Alexander Biddle was a member of the prominent Philadelphia Biddle family and was married to Julia Williams Rush, the granddaughter of Dr. Benjamin Rush. A businessman and member of the First Troop Philadelphia City Calvary before the war, Biddle entered Civil War service with the 121st Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry on September 1, 1862. Starting out as a a major, he would fight at Fredericksburg and Gettysburg, among other engagements, and would leave the service as a lieutenant colonel. (He was commissioned, but never mustered, as colonel)
[Note: this statement has been updated to reflect that Biddle was not mustered as a colonel. It also originally mistakenly stated Biddle was also at Chancellorsville, but he was on leave]
Transcript [excerpt]:
Camp Chase
Tuesday 22nd Sept 1862
Dear Julia
I am lying in my tent at ½ past 9 o’clock writing by the light of a candle stuck in the socket of a rusty old bayonet picked up on the battle ground. Today your box arrived the bushel of grapes came last night – We had them this morning for breakfast and some I sent to the mess of Rosengarten & Hulse and the rest to the sick in the Hospital to whom I also gave your lemons and the cotton surrounding of the box also to a rheumatic patient there is a good deal of sickness prevalent in and about the camp. Dysentery and fevers – but we have two good physicians – Drs Ramsay & Comfort – Our principal Doctor Hottenstein though a man of acquirement is not I think so well adapted to the hospital as either of his assistants. We today were received for the second time by Genl Casey there were about seven regiments and two batteries out.
Citation: Alexander Biddle (1819-1899), autograph letter signed to Julia Williams Rush Biddle. 22 September 1862. Rush:IV:30:23