The Washington herald., 1907-03-24

Robley -, Evans, FLiictiUihs OF NViaA
stock.
Joseph B. Cognlan. American, OF Irish
stock.
Charles Beresford. British. Of irish
birth.
Luigi Amadeo. 8 Prince Of Savoy,
known as the Duke of the Abruzzi. Ital-
ian. but born Ia Spain, when his father
was reigning king Of that country.
All are sailors, each being attached to
the navy of his government The two
Americans and the Briton are admirals.
each having won his rank by valorous
deeds. and in spite OF a tendency to SPEAK
his mind too freely now and then. The
Italian viii become an admiral when
years enough have passed over his head
no doubt He is the youngest Of the four
and never has done any sea fighting, but
he has valor enough, as he has shown
abundantly
The other three are famous sea war
ri0rs In 1852. at Alexandria, Esypt, Ber-
esferd proved himself as brave and skill
fuI a fighter as ever trOd deck. but ne
has seen no sea lighting since the present
era of big ships and long range guns
came IN. More than forty years ago the
Two Americans played sheir parts as
youngsters in the civil war The parts
they PLAYED in the war with Spain, Evans
at Santiago and Coghlan at Manila, made
them world figures.
Evans Is sixty-one. His sObriquet OF
Fighting Bob had ceased TO interest
him even before the war with Spain yet
he was intensely amused in 1898 by a
variant thereof which he heard from
jewelers. clerk on Broadway, Just after
being appointed TO the Iowa.
The jeweler did not know the sailor,
but the talk turned TO the sea, and the
clerk said he had son in the navy
He's on the Iowa" said he, and he's
going 10 Cuba with Bob Fighter
some of Evans classmates at Annapo-
lis say he got the nickname soon after en-
terms the Naval Academy. not for any
sort of physical fighting. but because he
stood up successfully for what he consid-
cred an individual right
When he went 20 Annapolis his mother
gave him a framed Bible text, and asked
him TO hang it up. AS soon as he had
been assign@d 10 his room. and got his
meager baggage npacked, not knowing
al. sslls rule against all wall adornments,
he proceeded 10 carry out his mothers in
junction. The text had hardly been sus-
pended from a nail in the wall, when a
minor officer thrust his nose into the
room.
Take that picture thing down. he or
dered.
THAT isn't a picture" young Robley
replied. ''and I won't take it down. III
fight first"
The officer didn't think it wise to fight
about such a small matter, 50 he re-
ported it to the commandant. The com
mandant said the picture must come
down. but Evans threatened 10 appeal to
some one higher up than the commandant
If forced TO remove it.
Believing perhaps that the young Nir-
ginlan had unusual backing, the com
mandant referred the matter to the Sec
retary on the Navy Meanwhile the news
papers got the story, and before the Sec
retary could do anything the religious
weekies took it up. This reused the
churches, and the Navy Department was
charged with hostility TO religion. So.
although the rule was not rescinded, II
was ignored in this case, and the cadet
never had to remove the text
Although a Virginian. he was not ap-
pointed from the Old Dominion. since he
had not sufficient political influence there.
His father died when the boy was ten,
and he was sent to Washington to live
with an uncle. William Hooper, Con
gressional Delegate from Utah, offered 10
get him an appointment to Annapolis.
But" he said, you viii have to go
to Utah and live there long enough TO
acquire a legal residence first.
This was in 1889, and the boy decided
to accept the offer. There were then no
railroads west of the Missouri. and what
seemed TO him lot OF money was needed
for the trip. However, he raised the
needed funds. and 500 besides, and set
out upon his journey. hundreds OF miles of
which were across the plains and through
the mountains by stage coach and on
horseback, with hostile Indians never far
away, as light-hearted as the average boy
In his middle teens to-day would start on
a dav's excursion He was admitted IN
1850 and graduated in 1853. He went into
active service at once.
His mother was grieved that he should
fight for the North, as she favored the
South and when the first gun was fired
emy, bat he wouldn't have it,
Why Evans Was Called "GimPy."
Evans was permanently lamed al Fort
Fisher. when leading charge of marines
from the old Powhatan. The rush upon
the fort was one of the bravest charges
ever made. Evans was shot In both legs
and barely escaped with is life, being left
helpless on the beach near the water,
within range of the Confederate guns.
He asked a fellow Yankee who was
hiding behind a little sand dune near by
and taking pot shots at the enemy. Ia
come out and drag him to safety, but was
refused. There wasn't time, and besides
the man didn't propose to risk being shot.
--Isz9as whipped out his revolver and bull
lied the other into granting his request.
The revolver had been wet, and wouldn't
have gone of anyway. but the scheme
worked Before long Evans had extract
ed some cartridges from the revolver OF
a poor fellow who had been killed and
whose body lay near by
Next day. when he wanted TO put up
another bluff with his gun, il was in
good shape. The doctors decided TO take
off both his legs. He objected
Orders are orders. said the doctor,
'-and must be Obeyed."
Evans whipped out his revolver and de-
clared that he would transfer its six
s loads of lead to the doctors person il an
5attempt were made at amputation. Two
asr three weeks later he was sent North
ang nursed back to life by the wife and
daughters of that same doctor. Because
one of his legs was stiff il was not pro-
posed TO let him 90 hack 10 the navy
50 he had the leg broken over again. Ii