ter the fight, went directly to Washington. President
Lincoln was at a cabinet meeting when he heard of Worden's arrival in
the city, and hastily rising said, "Gentlemen, I must go to _that
fellow_." Worden was lying on a sofa, his head swathed in bandages,
when the President entered. "Mr. President," said he, "you do me great
honor by this visit."--"Sir," replied Mr. Lincoln, while the tears ran
down his cheeks, "I am the one who is honored in this interview."

Among his crew Worden was very much beloved. The following letter,
sent him while on a bed of pain, is all the more touching for the rude
form in which their affection for their commander is expressed:--

[Illustration: Handling a Gun.]

TO CAPTAIN WORDEN.

HAMPTON ROADS, April 24, 1862.
UNITED STATES MONITOR.

TO OUR DEAR AND HONORED CAPTAIN.

_Dear Sir,_--These few lines is from your own crew of the
Monitor, with their kindest Love to you their Honored Captain,
hoping to God that they will have the pleasure of welcoming you
back to us again soon, for we are all ready able and willing to
meet Death or any thing else, only give us back our Captain
again. Dear Captain, we have got your Pilot-house fixed and all
ready for you when you get well again; and we all sincerely hope
that soon we will have the pleasure of welcoming you back to
it.... We are waiting very patiently to engage our Antagonist if
we could only get a chance to do so. The last time she came out
we all thought we would have the Pleasure of sinking her. But we
all got disappointed, for we did not fire one shot, and the
Norfolk papers says we are cowards in the Monitor--and all we
want is a chance to show them where it lies with you for our
Captain. We can teach them who is cowards. But there is a great
deal that we would like to write to you but we think you will
soon be with us again yourself. But we all join in with our
kindest love to you, hoping that God will restore you to us again
and hoping that your sufferings is at an end now, and we are all
so glad to hear that your eyesight will be spaired to you again.
We would wish to write more to you if we have your kind
Permission to do so but at present we all conclude by tendering
to you our kindest Love and affection, to our Dear and Honored
Captain.