Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1898-01-13
ON THE MONITOR WITH woRDEN
A Veterans "reminiscences of the
MOnitOr-Merrimac Battle.

The important part which oppor-
tunity plays in the lives of men is well
illustrated by the career of the late
Admiral Worden, remarked Capt. Louis
N. Stodder, of the United States rev.
enue cutter service and United States
supervisor of anchorages, port of New
York, as he sat one day recently in his
room in the barge office. Capt. Stod-
der has the distinction Of being the last
survivor of the officers who were as
signed to duty on the Monitor when it
began it's career, and who remained in
constant service on the vessel until the
end off Cape Hatteras.
BY a singular coincidence Capt. Stod-
der's room almost overlooks the statue
erected in Battery park to the memory
of Ericsson, once his intimate friend.
You see, continued the captain, naval
officers We're not over plentiful at the
beginning of the war, and the officials
at Washington had to make the best
use of the material they had in hand.
In fact a great many officers were en-
rolled from the merchant marine serv-
ice. 1 went into the service from the
merchant marine myself. [ think the
fact that Worden, then ranking only as
lieutenant, was placed in command of
the Monitor, would show that that YES
sci was looked upon as rather a doubt
full experiment by the government, and
hn4 ha cn1ootiC,, Of n n n Ia
mand was not made by reason of any
special fitness for the position.
1t was Wordens good luck that he
was assigned to the Monitor, for the
result of the fight made the vessel and
all on board famous,
The brave part that he played in the
fight was recognized by congress, and
he was rapidly promoted to high rank,
which other officers obtained only after
20 years of service.
l remember him we'll when he first
came on board the Monitor about a
month before the fight. He had just
been released from prison, and looked
| thin and sallow. He had the appear
ance of one dying from fever COM
plant. l never thought it possible for
him to live long.
During the fight he was cool and col
lected. 1 recall an incident which l do
not remember ever seeing published.
The pilot house was situated'in the bow
of the Monitor, quite away from the
turret. During the fight | was in the
turret with other officers, when sud
denly we saw Lieut.. Worden climbing
up where we were. Without saying
anything he opened one of the turret
doors and stepped out on the deck in
full view of the enemy.
"Why, captain, what's the trouble"
exclaimed several of the officers in
establishment at his fearless act.
81 can't see well enough from the
pilot house." came the quiet reply. 81
wanted to get out here for moment
to take in the whole situation" Then
looking around for few moments, he
came inside.
Lieut.. Worden was very popular with
officers and men alike. They all wor-
shipped him. Although only As years
old at the time of the Monitor-MerrimaC
fight, he looked almost go. He wore q
long beard at the time, and looked just
as the recent pictures made him ap
pear.
last saw Admiral Worden at the
ceremonies attending the removal Of
Ericsson's body to its final resting
place. Only handful of persons were
admitted to the ceremony. They were
those who survived from the officers
and men of the Monitor. Admiral Wor
den was in a carriage with Secretary
Tracy. lie was very feeble, and his
end even then seemed but short way
off, and yet that was several years ago
Troy Times.
uora q ,,caful op1 rrOO5 Nx-ifo IN A.,