John Lorimer Worden

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John Lorimer Worden

1818–1897

Best remembered as the Union naval officer who commanded the ironclad USS Monitor in its famous 1862 duel with the CSS Virginia, he became one of the most recognizable figures in Civil War naval history. His career stretched far beyond that single battle, from early sea duty to senior leadership in the postwar U.S. Navy.

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About the author

Born in Westchester County, New York, in 1818, John Lorimer Worden entered the U.S. Navy as a midshipman in 1834. He served in the Mexican-American War and later became closely associated with the Navy's move into the ironclad era during the American Civil War.

Worden is most famous for commanding the USS Monitor in March 1862 during the Battle of Hampton Roads, the landmark clash between ironclads that changed naval warfare. He was injured in the fight, but his role in that battle made him a celebrated Union officer.

He continued in naval service after the war and eventually reached the rank of rear admiral. Worden later led the U.S. Naval Academy and remained an important figure in the Navy until his death in 1897.