Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1861-12-19
Lieut. Worden.

Iieut JOnn L. w 0rden OF the United
States Navy, the first prisoner taken by the
rebels after the outbreak of the war, is now
in this city, at the Branch Naval Recruiting
Once, No. IS South street. Lieut.. Wor
den is a resident of Duchess County, in this
state, and has served 2S years in the Navy
On the 7th Of April last he was sent from,
washington as bearer of dispatches to Capt
Adams, Of the Sabine, in command of the
meet at Fort Pickens. The feet had pre-
viously been sent to Fort Pickens, with two
companies Of artillery, for the purpose of
re enforcing the fort when so ordered, and
the dispatches carried by Mr.. Worden con.
veyed orders to that effect. Lieut.. Worden
arrived at Pensacola by way of Richmond
and Montgomery on the llth, having COM
mitted the dispatches to memory, and torn
them up for fear Of arrest and search, owing
to the excited state OF the country. AT
Pensacola he obtained an interview with
Zen. Bragg, the rebel commander, and oh.
tanned pass to visit Capt Adams, stating
IN reply to an interrogatory that he had a
verbal communication from Secretary Cam
eron to the captain. Owing to gale which
was blowing at the time, Lieut.. Worden did
not visit Capt Adams until the following
Gay. when he delivered his orders and re-
ceired written reply in return, acknowledge
ing the receipt of the dispatches, and sta.
ting that they should he executed, together
with other verbal information for the Gov
ernment. The fort was re- enforced by Can't.
togdes that night. Lieut.. Worden took
the cars at p. ~. on the 18th on his return.
and on the morning ofthe 18th, when with
in about five miles of Montgomery, five Off
GERS of the rehol army came in and arrested
him, taking him 10 the Office of the Adm
tant- General Mt Montgomery. Subsequent
~ he learned that Bragg had collected force
of 200 men to attack Fort Pickens, had
nude all arrangements to ondeavor to seize
the fort the very night that it was re.en.
forced, and that in order to cover his bun.
der inpermittlng Worden to 60 out TO Capt
Adams, had charged him with violating his
word of honor. This charge the Lieutenant
most positively denies Bragg also alleged
that an arrangement had been made between
him and Capt. Adams, that no attempt to
re enforce or take the fort should be made
without previous notice to the other party
| mot unlikely story. Although the ex-
eitement against Lieut.. Worden was intense.
he says he was well treated during his i'm
prisonnent, and Capt. Ingraham and other
officers whom he had known in the service.
visited him in prison, and endeavored,
though vainly, to effect his release on parole.
he was allowed access to newspapers, and
states that up to the capture of Port Royal,
the rebels were confident and arrogant but
when that fell, the journals denounced the
kebrl Government for not making a better
defense, declaring there was no safety to the
cities on the coast, and that no dependence
whatever could be placed upon the fortifca.
tons. A tone of despair seemed to prevail,
| AMI the people were loud in their denuncia.
tinns nf governtnent which gave them no
security, nor intelligence Of the actual con
ditlon OF affairs and the results of operations
On the 9th of November he was informed
that he had been released on parole, TO ro. fo
Richmond to carry out proposition for nm
exchange. Lieut.. Worden left Montgomery
on the l4th, having given his parole not tn
diynlge anything which he might learn
while in transit 10 the disadvantage of the
Rebcl Government. This parole has been
ol no disadvantage to US, from the fact that
lie saw nothing. He arrived at Richmond
IN Sunday evening, Nov. u, having been
detained one day by failure to connect and
obtained an interview with tho Aljutant
Heneral and Acting Secretary Of War, Ben.
lamln, and left early on Monday morning
tor Norfolk, and the following day went on
board the frigate Minnesota.
After the fight at Santa Rosa Island Ma.
jor Vogdes and twenty-five Of Wilson's men
were confined in Jail with him, from whom
he learned further of the actual condition
Of Fort Pickens, and is satisfied that twenty
days bombardment from Braggs batteries
could not breach the fort He has no doubt
that Fort. Pickens can easily reduce the bat.
telies and Notifications in the vicinity az
well as Fort McRea, and that Col. Brown
hrst opened fire for some purpose yet unex-
nlained. In Y Trihnna 9Th