Background
Reed Werden was born in Delaware County, Pa. , the son of Col. William Werden, who served in the Seminole War.
Reed Werden was born in Delaware County, Pa. , the son of Col. William Werden, who served in the Seminole War.
He was appointed a midshipman in the navy on January 9, 1834, and served subsequently in the Brazil and the Mediterranean squadrons and in the Boston, 1840-43, on a cruise around the world. Made a lieutenant on Feburary 27, 1847, he was in the sloop Germantown during the Mexican War and commanded landing forces at Tuxpan and Tampico. During the next decade his sea assignments included a cruise on the Vandalia in the Pacific Squadron, 1849-52, in the Albany in home waters and the West Indies, 1853-55, and in the Cumberland operating on the African coast against the slave trade, 1857-59. In the Civil War he served in the Minnesota at the capture of Hatteras Inlet on August 28, 1861, and in September following took command of the gunboat Stars and Stripes, which on Feburary 7, 1862, led the first column of the flotilla in the attack on Roanoke Island. During the next spring he commanded several small vessels in Albemarle Sound and participated in the action of March 13-14 at New Bern. After detachment from this command, April 17, 1862, because of illness, and promotion to commander, July 16, 1862, he was ordered to command the Conemaugh, which in July joined the South Atlantic blockading squadron under Admiral Du Pont and operated in the blockade of the Savannah and Stono rivers and other points on the southeast coast. In June 1863 he was again ordered north because of illness and served chiefly at the Philadelphia Navy Yard until November 28, 1864, when he was selected as fleet captain of the East Gulf Squadron. He was in this duty until the close of the war and had command of the Powhatan, which in May 1865 blockaded the Confederate Stonewall at Havana until her surrender to the Spanish authorities. Made captain July 25, 1866, commodore April 27, 1871, and rear admiral Feburary 4, 1875, he was stationed at the Mare Island Navy Yard, 1868-71, was head of the New London Naval Station, 1872-74, and commanded the South Pacific Squadron, 1875-76. In 1877 he retired because of failing health. He died at Newport, R. I.
He is described as a tall, slim man, with large nose, dark hair and complexion.
He was married but had no children.