The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1865-01-26
From stuarts 70 rth com. ng History Of Iowa Oss
Col. William HOrd WorIhington
.5th EOwa Infantry.

Col. William H. Worthington, who was
shot dead before Corinth, in the spring oil
1862, by frightened sentinel, was linked
by blood to the earliest and most distin.
guished families Of the country-ou the pa,
ternal side to the Virginia line of Madisons,
and to Gen. Andrew Lewis, the Virginia
soldier, who was recommended by Gen.
Washington as commander in chief of th Q
American Army y on the rps ternal side to
the Slanghters, also distinguished vir.
GINA family. His grandfather, Col. Gabri.
ell Slaughter, who emigrated to Kentucky
in its earliest history, was the Colonel of a
Kentucky regiment which fonght with Gen.
jackson at the battle of New Orleans. By
public act of the Kentucky legislature, at
Frankfort, the gallautry of Col. Slaughter
in this engagement, has been commemera-
ted in the erection of q fiue monument to
his memory.
Col Worthingtop's grandfather, Edward
Worthington, Marylander, was also an
early and distinguished settler in Kentucky.
His father, the Rev. John Tolly Worthing.
ton, ID. d, devoted christian and jealous
patriot, is still living and resident of Pitts
field, Illinois. William II. Worthington was
born at Harrodsburg, Kentucky, on the ID
day of November, 1928. He lost his moth.
er in early infancy, and was adopted, reared
and educated by his maternal grand uncle,
Major William Hord, also distinguished
Kentucky gentleman. am thus particu
lar in giving the Colonel's lineage, for his
military enthusiasm was of ancestral inherit
ance.
HIS primary education Col Worthington
received in the schools of Louisville, at that
time the residence Of Maj. Hord and it was
here, while under the instruction of Po-
lish officer that he first gave token of that
military spirit which, in despite of his un.
timely fate, has made his name celebrated
in the history ofthe war. Having graduated
at Bacon college, Harrodsburg, Kentucky
he was, at the age of nineteen, married to
Miss Anna Eliza daughter of DR.. Tomk,n-
son, lady ofreputed beauty and intelli.
gence; and now, throwing aside his books,
he began life on farm. This calling soon
proved ancongenial to his tastes, and he
abandoned il for the law. After being ad.
mitted to the bar, he opened an Office in his
native town and, though his professional
studies had been chiefly of his own shaping,
ne soon gave promise offnture eminence
In 1857, he moved to Iowa, whore, estab.
llshing himself in a lucrative practice, he
made his home till the beginning of the war.
Whom the war broke out he was serving
as Captain Of the city Rifies,' military
company IN the city of Keokuk; and il was
the aptness which he displayed in military
matters while IN thus position that irst
brought his name into favorable notice with
Governor Kirkwood.
While in Washington city, seeking po.
sition in the regular army, (Which he only
failed in obtaining On. account of all vacan-
cies being filled) he was rendered the col.
onelcy ofan Iowa volunteer regiment. This
he accepted and, returning to Iowa early
in July, received his commission as Colonel
of the 9th Iowa Infantry, on the 10Th of the
same month.
The 9th Iowa Infantry entered the ser
vice under peculiar and promising omens !;
its Colonel was defendant of our most II.
lustrionsrevolutionary heroes, and its drum.
mer boy, Robert Balm, beat the same drum