William Hord Worthington (1828-1862)
Colonel William H. Worthington, of the 5th Iowa Volunteer Infantry
He was born and raised in Kentucky. He graduated from Bacon College and briefly tried his hand at farming before becoming a lawyer with a small practice at Harrodsburg. In 1857, he took his practice to Iowa. On the outbreak of Civil War he sided with the Union. He freed his slaves and raised the 5th Iowa Infantry serving as their Colonel. In 1862, he was accidentally shot by one of his guards who mistook him for the enemy. General Pope lamented: "In Colonel Worthington, this army has sustained a serious loss. Prompt, gallant and patriotic, a brilliant military career was before him". He had just one daughter, Lucy, who despite marrying a millionaire New Yorker and living a very comfortable existence in the north, never forgave him for siding with the Union.
