New-York tribune., 1901-03-31
:. FIGHTING BOB'S" LEGS.
HOW HE SAVED THEM AFTER BEING
WOUNDED AT FORT FISHER.

Captain Robley u. Evans, in The Philadelphia
Post.
AS we approached the remains OF the stock
ade l was aware that particular sharp
shooter was shooting at me. and when we were
hundred yards away he hit me in the ieii leg
about three inches below the knee ne iOICC
of the blow was great that | landed on my
face in the sand. got silk handkerchief out
of my pocket and with the kind assistance OF
nv classmate. Hohan Sands soon stopped the
blood. and again went TO the front as fast as
could.
About this time the men were stumbling over
wires which they cut with their kniNes-they
proved to be wires to the torpedoes over WhIch
we had charged. but they failed I" explode. MY
left leg seemed asleep, but was able % use IL.
The Stockade, what remained OF H. was very
near and | determined to lead my company by
the flank through "A break IN IL ana theH IhiLE
over the angle of the fort. which no" looked
very difficult to climb. managed 10 get through
the stockade with seven others when my shaFp-
shooter friend sent Il bullet through my riSht
knee and | realized that my chance oi Sol:lS
was settled | tried to stand up. but ii was no
use: my legs would not hold mo. and. besides
this. l was bleeding Greadfuly, and l knew that
a matter which had To lac looked 10 i
heard some one say, They are retrratlnS, ana,
looking back, saw our men breaking from the
rear of the columns and retreatng. All the
officers in their anxiety To he the first INTO the
fort had advanced To the heads OF the Columns
leaving no to steady the men in behind; ana
it in this way W were defeated by tilc
men breaking from the rear TWO minutes more
and we should have been on the paraptt. and
then--nobndy can even guess what would nave
happened but surely a dreadful loss of life. AS
I tn. men retr-ated down the beach they Were
gathered UP and PUT into the trenches t. oppose
! Irag.- and nc re served until after the fort
captured. OF the eight ot us who went inside
the. stoclade, all shot down; one, the c-lor
/ bearer of my company was half way up the
| parapet when ne received his death wound.
When ! received the wound IN ny rEnt Knee
+ began at once t. try to stop tho EoW Of blood.
used for the purp'se one "i the Aali d3Z'rl 5 IN
! ha andkerchiefS with which had PROVIDED my .
self hut | was 50 tired and weak from loss r
/ blood that | was some time doing tn lrICk In
1 the Iaean time my shIrpShooter friend, about
| thirty-fve yards away. continued to shoot at
me- at the same time addressing me IN very
/ r,rciI,Ie b,It unrunplif,entary language. At
! the fifth shot, / think it was. he hit me again.
! takinf; off the end OF one of my toes. tearing
off the sole Of my shoe and wrenching my ankIe
/ dreadfultv | thought the bullet had gone
I through my ankle the pain was So intense.
For some reason. ! don't know why. this shot
made me unreasunably angry. and. rolling over
in the sand SO as to face my antagonist, ad-
dressed a few br.ef remarks 10 him; and then,
Just as some handed him freshly loaded
musket. fired aiming AZ MS breast knew
all the time that should Kill him il l shot al
him but had not intended 70 90 so until he shot
] me in the toe. My bullet went little high
I striking tn, poor chap II the throat ana pass
ing out AT the back of his neck He stagseI cd
around after dropping ms gun ana h'iH!
| pitched over the parapet and rolled down near
/ me where ne lay dead. could see his feet as
they projected over a pile of sand, and from
their position knew that he had fought his last
fight Near me was lying the coXswain of my
| hoat. Campbell by name. who had a canister
ball through his lungs and was evidently Diced
ing to death He said: Mr.. Evans. let iii,
crawl over and give that -- - another siiIt
He was dead almost before could tell him that
the poor fellow did not require any further al
tenton from us.
one of the marines from the Powhatan :
spIcnGid fellow named WaSmOuth. came through
the stockade. gathered under one arm, art
after carrying me about fifty yards dropped rl'
into pit made by a large shell Here | wa:
entirely protected from the fire of the enemy
and several times called tn him To take cover
but he said each time: The bullet mas no
been made that will kill me" | was very
drowsy. and almost asleep. when | heard th
peculiar thug of a bullet and, looking up, foun'
POOR Wasmouth with his hand to his nech
turning around and around. and the blood squirt
ins out in a steady stream. The bullet ha'
. ! gone through his neck, cutting the jugular. an
in n few minutes he dropped in the edge OF TN
: surf and bled to death. He certainly was al
honor to his uniform.
. After Wasmouth was killed soon fell asleeI
and when | awOke it some time before
could recall my surroundings. The tide ma
A come in, and the hole in which was lying wa
nearly full of water. which had about coVere