The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1901-05-11
LEGS OF fighting BOB
HOW HE SAVED THEM AFTER BE-
ING WOUNDED AT FORT
.t"- FISHER
sHARpsHooTER AFTER HIM

Bullet Hit Him below the Knee,
Which Caused Him to Stumble
One of the Marines
Killed
Capt. Robley D. Evans, in the Philadel-
pllia Post
AS we approached the remains Of the
stoekade i was aware that one particu-
lar Sharpshooter was shooting at me,
and when we were 100 yards away he
hit me in the left leg about three inches
below the knee. The force Of the blow
was so great that 1 landed on my face
in the sand. l goot silk handkerchief
out of my pocket, and with the kind as
sistance of my classmate, Hoban Sands,
soon stopped the blood, and again went
to the front as fast as I could.
About this time the men were stumb-
ling over wires which they cut with their
knives-thcy proved to be wires to the
torpedoes over which we had charged,
but they failed to explode. My left leg
seemed asleep, but 1 was able to use it..
The stockade, or what remained Of it.,
was very near and / determined to lead
my company by the flank through a
break in it, and then charge over the
angle OF the fort, which now looked very
difficult to climb l managed to get
through the stockade with seven others,
when my sharpshooter friend sent bull
lct through my right knee, and 1 real
ized that my chance of going was set
tied tried to stand up, but 1t was no
use; my legs would not hold me, and, be-
sides this I was bleeding dreadfully,
and 1 knew that was a matter which
had to be looked to. I heard some one
say, They are retreatfng!" and, look
ing back, saw our men breaking from
the rear, Of the columns and retreating.
All the officers, in their anxiety to be
first into the fort had advanced to the
heads OF the columns, leaving no one to
steady the men in behind; and it was in
this way we were defeated, by the men
breaking from the rear. Two minutes
more and we should have been on the
parapet. and then-nobody can guess
what would have happened, but surely
a dreadful loss of life. AS the men re-
treated down the beach they were gath
cred Up and put into the trenches to OPP
pose Bragg, and these served until after
the fort was captured OF the eight of
us who went inside the stockade all
were shot down; one, the colorbearer of
my company, was half way up the par
apet when he received his death wound.
When 1 received the wound in my
flow OF blood. I used for the purpose
one OF the half-dozen silk handkerchiefs
with which ] had provided myself, but
was so tired and weak from loss of
blood that I was some time in doing the
trick. In the meantime my sharpshoot-
er friend, about thirty-five yards away
continued to shoot at me, at the same
time addressing me in very forcible but
uncomplimentary language. At the fifth
shot. I think it was, he hit me again,
tearing off the end of one of my toes,
tearing Off the sole Of my shoe and
.wrenching my ankle dreadfully. /
thought the bullet had gone through my
ankle the pain WAS so ietense. For some
reason, don't know why, this shot made
me unreasonably angry, and rolling
over in the sand so as to face my antag
lonist. l addressed few brief remarks
to him; and then, just as some one hand
cd him freshly loaded musket, I fired
aiming at his breast. knew all the time
that should kill him if I shot at him,
but had not intended to do so until he
shot me in the toe. MY bullet went a
little high, striking the poor chap in the
throat and passing out at the back of his
neck He staggered around after drop
ping his gun, and finally pitched over the
parapet and rolled down near me, where
he lay dead. l 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 lay the coxswain
of my boat, Campbell by name who had
u canister ball through his lungs, and
was evidently bleeding to death. He
said: Mr.. Evans, let me crawl over and
give that - - another Shot He
was dead almost before I could tell hin,
that the poor fellow did not require any
further attention from us.
One of the marines from the Powhatan,
splendid fellow named Wasmouth,
came through the stockade, gathered me
under one arm, and after carrying me
about fifty yards dropped me into a pit
made by a large shell. Here I was
entirely protected from. the fire of the
enemy, and several times called to him
to take cover, but he said each time:
The bullet has mot been made that will
kin me-" was very drowsy and almost
slept, when I heard the peculiar thud OF
"a bullet, and looking up, found poor
E'7ts1nouth with his hand to his neck,
turning around and around, and the
blood squirting out in a steady stream.
The bullet had gone through his neck,
cutting the jugular, and in a few minutes
he dropped In the edge OF tine surf and
l6Ief to death He certainly was an
honor to his Hu,fform. &
After WaHmouth was killed soon fell
asleep, and when awoke It was some
slime before could recall my surround
in which I was lying was nearly fun OF
water. which had about covered me and
was trickling into my ears. could see
IA monitor firing, and apparently very
near, and the thought came ito me that
I.could swim off to her If only had q
lEit of plank or drfftwood, but this j
could not get It was plain enough that
should soon lbe drowned like a rat In a
hole unless managed ito get out -some-
how. Dead and wounded men Were ~
ing about in CHASTITY piles, but mo one
ito lend me q helping hand. By this time
I could not use my legs In any way, and
when I dug my hands Unto the sides of
my prison and tried to pull myself out
1.-THE sand gave way and left me still "
STRONG effort and aMaSed myself sideways
out OF dhe hole. when get out saw
4, marine short distance away. nicely
covered by a pile OF sand and firing
very deliberately at the fort. i called
10 pull me iRbehind his pile of sand. but
ne deelinea on the ground that the enc
nays nre vas too sharp for him to ex-
pose himseE. persuaded him with my
1eyodver to change his mind. and in two
seconds he had me in place OF safety
that as to sag. safe by a small margin,
for when he fired the enemy's bullets
would snip the sand within a few hnches
ofsonr heads.
II the marine had known that my re-
volver was soaking wet and culld Snot
possibly be fired, suppose / should have
Deen buried the. next morning, as snany
other poor fellows were AS soon as -
could reach some cartridges from DEAD
!. saJler lying near me j loaded my re-
sfyo}yer, thinking 1t might be useful be-
fore the job was finished.
b About $50 o'clock that night Capt.
Breess, who ooulman ded the briSace.