John Lorimer Worden
This article needs additional citations for verification. (March 2018) |
John Lorimer Worden | |
---|---|
Born | Mount Pleasant, New York, US | March 12, 1818
Died | December 19, 1897 Washington, D.C., US | (aged 79)
Place of burial | |
Allegiance | United States of America |
Service/ | United States Navy Union Navy |
Years of service | 1834–1886 |
Rank | Rear admiral |
Commands held | USS Monitor USS Montauk United States Naval Academy European Squadron |
Battles/wars | Mexican–American War American Civil War |
John Lorimer Worden (March 12, 1818 – October 19, 1897) was a U.S. Navy officer in the American Civil War, who took part in the Battle of Hampton Roads, the first-ever engagement between ironclad steamships at Hampton Roads, Virginia, on 9 March 1862.
Commanding the Union's only warship of this class, USS Monitor, Worden challenged the Confederate vessel Virginia, a converted steam-frigate that had sunk two Union blockaders and damaged two others. After a four-hour battle, both ships withdrew, unable to pierce the other's armour.
Background and early career
Worden was born in
Between 1844 and 1846, Worden was stationed at the Naval Observatory in Washington, D.C. During the Mexican–American War, he cruised the west coast, primarily in the store ship Southampton, but in other ships as well.[1] In 1850, he returned to the Naval Observatory for another two-year tour of duty. The ensuing nine years were filled with sea duty which took Worden on several cruises in the Caribbean and Mediterranean Seas.
Civil War service
Brought to Washington early in 1861, he received orders in April to carry secret dispatches—regarding the reinforcement of Fort Pickens—south to the warships at Pensacola. During the return journey north, Worden was arrested near Montgomery, Alabama, and was held prisoner until being exchanged about seven months later.
Taking command of the Monitor
Though still ill as a result of his imprisonment,
On the afternoon of March 8, Monitor approached Cape Henry, Virginia, while inside Hampton Roads, the Confederacy's own ironclad, CSS Virginia, wrought havoc with the Union Navy's wooden blockading fleet. During that engagement, the Southern warship sank both the sloop USS Cumberland and the frigate USS Congress, as well as severely damaging the steam frigate USS Minnesota before retiring behind Sewell's Point. Arriving on the scene too late to participate in the engagement, Worden and his ship set about assisting the grounded Minnesota.
The battle of the ironclads
At daybreak on the 9th, Virginia emerged once more from behind Sewell's Point to complete her reduction of the Federal fleet at Hampton Roads. As the Confederate ironclad approached Minnesota, Worden maneuvered Monitor from the grounded ship's shadow to engage Virginia in the battle that revolutionized naval warfare. For four hours, the two iron-plated ships slugged it out as they maneuvered in the narrow channel of Hampton Roads, pouring
Other wartime commands
After the battle, Worden moved ashore to convalesce from his wounds. During that recuperative period, he received the accolade of a grateful nation, the
Post-war career and last years
Not long after the Charleston attack, Capt. Worden received orders to shore duty in conjunction with the construction of ironclads in New York. That assignment lasted until the late 1860s. He was promoted to commodore in May 1868. In 1869, Commodore Worden began a five-year tour as Superintendent of the United States Naval Academy.[5] In 1872, Worden was promoted to rear admiral. In 1873 he became the first president of the United States Naval Institute.
During the late 1870s, he commanded the
Admiral Worden was a member of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States, Sons of the American Revolution, Naval Order of the United States and the Military Order of Foreign Wars.
Rear Admiral Worden resided in Washington, D.C., until his death from
Tiffany & Co. sword
After the battle of the Monitor and Virginia the state of New York celebrated their hero with the commissioning of a custom-made 37-inch (940 mm) gold-and-silver inlaid sword from Tiffany & Co. The handle was emblazoned with the Roman god of the sea, Neptune, and included a gold-plated sheath and gold embroidered belt made at the cost of $550. ($16,128 adjusted for inflation as of 2022.)
In 1912, fifteen years after his death, Worden's family donated the sword to the Naval Academy, where it rested until 1931, when it was stolen. The subsequent naval investigation yielded no leads.
The sword was missing for over six decades until 1998, when the FBI began an investigation into several dealers of the PBS show Antiques Roadshow. By 2002, three men were in jail for $1 million in memorabilia fraud. The FBI continued to delve further into the records of the appraisers, searching for more stolen items. The sword had been purchased by an appraiser and then resold to a collector. After the FBI verified the sword was stolen, it was confiscated and returned to the Naval Academy.[6]
Namesake
Fort Worden, located in Port Townsend, Washington, and four United States Navy ships have been named USS Worden for him. The parade field at the United States Naval Academy is named in his honor. The John L. Worden Camp 150, Sons of Union Veterans of the Civil War, is based in Peekskill, New York, not far from Worden's grave in Pawling, New York.
See also
- List of superintendents of the United States Naval Academy
References
- This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.
- ^ Quarstein, John V. (October 2023), "Worden and the Californios. Eager to get in on the frontline action, Lieutenant John Worden gained leadership experience in the Pacific Squadron during the Mexican-American War", Naval History
- ^ Official rank until July 16, 1862: might have held acting rank of Commander
- ^ "US Navy Officers 1775–1900". Archived from the original on December 5, 2010. Retrieved October 6, 2009.
- ^ "US People – John L. Worden". Archived from the original on September 21, 2012. Retrieved June 10, 2009.
- ^ US Naval Academy: 1860s history
- ^ The Case of the Missing Civil War Sword: Piece of History Returned by FBI in Ceremony at U.S. Naval Academy
Bibliography
- Nelson, James L. 2004. The Reign of Iron: The Story of the First Battling Ironclads, the Monitor and the Merrimack. HarperCollins Publishers, NY. ISBN 0-06-052403-0
- Still, William N. (1988). Hill, Dina B. (ed.). Ironclad Captains: The Commanding Officers of the U. S. S. Monitor. Washington, D.C.: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 83. ISBN 9780160035609.