William Jackson Worthington (November 9, 1833 – May 22, 1914) served in the Union Army during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

, was a state senator, and served as the 26th Lieutenant Governor of Kentucky under

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

William O. Bradley from 1895 to 1899. He was born in

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

and died in

Boyd County, Kentucky Boyd County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, its population was 48,065. The county seat is Catlettsburg, and its largest city is Ashland. The county was formed in 1860. Its are found at the northeaste ...

Early life

Worthington was born near

Johnstown, Pennsylvania Johnstown is a city in Cambria County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 18,411 as of the 2020 census. Located east of Pittsburgh, Johnstown is the principal city of the Johnstown, Pennsylvania, Metropolitan Statistical Area, whi ...

, but spent his childhood in

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

. He came to

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia ...

with his parents as a teenager, and served in the 22nd Kentucky Infantry Regiment of the

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union of the collective states. It proved essential to th ...

during the

. He was commissioned captain of the Company B of the regiment, and was later promoted to the ranks of major and lieutenant colonel. Worthington was present during the

Siege of Vicksburg The siege of Vicksburg (May 18 – July 4, 1863) was the final major military action in the Vicksburg campaign of the American Civil War. In a series of maneuvers, Union Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant and his Army of the Tennessee crossed the Mis ...

and the Battle of Cumberland Gap. He was under the command of

Ambrose Burnside Ambrose Everett Burnside (May 23, 1824 – September 13, 1881) was an American army officer and politician who became a senior Union general in the Civil War and three times Governor of Rhode Island, as well as being a successful inventor ...

during the Red River Campaign and at the

Capture of New Orleans The capture of New Orleans (April 25 – May 1, 1862) during the American Civil War was a turning point in the war, which precipitated the capture of the Mississippi River. Having fought past Forts Jackson and St. Philip, the Union was ...

. After the conflict's end, Colonel Worthington returned to his home in

Greenup County, Kentucky Greenup County is a county located along the Ohio River in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Kentucky. As of the 2020 census, the population was 35,962. The county was founded in 1803 and named in honor of Christopher Greenup. Its co ...

and purchased a furnace in the Hanging Rock Iron Field. He was actively involved in the iron business for about fifteen years.

Career

Worthington was prominent and influential in local affairs during his lifetime. He served one term as county judge of

Greenup, Kentucky Greenup is a home rule-class city located at the confluence of the Little Sandy River with the Ohio River in Greenup County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 1,188 at the 2010 census. Greenup is one of three county seats in the Com ...

and was elected a state senator in 1869. In 1895 he was elected lieutenant governor of the state, and in 1900 he was again elected to the State Legislature. Inn 1896, Worthington pardoned one of the axe murderers involved in a horrific attack on a family of African Americans ( Blyew v. United States). Worthington granted the pardon due to doubts over the evidence used to convict the mman.

Legacy

The city of

Worthington, Kentucky Worthington is a home rule-class city on the south bank of the Ohio River in Greenup County, Kentucky, in the United States. The population was 1,609 as of the 2010 U.S. census. Worthington is a part of the Huntington-Ashland-Ironton metropol ...

was named after Worthington, being built by his daughters upon land inherited from the Colonel.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Worthington, William Jackson 1833 births 1914 deaths Lieutenant Governors of Kentucky Politicians from Cambria County, Pennsylvania Kentucky Republicans 19th-century American politicians Union Army officers Military personnel from Pennsylvania