Fort Worth's Namesake-- Part 4: His Death and All Those Namesakes

Ten forts were planned  between Eagle Pass on the Rio Grande River and the Trinity River, though only seven were built, including Forts Graham, Duncan and Lincoln.

In the spring of 1849, as William Worth's career continued to ascend,  San Antonio was struck by a deadly cholera epidemic.  Worth contracted the disease and died at the age of 55.  General William Harney then ordered the last fort , near the Trinity River, be named in honor of the fallen hero, Fort Worth.

Worth  was later buried in a tomb in what is now Worth Square in New York City, where a street is also named for him.

Several other cities and counties across the nation are also named for him.  Lake Worth, a small suburb next to Fort Worth, Texas, is also named for the general.  It now has a population of 5,000.

William Worth's most famous  namesake, Fort Worth, is now the fifth largest city in Texas with more than 900,000 residents.

--Brock-Perry

Fort Worth Named for War of 1812 Hero-- Part 3: The Mexican War

General William Worth negotiated the surrender of the Mexican City of Matamoros in September and pushed his forces steadily southward toward the capital, Mexico City.

After another year of heavy fighting, Worth and his men swept aside the last defenses of Mexico City with the victory at Chapultepec.  Worth himself was commended for  his bravery in that battle.  When Mexico City was captured, Worth personally  replaced the Mexican flag with the American flag at the Capitol building.

After the end of the war, Worth was given command of the Army's  Department of Texas in 1848  He realized that fighting between the settlers and  frontier tribes would continue and devised a system for protecting the Texas frontier.

This plan materialized in a series of forts acting as a barrier between tribal lands and the farms and towns settlers of Central and North Texas.

--Brock-Perry

Fort Worth, Texas, Named for War of 1812 Hero-- Part 2: The USMA, Second Seminole War and Mexican War

Despite the injury, William Jenkins Worth was determined to continue serving in the U.S. Army.  He was appointed to Commandant of the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1816 while he was a major.  

As commandant, Worth instilled the lessons of duty and honor into the aspiring young officers.  He taught the importance of never excusing a dishonorable act in another officer and the necessity of integrity in all matters, to keep one's word bio matter what.    His essays in honor are still required reading  for West Point cadets.

In 1838, he was promoted to colonel and given command of an infantry regiment.  he fought in the Second Seminole War in Florida as tribes and settlers clashed.  He was promoted to brigadier general afterward.

After Texas was admitted to the United States in 1845, Mexico threatened war over its former possession.  Worth was assigned to patrol the border between the two countries along with  General Zachary Taylor, and war erupted in 1846.

--Brock-Perry

Fort Worth, Texas, Named for War of 1812 Hero, William Jenkins Worth-- Part 1

From the May 16, 2021, Amarillo (Texas) Globe News "Bridges:  Fort Worth  namesake was a distinguished  war hero" by Ken Bridges.

The City of Fort Worth is sometimes known as  "Cowtown" or "Where the West Begins."  However, the name behind the city has a story all its own. 

General William Jenkins Worth was a legend in his own right, a distinguished officer and war hero who fought for Texas and his nation.

He was born in Hudson, New York in 1794, to Quaker parents.  His father made a comfortable living as a merchant ship captain.  Despite being a Quaker, young William enlisted in the U.S. Army when the War of 1812 came.

Worth received a commission as 1st lieutenant  in March 1813 and was assigned as an aide to General Winfield Scott.  Scott became a mentor and close friend.  Worth fought in numerous battles against the British, Canadians and Indians.

At the Battle of Lundy's Lane in July 1814, he and Scott were both wounded in what was the bloodiest battle of the whole war.  Worth's leg wound proved almost fatal, but he survived and never regained use of the leg the rest of his life.

--Brock-Perry-Worth

Did You Ever Wonder About Fort Worth, Texas?

On 1941, New York City restored the monument.  In 1995, the monument again underwent  an extensive restoration funded mainly by the Paul and Klara Porzelt Foundation and  U.S. Navy Commander (ret)  James A. Woodruff Jr.. Worth's great-great grandson.

He and his family have endowed  the maintenance of the monument and surrounding planting bed, through the Municipal Art Society's Adopt-A-Monument program.

