Robley Dunglison Evans Robley Dunglison Evans ( 18 August 1846 – 3 January 1912 ) was born in Floyd County , Virginia served in the United States Navy from the American Civil War to the Spanish - American War , attaining the rank of rear admiral . In 1907 - 1908 he commanded the Great White Fleet on its worldwide cruise from the Atlantic Ocean through the Straits of Magellan to the Pacific Ocean . Naval service . In 1859 Utah Territory delegate William Henry Hooper offered Evans the territory ' s nomination to the United States Naval Academy . After establishing residency in Utah , he entered the academy in 1860 . Evans was ordered to active duty in September 1863 and graduated from the academy in the class of 1864 . American Civil War service . In the attacks on Fort Fisher , North Carolina during the Second Battle of Fort Fisher , he exhibited great gallantry under fire on 15 January 1865 . He led his landing party of United States Marines through heavy fire to charge the Confederate defenses . Evans continued to fight even after his fourth wound , drawing his pistol and threatened to kill any man who attempted to amputate his leg in surgery when he was evacuated . ” Fighting Bob ” Evans . Evans held numerous important sea commands during the 1890s . In 1891 and 1892 , commanding " Yorktown " on the Pacific Squadron , he won great acclaim for his firm and skillful handling of a tense situation with Chile , becoming known as " Fighting Bob " Evans . Though he evidently took pride in his nickname , his reputation for profanity also led to his being chastised by Leonard Woolsey Bacon , pastor of the Congregational Church in Litchfield , Connecticut , in a letter to " The New York Times " . USS Indiana . The United States ' first seagoing battleship , USS Indiana ( BB - 1 ) was placed in commission 20 November 1895 , with Captain Evans in command . Former President Benjamin Harrison with a committee from the state of Indiana presented a set of silver to Evans for the battleship on 16 September 1896 at Tompkinsville , New York . Spanish - American War service . During the Spanish - American War he commanded the battleship USS Iowa ( BB - 4 ) in the Battle of Santiago de Cuba . Shore duty . Robley Dunglison Evans was named president of the Board of Inspection and Survey from February 1901 to April 1902 . Prince Henry of Prussia . President Theodore Roosevelt selected Admiral Robley D . Evans to host His Royal Highness Prince Heinrich of Prussia brother of Germany ' s Kaiser Wilhelm II . 15 February 1902 Admiral Evans , as Commander - in - Chief of a special honor squadron hoisted his flag on the battleship , USS Illinois ( BB - 7 ) at the New York Navy Yard . Evans feted Prince Henry during the visit of the Kaiserliche Marine Imperial German Navy . After the departure of the German prince , 28 February 1902 , Evans flag was hauled down on Illinois . Commander - in - Chief - Asiatic Fleet . Admiral Evans transferred his flag from armored cruiser , USS New York ( ACR - 2 ) on 4 November 1902 to battleship , USS Kentucky ( BB - 6 ) at Yokohama , Japan . 5 December 1903 the Kentucky left Japanese waters for Hawaii . 16 December 1903 , the Kentucky arrived at Pearl Harbor Naval Station , Hawaii . Admiral Evans hosted a Christmas dinner for the officers of Kentucky at the Moana Hotel in Waikiki . Evans flagship departed Honolulu for Guam . Kentucky arrived in Cavite , Philippines on 18 January 1904 . Admiral Evans called on the new Governor - General of the Philippines , Luke Edward Wright at the Malacanang Palace . Evans flagship departed Manila on 13 March 1904 . The Kentucky coaled at Hong Kong and Colombo . Sailing through the Suez Canal into the Mediterranean Sea to the port of Naples , Italy . The voyage continued to Gibraltar coaling at Madeira ; the flagship Kentucky arrived at the New York Navy Yard , 23 May 1904 . Admiral Evans hauled down his flag , 27 May 1904 from battleship , Kentucky . Commander - in - Chief - North Atlantic Fleet . 31 March 1905 , a 13 gun salute was fired by battleship , USS Maine ( BB - 10 ) at Pensacola , Florida as the flag of Rear Admiral Robley D . Evans , Commander - in - Chief of the North Atlantic Fleet was broken at the main mast . The fleet sailed on 7 May 1905 for Hampton Roads , Virginia . Admiral Evans returned to his Alma Mater the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis , Maryland on 30 October 1905 . The British Fleet under command of Prince Louis of Battenberg arrived at Annapolis . 1 November 1905 , the Prince visited Evans on Maine . Admiral Evans gave Prince Louis , a tour of the Naval Academy and battleship Maine . A reception by Evans was held later in the week on battleship , Maine for Governor Edwin Warfield of Maryland . Admiral Evans in flagship , Maine sailed on 7 November 1905 from Annapolis to New York . Admiral Evans stayed onboard Maine during repairs from 20 November 1905 to January 1906 . After winter quarters in Guantanamo Bay , Cuba on 3 May 1906 Evans returned the fleet to New York . 2 September 1906 Maine anchored next to the presidential yacht , USS Mayflower ( PY - 1 ) off Oyster Bay , Long Island . President Theodore Roosevelt came on board Maine to confer with Evans . Admiral Evans in flagship Maine departed New York , 28 December for winter quarters in Cuban waters . 15 April 1907 Evans flagship , Maine returned to Hampton Roads . 16 April 1907 Evans hauled down his flag on Maine and then hoisted it on the battleship , USS Connecticut ( BB - 18 ) , flagship for the World Cruise . The Great White Fleet . Rear Admiral Evans commanded the Great White Fleet 16 April 1907 from Hampton Roads , Virginia in its passage from the Atlantic Ocean through the Straits of Magellan to the Pacific Ocean , where he was relieved of command in San Francisco , California 9 May 1908 because of ill health . Admiral Evans retired from the Navy upon reaching the mandatory retirement age of 62 on 18 August 1908 . Post Navy service . He died in Washington , D . C . on 3 January 1912 . Honors . Rear Admiral Evans was entitled to the Civil War Campaign Medal , Sampson Medal and Spanish Campaign Medal . Two destroyer s , USS " Evans " ( DD - 78 ) , launched 30 October 1918 , and USS " Evans " ( DD - 552 ) , launched 4 October 1942 , were named in his honor . Theodore Roosevelt owned a guinea pig named Fighting Bob Evans . < br >