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Rear Admiral Robley D. Evans
LOT 3092
Historic B. Pasquale Co. Model 1852 Naval Officer’s Sword and Scabbard Presentation Inscribed to Rear Admiral Robley D. “Fighting Bob” Evans when Commander of the Great White Fleet - The sword is a classic Model 1852 Navy Officer sword with a 30 inch blade with frosted patriotic etching, “PROVED/+” surrounded by a six pointed star on the right ricasso, and “B./ PASQUALE/CO./SAN/FRANCISCO/CAL.” etched
on the left ricasso. The gilt brass hilt has oak leaf and acorn, laurels, sea serpents, four rose colored stones where the knuckle guard meets the pommel, and a fouled anchor with blue enamel background flanked by two white enamel stars with inset clear stones on the pommel cap. The black leather scabbard has gilt brass fittings with sea serpent, naval ropes, fouled anchor, and foliate decoration, as well as “Presented to/COMRADE ROBLEY D. EVANS./BY HEINTZELMAN POST AND DATUS E. COON POST. G.A.R./BENNINGTON
CAMP US. W.V. AND/JOHN H. MORGAN CAMP/ CONFEDERATE VETERANS/SAN DIEGO CAL. APRIL 14. 1908.” A copy of LIFE Vol. XXXI No. 811 from June 23, 1898, is included showing Captain Robley on the cover with his arms crossed and armed to the teeth with a cutlass, pistol, Smith & Wesson Model No. 2 style revolver, knife, and a similar Model 1852 sword. Also included are a 13 3/8
by 24 5/8 inch framed display with two stereo
cards of the USS Iowa, a portrait of Evans as a rear admiral holding a Model 1852 sword, and a card signed from Evans as captain and commander
of the Iowa and a copy of the July 12, 1980,
bill of sale indicates this sword (listed as “from Heintzelman Post and Datus E. Coon Post G.A.R. by the Veterans of the Confederacy”) and the Iowa presentation sword also in the auction were sold by W.L. Kallos and Carol R. Kallos to Joseph Florest. Documentation relating to Florest’s research on this sword and the other in the sale are in the Evans memorbilia lot in this sale. William L. Kallos (d. 2003) was a noted collector and dealer
from Illinois.
Rear Admiral Robley Dunglison Evans (1846-
1912) had a long U.S. Navy military career from the American Civil War up to very shortly after
the presentation of this sword when he was the commander of the Great White Fleet sent by President Theodore Roosevelt on its famous world tour. Evans was born in Virginia but remained loyal to the Union during the Civil War. After studying at the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland, starting in 1860, he completed his studies in
time to join the fight for the Union. As an ensign serving on the USS Powhatan, he participated in the Second Battle of Fort Fisher and suffered four wounds during the U.S. Marines’ charge on the Confederate defenses.