February 14, 1863: Alexander Biddle to Julia Williams Rush Biddle

Alexander Biddle was a member of the prominent Philadelphia Biddle family and was married to Julia Williams Rush,  the granddaughter of Dr. Benjamin Rush.  Biddle served with the 121st Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, beginning in September 1862. Starting out as a major, he would participate in Fredericksburg and Gettysburg, among other engagements, and would leave the service as a lieutenant colonel. (He was commissioned, but never mustered, as colonel)

Transcript:

Head Qrs 121^st Regiment P.V.

Camp near Belle Plains Virg.

Saturday February 14. 1863

Ask Patrick to buy a buy a blue webbing surcingle for me and send it by any opportunity

Dear Julia

I wrote to you yesterday and after writing rode over to Genl Doubleday’s quarters to look out for a new site for the camp. We rode together for several miles and crossed the river which runs into Potomac Creek the road was exceedingly muddy. We saw seven or eight dead horses in the mud by the road side and selected a point just on the crest of the hill looking down into the ravine and with a slight peep into the Potomac Creek in the distance. Doubleday selected his quarters near by – Ramsay and I rode home up the ravine supposing it would head to our camp and found it did so – as we came to the sight site of our first camp we saw some of out men moving down through it and perceived it was the funeral of Roan who died the day before. Don had the service the men fired the parting salute and we returned to camp up on the hill. This morning we rose early and made preparations for packing. We after some delay in relieving picket and waiting for the old one to return got knapsacks packed tents struck wagons (we got 5 extra ones from Division Quartermaster) filled with baggage and even bricks and the plumed tops and sides of cracker boxes which we had been using for table stools doors &c – about twelve O’clock we marched off down the valley and reached our destination after visiting the sites of their other old camps. After arriving and seeing that the different companies had their quarters assigned to them I with permission rode off to Rush’s Cavalry Camp about 4 miles off being on the other side of White Oak Church near our first camp in that vicinity. the road was exceedingly muddy – but not so bad as it has been – the country to which had been heavily wooded when the army first marched through was now very bare of trees indeed – thick woods had been swept away and there was a clear view across the Country over ground…

Citation: Alexander Biddle (1819-1899), autograph letters signed to Julia Williams Rush Biddle.14 February 1863. Rush IV:30:28