New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-04-28
FOR WORDEN'E WIDOW
WHAT rs THE REPUBLICS GRATITUDE N,
THE NAVAL HERO THAT SAVED r.
IN THE LAST WARY

| THE NAVAL HERO THAT SAVED r.
IN THE LAST wARi
To the Editor of The Tribune
Sir: With the appeal to arms and pAtr1o.,,,.
ringing through the land It is hard to bel,.v.
that the United States Senate refuses the v,Ao..
of Lieutenant John L. Worden anything over N.
$50 month to which she Ia entitled by law .,
leging as reason that the demand for pension.
for widows OF officers Of rank increases evsrv
year, and. in the hope Of their families rece,v
ing such aid. officers make less effort to sav.
money. What an unworthy reason for a ereat
nation to give at such moment. when the issu.
OF this war largely depends on the courage ana
loyalty OF the Navy! What an incentive 70
patriotism and herosm to know that II blown
up on a battle-ship ones family VIII be gtven
the minimum pension. and that "grudslngly and
OF necessity.
1t was Just su IN an anxious April morning
after a Sunday OF breathless anxiety. that thu
news came that the valiant little Monitor, with
her inexperienced young captain, had. after 4
voyage Of unparalleled danger. reached Hamp.
ton Roads, gone at once into action, fought q
great fight, revolutionized naval warfare and
saved the Northern coast from destruction.
Our feet lying In Hampton Roads crippled BY
the Merrimac and aground. looked on aghast a.
the queer little We sci, after her tempestuous
voyage without moment for rest or consulta-
ton, went into the great fight, her brave young
captain shut up in his iron box with a quarter.
master. ignoring the signals from the flagship to
withdraw and save himself. After the shell
struck his penthouse his place taken BY
Lieutenant Greene. and the victory won. Tho
writer, a child at the time. well remembers see.
Ing the carriage stop and an officer and hospital
stewards helping Captain Worden out. bloody.
bruised and backened with smoke and powder
too shattered to go to the Department to report
and obliged to send friend, who returned i'm.
mediately with President Lincoln. who at once
went upstairs where the Captain had been made
as comfortable as possible. Worden lay on the
bed. 1t was A never-to- be forgotten scene the
President going forward with both hands out.
stretched to meet Worden as he rose TO receive
him. saying. Il have come TO thank you for saw.
ing the country. Mr.. Worden." and the broken
answer. Il only did my duty"
Long, anxious weeks followed. when his life
hung by a thread. full OF the solictude Of the
Nation. Gradually partial recovery ensued. but
body and nerves were shattered, and then cana
long years Of nervous invalidism. and later
mental weakness: but he was always clear on
the one point, that the Nation would provide for
crushed and broken. seventy-seven years old.
that Nation refuses to do anything worthy OF II
on the plea that she should have saved enough
to last her. But saved from what? The mag
nifcent pay that an admiral has? In this case
heavy financial losses. through a great domestic
sorrow. made 1t impossible FOR Worden 70 save.
having five people dependent on him. besides his
immediate family, and consequent illhealth and
contingent. expenses. 1t is asked why he did
not sell his house Because IT was the gift Of q
personal friend and the generosity OF Boston.
through Edward Everett TO be home for his
old age. He never questioned that the trflns
income needed would be given. having lived to
see special pensions given 10 all the widows OF
the other war heroes, and no one grudging Il 10
them. Why make an example OF her? She has
at best but n few years 10 be a charge on the
country. She Is very brave In facing the hard
ness OF life on the few hundreds she has. She
feels ksenly the slight on hlnl-her dead husband
and hero. For far less important services Eng
land has given titles. crosses and pensions,
notably In india: General Cough was made
Lord Cough, with pension for two generations
OF $4,000 annually. Do not let this country 60
down to posterity refusing to care for the
widow OF the last OF the great war heroes II
this policy must be carried out. let II not begin
spite OF many mistakes. characterzes the Amer.
lean people. an appeal. II on no nobler ground
than as an incentive to patriotism, cannot Be
in vain in this case. think. II you would take
the matter up. Congress might be shamed out
OF so ll-advised and ungrac,ous an act
Washington. April p, 1898 GER