Épée, Individual, Men

It is believed that the fencing regulations used where those of the Amateur Fencing League of America which was established in 1891 as the national governing body for fencing in the United States. If so, the maximum length of the épée blade was 34 inches (86 cm) and the maximum diameter of the guard was five inches (13 cm). Bouts were for three touches with each touch counting for one point. In cases where both fencers were touched simultaneously, one-quarter point was deducted from each contestant’s point score. The final placement of the fencers was determined not by the number of bout victories but rather by adding the total number of points earned by each fencer with the fencer having the greatest total declared the winner, the next greatest second, and so on. So, no touch counts or bout victories are shown in the results because they were not used to determine the promotion or placement.

Charles Tatham had won the US Championship in 1901-03 but the best American fencer in 1904 was likely Charles Bothner, US Champion that year with both foil and épée, but he did not compete at the 1904 Olympics. Results of the matches in this event are not known, but gold went to Cuban Ramón Fonst, who had won the title at the 1900 Olympics in Paris, and also won the individual foil in St. Louis. Tatham came in for the silver medal, followed by Albertson Van Zo Post, who had been American champion with this weapon in 1896, and would win again in 1912. Fonst actually competed again at the 1924 Olympics, after an absence of 20 years, but won no medals.