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 121st Regt P.V.
Camp North of Middletown
maryland
Saturday June 27th 1863
Dear Julia
I wrote to you yesterday morning from Camp to south East of Jefferson after having marched from Broad Run through Edward’s ferry at mouth of Goose Creek Poolesville to Barnesville thence Across Monocacy Creek,round the face of Sugar loaf Mt to Adamstown on the Baltimore RRd and so on to Jefferson – this morning we left Camp near Jefferson, marched to the town, through it and turned off to the North – we saw about 400 Yrds west of us Johnson’s house where we breakfasted in our first march through Maryland a year since – we marched to the north about 8 miles to Middletown and are now in Camp N N E of it about one mile – we are in an open field alongside of a beautiful clover field in which we cut about enough for our horses to eat but do it no other injury, our men have to burn rails to cook with but we do no other injury. I dont know what we are waiting for but perhaps our Generals know – and I take it is all properly done. The Rebels were said to be at Boonsboro about 8 miles off on the other side of the Mountain. Nichols Gap is right before us on the South Mt where the battle was fought last year and high up on the top of the is a triangular piece of cleared ground just at the pass where General Reno was killed last year – I understand our cavalry hold the pass. – last night was passed in a clover field among some trees on the top of a high hill near Jefferson. this clover field belonged to a man named Thomas, a secesh – in an old deserted barn we put our horses and put up some rails on two forks and spread shelter tents over them – Under there we slept – although it drizzled a good deal during night – We had Continued to get some chickens and hard boiled eggs at farm houses and had a hearty meal – I am now writing under a similar tent – one side is the fence of a field under a young apple tree, the roof is made of rails covered with shelter tents. thus four ineffectual Attempts to give a sketch this last may answer. when filled with straw as ours is it is pretty comfortable. at least I slept well last night. I hear to day that Hooker was at Poolesville and hoped that it was not so. I fear he will do something foolish – If we hold the passes in these Mts and Can place a force between the Rebels and the Potomac, if they move that way – If they Come towards Baltimore I think they can also be met – I hope if no other result is attained that new efforts and greater unanimity of opinion will characterize the northern people and the Government – from where I am lying on my bed of straw covered with my india rubber poncho I see the spires of the two churches of Middletown peering over the hill SSW of us, one white, the other Brown – all around I see Camps – packs of wagons, ambulances and Artillery. Infantry are moving – whilst an occasional troop of Cavalry makes its appearance going out or Coming in from picket duty – I have scribbled this off on my rubber bed, rather a difficult place to write on. we dined to day at a farm house and such hungry men I think you have rarely seen or men more glad to see something of comfort and civilization. one thing was particularly noticed by many of us – the great number of streams of beautifully clear fresh water in Maryland whilst on the Virginia side they were few in number and almost always muddy. Good bye beloved – give lasting love to Uncle and Kiss our darlings for me – I hear a mail is in the wagons just Come up and I hope for letters from you – God bless and Keep you dear dear wife
Your loving husband
Alexander
Citation: Alexander Biddle (1819-1899), autograph letter signed to Julia Williams Rush Biddle, 27 June 1863. Rush IV:30:32
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