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The cities of Fort Worth and Lake Worth in Texas are named after him.  Also the villages of Worth in Illinois and Worth in Kentucky.

Worth County in Georgia and Iowa are named after him.

The famed Worth Avenue in Palm Beach, Florida, is named for the general as well.

Enough Said.  --Brock-Perry

William J. Worth-- Part 6: Worth Square, Manhattan

William Worth's remains were reinterred in a 51-foot granite monument on Worth Square on a traffic island between Fifth Avenue and Broadway at 25th Street  in New York City's borough of Manhattan.  It is the second oldest monument in New York City (the oldest is Cleopatra's Needle).

It was designed and built by James G. Batterson in 1857.

The monument's decorative bands are inscribed with the names of Worth's battles and attached to the front of it is a bronze equestrian relief of Worth.  The top of each spike of the cast iron fence surrounding the monument is topped with a plumed helmet he is wearing on the memorial plaque.  The main part of each spike is modeled after Worth's Congressional sword.

The American artist Thomas Hart Benton depicted the monument in his "New York: Early Twenties" painting  Worth Street (Manhattan) at the southern end of Little Italy, is named in his honor.

Quite an Important Early American Hero You Probably Have Never Heard Of Before.  --Brock-Perry

William J. Worth-- Part 5: The Havana Club Plan and Death

In 1848, William Worth was approached by  a group of Cuban Freemasons known as the Havana Club, composed of  sugar plantation owners and aristocrats, who wanted the overthrow of the island's Spanish government.  They sent a college professor named Ambrosio  Jose Gonzales to ask Worth to lead an invasion of Cuba at the head of American Mexican War veterans.

Knowing that Worth was also a Freemason, Gonzales greeted the war hero with the Masonic secret handshake, and offered him $3 million.  Worth accepted the offer, but before anything could come of it, he was transferred by the War Department to Texas.

He was in command of the Department of Texas  when he died of cholera in 1849 in San Antonio.

The general's body is buried at Worth Square in New York City.

--Brock-Perry

William J. Worth-- Part 4: The Mexican War and Honors

The fall out between William Worth and his old friend Winfield Scott after the Battle of Molino del Rey was so bad that William even renamed his son William from Winfield Scott.  Now, that's mad.

Worth next led his division against the San Cosme Gate at Mexico City.  When American forces entered the city, Worth personally climbed to the roof of the National Palace and took down the Mexican flag and replaced it with the Stars and Stripes.

For his service at the Battle of Chapultepec, the United States Congress awarded him a sword.

In 1847, he was admitted as an honorary member of the Society of Cincinnati.

--Brock-Perry

William J. Worth-- Part 3: Second Seminole and Mexican Wars

Continued from December 27, 2020.

SECOND SEMINOLE WAR

Using his own tactics, he successfully prosecuted the Second Seminole War in Florida and was promoted to the rank of brevet brigadier general.  Eventually he convinced Secretary of War John C. Spencer to allow the remaining Seminoles  in the territory of Florida to confine to an unofficial reservation in southwest Florida, and declared an official end to the war in August 1842.

MEXICAN WAR

When the Mexican War began, Worth was serving under General Zachary Taylor in Texas and negotiated the surrender of the Mexican city of Matamoros.  He next commanded the Second Regular Division, Army of Occupation at the Battle of Monterrey in September 1846.  In 1847, he was transferred to  his old friend Winfield Scott's army and placed in command of the First Division.

He took part in the Siege of Veracruz and engaged  in the battles of Cerro Gordo, Contreras and Churubusco.  At Mexico City, Scott ordered Worth to seize the Mexican fortifications at Molino del Rey.  This effectually ended the two generals' friendship when Scott refused to allow Worth to change his plan of attack, a move that caused the First Division to suffer heavy casualties.

--Brock-Perry

William J. Worth-- Part 2: Glad I Didn't Have to Memorize This

Also, while a major,  Worth uttered his most famous words which are now inscribed in West Point's "Bugle Notes", a book of knowledge that all cadets must know by heart.

They are as follows:

"But an officer on duty knows no one -- to be partial  is to dishonor himself and  the object of his ill-advised favor.  What will be thought of him who exacts of his friends that which disgraces him?  Look at him who winks at  and overlooks offences in one, which he causes to be punished in another, and contrast him with the inflexible soldier who does his duty faithfully, not withstanding it occasionally  wars with his private feelings.  The conduct of one will be venerated and emulated, the other detested as a satire upon soldiership and honor."

