The record-union., 1898-06-05
MRS. FIGHTING Bob EVANS
THE WHOLE FAMILY IN UNCLE
SANS SERVICE
Something Of the Family Of Cap
tain Robley D. Evans Of u
the Iowa. -

It is not in accordance with the rules
of etiquette to prefix mans title in
addressing his wife, but the wife Of the
battleship Iowa's Captain surely de-
serves to be known as Mrs. Fighting
Bob" Evans. An exception must be
made in her case. All the members of
her family are in Uncle Sans service.
including her husband, her only son, her
two brothers and her son-in-law, while
her two daughters and her niece are
studying to be nurses, with view of
going to the front.
| If there is a woman in all the coun-
| try who is prouder of her husband than
Mrs Robley D. Evans is Of Fighting
Bob" her pride must indeed be abnor-
NAL Many woman has just cause
to feel a pride in the achievements Of
the man whose name she bears, wheth-
er he be the commander Of a big battle
ship or the most insignificant of civil
ians. A man may not be hero in the
eyes of his valet, but most men are
heroes in the eyes of their wives.
But Mrs. Evans doesn't stop with her
gallant husband when she sums up the
heroes of her family. OF course, he
comes first but there are others. Prob
ably no woman in the United States is
so plentifully supplied with warlike rel
atives. And she glories in them all.
Here is Mrs. Evans list:
| Her husband, Captain Robley D.
Evans, is in command Of the Iowa. Her
brother, Harry Taylor, is in command
Iof the Indiana. Her son, Frank Tay-
lOr Evans, is midshipman on the Mas
sachusetts. Her son-in-law. Charles
c. Marsh, is Flag Secretary to Admiral
Sampson on the New York. Another
of her brothers, D. Morgan Taylor, is
Captain Of Ordnance in the United
States army. And to cap the climax,
her two daughters, Mrs. Charles G.
Marsh and Miss Virginia Evans, and
her niece, Miss Taylor, are being trained
as nurses, with the object Of going to
the front and serving their country
under the banner of the Red Cross So
ciety.
| Frank Taylor deceased brother Of
Mrs Evans, was a Captain Of artil
lery. Captain D. Morgan Taylor and
his brother, Captain Harry Taylor, one
representing the army and the other
the navy, are both members Of the So
ciety of the Cincinnati, and it is Curl
Gus fact that the credentials Of one
brother are based upon the paternal
1 side, while those OF the other are based
upon the maternal side. That is evil
dence Of pretty good fightingstock
isn't it?
A MILITARY SOCIAL LEADER.
| The Evanses rarely occupy their
Washington home, preferring to live in
the cottage built by Captain Evans
about ten years ago on the Government
reservation just outside the sea front
at Fortress Monroe. Here Mrs. Evans,
who is a woman of culture and the
mistress of many accomplishments, not
the least Of which is playing hostess
with charming grace, fs 1.-THE central
| figure in the military-social life Of the
place. S$
When you come to think of it, it is
no wonder that Mrs. Evans is proud of
her family. When her son entered the
navy, before his time, she said, "Goc
speed you! May you be as brave
sailor as your father!" And when her
daughters expressed .addetermination
to become nurses she demonstrated
| little bit, but away down in her heart
she rejoiced in their spirit.
| Mrs Evans was born and raised in
Washington, in an atmosphere which
fostered her innate patriotism. The
Taylors were we'll known in all the
heterogeneous circles which go to make
up what is known as Washington So
ciety. Her father for years was the
proprietor of book store on Penn
sylvania avenue, and numbered among
his friends and acQuaintances the
brightest minds Of the nations Capital
He was a scholarly man, a lover of
books and a keen student of human
nature.
| Old Mr. Taylor was an intense Union
man. AS a matter of fact, he pur-
chased the first $1OO bond issued by the
Government in connection with the
Civil War, standing in front Of the
Treasury building all night long that
he might enter first when the doors
were open. This bond, appropriately
framed, is now among the dearest pos
sessions of Mrs Evans and occupies
place Of honor on the walls Of the
cottage at Fortress Monroe.
THEY WE'RE sCHOOLBOYS TO-
GETHER.
Harry Taylor and Bob" Evans were
boys together in Washington forty-five
or fifty years ago. They went to school
together They were inseparable until
the age was reached when boys begin
to take notice of the fair sex, and then
Bob" began to cast sleeps eyes at
Harry's pretty sister. It is a practice
which he has never outgrown. He does
it yet.
| The boys were both appointed to the
Naval Academy at the same time, Sep
tember, 1860 Then the Civil War
broke out. Both were eager to fight.
They chafed under the enforced re-
straint Their studies were neglected.
When they should have been fast
asleep they were whispering to each
other what they would do IL they only
had the chance.
| And the chance finally came. At
the end Of three years both left the
academy before having been graduated
and were ordered to duty with the
squadrons operating along the South
ern Coast and their dreams were at
last realized. Both saw service, and
both profited by that experience.
| Among other fights, Evans figured in
both attacks on Fort Fisher. In the
last battle he received two severe
wounds, and was relegated to the hos
pital. The surgeons examined his leg.
"It will have to be amputated," they
said.
HOW HE SAVED HIS LEG.
| That didn't suit young Evans. He
concluded that he still had some use
for that leg, and determined to assert
his proprietary rights. Through some
means or other he secured a big navy
pistol and when the surgeons came