The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-04-12
BOB EVANS"
How He Gained His SobrIquet-Honored
~oypcOngress-


How He Gained His sobriquet-Honored
b~yaCongress.
CPhilakelphia Tlmes.r
Another one OF Uncle Sans naval
Yesterday we were talking abou. Com
modore Schley.
Yesterday we read tina Captain Robiey
D. Evans C.Ffghting Bob"D had reached
Iowa. a hattleship like the dismemoered
Name.
The last time we heard OF Captain
Evans hereabouts he had become a Ia
miliar figure in Philadelphia He had
been assigned TO the command OF the
battleship Indiana. which was then lying
at Cramps ~shipyard. and during the
period when that great vessel OF war was
being given It's finishing touches he spent
every day-except Sunday. OF course
from . a n. TO ) p. m experimenting
on tie banks OF the Delaware the COM
ple:ICn OF that formidable foe TO those
who do not approve Of American meth
DDS.
His IS q shrinking personality. His
whole being breathes force. but he Is not
what women would call a handsome
man. His countenance is fierce. In fact.
upon the occasion OF a public dinner.
General Nelson A. Miles. now chief In
command OF Uncle Sans soldiers. after
the handsome appearance OF army oHi-
80 AaN SSNAA 1fSH @h%1s 49,
the course OF a speech: The two ugliest
men in the United States service are its
TWO most courageous men-Captain VIII
liam Wallace. OF the army. and Captain
was known among his comrades as
Ugly Wallace. He was killed while
bravely battling at the famous Sioux
indian fght at Wounded Knee.
Fighting Bob" has a halt In his walk.
The lower part or his left leg Is badly
twisted backward. the result OF a wound
ed knee received during the storming OF
Fort Fisher. He was then a midship-
man. 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
100 men was told OF and volunteers ask
ward. Among them was Evans. They
tossed a coin for the perilous honor.
Evans won.
He was the first 10 mount the scaling
ladder, but when he reached the para
pet, a shot struck him in one knee. and
he fell inside the confederate works. a
bleeding captive. The next day Fort
Fisher fell. and the young MILDLY was re-
captured. He was subsequently placed on
the retired list. but pleading for active
service. a joint resolution was passed
by both houses Of congress restoring him
to the active list and eXempting him
forever from physical examination as 10
disability. He is the only officer in the
navy who has been thus honored.
An inquiry was once addressed to Cap
tain Evans as 20 how he gained the So
briQuet of Fighting Bob" His reply
was modestly given.
II do not like the subject" he said.
II never courted that kind of distinc-
ton in the service. l am simply a cap
tain in the navy. / 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
it is his duty to do so. Courage is a
49, ;-area1 r,,a1i+1v or,nnnp A M riRanS Cow
ardice among Americans. either afioat or
ashore, is so rare that II is not worth
considering. If the captain OF a battle
ship with 500 men on board. or the colo
mel of a regiment of 1000 American regu-
lars goes into action, he does not make
a discount of o~ne-hundredth part of / per
cent, for backing or skulking on the part
of his men.
zone of the best illustrations Of this
characteristic of Americans was the be-
havior of the Yorktown's crew under my
command in Valparaiso harbor. A very
bad and hostile feeling prevailed against
became the asylum of certain political
refugees. The government on top de-
handed the surrender of these people.
I refused to give them up. The COM
handing officer at Valparaiso Of the
CHILEAN forces requested the admiral COM
handing one Of the European squadrons
on that station to say to me that unless
these refugees were surrendered they
"oNAd S4Ao 49, AAtP NHA~>
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 de-
mand the surrender Of the fugitives.
Il 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 asylum and to convey them in safety
to Callao, Peru, and / meant to live up
to hat promise. / then told them what
1 had heard. I told them that the Chill
can fleet Nigh attack me, and in that
event I would doubtless be overpowered.
But I continued, the asylum that /
have guaranteed you shall be good until
isfied with that kind Of asylum, you are
welcome to it,
"They all assented, and I then re-
turned to the admiral and stated that
I would not surrender the men. He then
informed me hat / would be followed,
and he remarked that If the three big
Chilean ships attacked me, my little
In reply. I requested the admiral to say
to the officer commanding the Chilean
squadron that while my little ship might
not last more than thirty minues, she
will make a HI of a lot of trouble while
she Is afioat.' I do not know whether or
not the European admiral gave this
in these words, but I do know
mex day about noon with all my refu-
gees on board, and that no ship of the
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 be-