The National tribune., 1892-09-08

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den dropped the Monitors anchor The
strange scene told him at once of not only nm
usual but disastrous occurrences There was
neither flagship nor Flag Officer to whom he
could report, so complete was the confusion
and so the Monitor, which was to be the sole
reliance on the morrow, attracted no more at
tention by her coming than had she been
fsherman's boat. Worden sought the fort
where in Capt. Taimadge's easement he was
first made acquainted with tile events of the
previous few hours. so far as they were known
Gen. Wool, Capt Marsten-who, in the absence
of Commodore Goldsborough, was the Flag
Officer of the feet in the harbor-and others
were at the moment in conference at the Gen
erals headquarters near by. Thither Worden
and others went to report for ORDERS There was
no thought of his coming 1t was undeniably
Providence. About that Worden himself was
not too sure. 1t is true he had come with the
Monitor but whether she would be able to cope
with the Merrmac. or what he would be able
to do on the morrow, he was quite in the dark.
About her guns and machinery for using them,
he knew next to nothing they having been
tried only four times, and under adverse cir
cumstances while on the way from New York.
When told that everything depended on him
and his little craft, Worden was more than
doubtful at the moment. but he did not say so;
he only said he would do his best. His
orders were to take up his position so
doubted that it would be the Merrimacs object
to deal with her as the Cumberland had been
dealt with only few hours before. BY using
her ram, without firing a single shot. it was
felt that the Minnesota would fall an easy
victim, should the Monitors shots not prove
equal to the task of protecting her from such
a fate. On the way to the Monitors position
Capt. Worden improved the time to obtain all
the information possible, and he listened to
such suggestions as those who went on the tug
with him had to offer, some OF which were OF
undoubted value. ! was in q position to OBJ
serve Worden. He a man of nerve. He
obviously realized that it was his opportunity.
feel confident that he felt no little confidence
that he would at least worry the rebel monster.
and give her to understand that something
new had been born into the marine world
besides herself Worden was serious. There
are moments when opportunities and duties OF
q lifetime come to a man, vi hen all there is IN
him comes forth to animate him for high pur-
poses The Monitors commander said but
little, and seemed to realize all this He in
quired searchngly after everything that was
known or reported of the Merrimac's arma-
ment and construction, her speed, and specially
her elevation out Of the water What he did
say seemed to me at the time to signify, II
will fight her-fght her from the first mo-
ment. will take the aggressive aud maintain
it to the last" And he did all this in the
story of the fight between the Monitor and
Merrimac we'll know.
Though Worden was a Regular in the Naval
service, the Monitor was volunteer. Erics-
son, her inventor, volunteered to do it; her
builders volunteered to build her. All the
Government did was to agree to pay certain
sum it, within an almost incredibly short time,
she was on hand to perform what the inventor
and her constructors promised she would. 1t
is curious fact that the Monitor was paid for
not without some delay and difficulty to those
who volunteered to produce her.
Worden acted on his own judgment in fight
ing the Merrimac. Though he was blinded by
a shot from the Merrimac while in sinking
condition when retreatimg toward Craney
Island, thoroughly whipped in six hours
fight, in which the Monitor was, every moment
on the aggressive. still nothing in the Monitors
action betrayed the disaster, and she came Oft
in her own time and manner
1t was AZ complete revolution, this fight
between the Monitor and Merrirnac, in naval
architecture and warfare as there ever WAS in
anything. The naves of the world bear witness
to the truth of this observation. How it would
have been had someone less capable than
Worden came with the Monitor ono can
say.
Wool started in military life with Scott and
Worth in the war of 1912, all Of them more
or less possible candidates for the Presidency
ScDtJ ny tue w HiEs, WOOL anu WIZ W tuO
Democrats-the latter two being in sense.
rivals. This fact may have had something to
do in giving Wool-Worth being dead-con
spicuous work in the war of the rebellion by
sending him to Fortress Monroe, where he was
succeeded by Gen. John A. Dix, also an 1912
veteran, although at the time in civil life, and
an influential Democratic leader. As the i'll
teligent reader knows, there frequently was
politics in selecting actors in the rebellion,
starting with Butler at Fortress Monroe, who
had the shortest time there for both political
and military reasons. After Wool left Fortress
Monroe he was made commander of the Middle
Department, with headquarters at Baltimore.
He was ever vigilant and intelligent. His
capacity for valuable service, even at his adj
vanced age, was great, and it was recognized.
If ever he lost his patience about the conduct
OF the war; ii was when he saw Gen. McCellans
operations on the Peninsular and after He
regarded that Generals slow progress up the
Peninsula az without excuse and he could
hardly restrain his comments within bounds
when speaking Of the Peninsular campaign.
Gen. Wool died at his home in Troy in 1859,
aged so years, his wife surviving him. They
never had any children. His fortune was con-
siderable, no small part Of which going to his
nephew, John A. Griswod and his children.
In the Generals will curious provision
which related to the burial Of his old war horse
Buena Vista, of great age which carried him
through Mexico and subsequent campaigns.
The burial and monument was to he in the
Coax wood Cemetery" near Troy, where the
General and his relatives were also buried.