind of men that make up the American navy.
 And If Spain
 Oh, well, that Is not worth talking about: the mosquito season has not begun.