Brevet Major William Jenkins Worth

I am sure glad I didn't have to memorize this as the wording is particularly hard to comprehend.

After the War of 1812, he was Commandant of  Cadets at West Point and rose to the rank of colonel in 1838 when he was put in command of the newly formed 8th U.S. Infantry Regiment.

So, was this the end of Gen. Worth's career?  Stay tuned.

Personally, I Think This Could Have Been Significantly Shortened.  --Brock-Perry

William J. Worth-- Part 1: Badly Wounded at the Battle of Lundy's Landing

From Wikipedia. 

WILLIAM J. WORTH

(March 1, 1794-May 7, 1849)

United States officer in War of 1812, Second Seminole War and Mexican War.

Commissioned as a first lieutenant in March 1813 and served as an aide to then-brigadier general Winfield Scott.  They developed a friendship that remained for the rest of their lives.  William even named his son Winfield Scott Worth.   William distinguished himself at the Battles of Chippewa and Lundy's Landing during the Niagara Campaign.  

In the latter battle, he was seriously injured by grapeshot in the thigh.  Not expected to survive the wound, Worth spent a year in confinement, recovered and was raised to the rank of major.  Unfortunately, however, he remained lame for the rest of his life.

--Brock-Perry

Kevin Franklin Picks William Worth to Have Lunch With

From the December 23, 2020, Spotlight (NY) News  "Five questions: Kevin Franklin" by Jim Franco.

Kevin Franklin is Historian of the Town of Colonie, worked for the City of Menand's police department for 30 years and  has been municipal historian of Menand since 1968.  My kind of guy.

QUESTION:  If you could have lunch with one historical figure, who would it be and why?

ANSWER:  I've often thought about that.  Who wouldn't want to have lunch with George Washington or Benjamin Franklin (no relation).  However, it would be a toss-up between Gen. William Worth who built  the large home called "Hedgelawn" across from Schuyler Flatts Park or Benjamin Prescott.

Worth distinguished himself during the War of 1812.  He was also an early superintendent of Watervliet Arsenal, fought in the Seminole Indian Wars and the U.S. War with Mexico, quite the flamboyant character.

Lake Worth, Florida, and Fort Worth, Texas, are named after him.

Benjamin Prescott was an army engineer during the American Revolution and had quite a career afterwards.

I'll have to do some research on William Worth.

--Brock-Perry

William Jenkins Worth-- Part 2: Second Seminole War and Mexican War

After the War of 1812, he became commandant of the military academy at West Point and was promoted to colonel.  After that, he was put in command of the newly-formed Eighth Infantry regiment stationed in Florida.  He gained victory there and was promoted to brigadier general in 1842.

Worth convinced Secretary of War John C. Spencer to allow  to allow the remaining Indians to stay in southwest Florida.  He also argued for an official end to the war in 1842.

Worth served under Zachary Taylor in Texas during the Mexican War.  Next, he commanded  the 2nd Regular Division Army of Occupation at the Battle of Monterrey in September 1846.  In 1847, he was transferred to  his old friend Winfield Scott army and placed in command of the First Division.

Worth died of cholera in 1849 in San Antonio, Texas.

The cities of Fort Worth and Lake Worth in Texas are named after him, as is Lake Worth in Florida.

--Brock-Perry

William Jenkins Worth-- Part 1: The War of 1812

From the December 13, 2019, Journal Gazette & Times Courier  "Little known characters of American history.

WILLIAM JENKINS WORTH (March 1, 1794- May 7, 1849)

United States Army officer in the War of 1812, Second Seminole War and Mexican War.

He served as an aide to Winfield Scott in the War of 1812 as a first lieutenant.  The two men developed a friendship  that would last a lifetime.

During the War of 1812, Worth distinguished himself at the battles of Chippewa and Lundy's Lane during the Niagara Campaign. In the last battle, Worth was seriously wounded  and not expected to survive, but after a year's  confinement, he recovered.

He rose to the rank of major, but that wound would leave him lame for the rest of his life.

--Brock-Perry