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He survived with his legs more or less intact but permanently injured.
His wounds forced
him to leave the navy temperarily, but he
was able to rejoin. His post-Civil War career involved travelling much of the world. As the commander of the Yorktown in the Pacific Squadron, he earned his nickname “Fighting Bob” during the 1891 Chilean Civil War after landing troops in Chile in support of U.S. interests following the incident of Chileans attacking the crew of the USS Baltimore and negotiated an end without the outbreak of war. When his own men were assaulted, he informed the Chilean officials that his men would shoot anyone that attacked them
in the future. After
returning to the States, he was promoted to captain and placed in command of the newly constructed battle cruiser USS New York, the largest naval vessel of the era. He took the ship on a cruise to Germany, and then returned to command the battleship Indiana, the most heavily armed and armored ship at the time.
In 1897, he took command of the USS Iowa, considered
the finest ship in the U.S. Navy, and traveled with the fleet
to San Juan, Puerto Rico. The Iowa was struck once during the engagement with the fort. At Santiago, he helped trap the Spanish fleet in the harbor. When the Spaniards struck out to fight. During the Battle of Santiago, the Iowa was
hit twice, including a dangerous hit by the water line, but remained in the fight. The Americans emerged victorious, sinking the Pluton and running other vessels a ground in a vicious fight, including the flagship Vizcaya that was pursued by the Iowa and exploded. Evans sent his men to rescue the Spanish crew, and the rescued captain offered his sword as
a sign of his surrender, but Evans refused it and invited his defeated and injured foe to his quarters instead. This is the incident referenced in the letter. The Iowa and Brooklyn are credited with 70% of the damage inflicted by the U.S. fleet in the battle, and the Iowa fired some 1,473 rounds in the fighting. The presentation of this sword was reported in the New York Times in the article “A Sword for Capt. R.D. Evans: The Gift of the Iowa’s Crew Bears a Noteworthy Inscription.” which discusses this sword, its inscription, and Evans’s refusal to accept the Spanish captains sword. It notes that Evans responded to the presentation with a letter of his own reading: “My Old Shipmates: Your letter of Feb. 14, with the beautiful sword, came to me this morning as a complete surprise. That I had the respect and confidence of the brace crew of the Iowa I felt assured. Your conduct in action has proved that, but the feeling of personal affection that you have expressed moved me most deeply. Accept from me, please, every member of the old gang, my sincere thanks. God bless each and every one, and give you long life in defense of your country. Your faithful friend, R.D. Evans, Captain, U.S.N.” This is also recorded near the end of his memoir “A Sailor’s Log” (copy included in the memorbilia in Lot 3093) on pages 460-462. He wrote, “Some time after I left the Iowa I received a beautiful sword, which I value above all my earthly possessions...”
After the Spanish-American War, he remained with the
navy and was promoted to rear admiral and was close
with Theodore Roosevelt, and Roosevelt selected Evans to host Prince Heinrich of Prussia and command the honor squardron for his visit in 1902. Evans subsquently served
as the commander-in-chief of the Asiatic Fleet and North Atlantic Fleet, and finally as commander of the Great White Fleet at the beginning of its famous international tour. Ill health during the latter forced him to hand over command to Rear Admiral Charles S. Sperry when the fleet reached San Francisco in May 1908 and led to his retirement later that summer on August 18, his 62nd birthday, after over four decades of service to his country. Flags from the Iowa were among the decorations at his retirement. He passed on January 3, 1912, and is buried in Arlington National Cemetery. Captain Franck Taylor Evans, his son, also graduated from the naval academy in 1898 and served with his father on the Iowa at Santiago and also had a long naval career including service during the First World War and retired in 1930.
CONDITION: Exceptionally fine with 70% plus original gilding on the otherwise mostly bright polished blade with minimal age related wear, bright gilt hilt and scabbard fittings with minor wear, natural aged patina on the silver scabbard body, and distinct etching, engraving, and inscription.
Estimate: 10,000 - 20,000
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