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 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:
Camp of Meade’s Division
West of Sharpsburg – Head Quarters of Field Officers of 121st Regt. P. V. Friday Night
Oct. 10th ½ past 10 PM
Dear Julia,
On Wednesday afternoon at ½ past 4 O’clock PM we began to break up our Camp at Frederick. We cut down our baggage turned in quantities of accoutrements muskets &c to the Quartermaster at Frederick leaving a Lieut. in charge and finally got off with the force about 6 Oclock PM. I reported our March to Genl Paul at about that hour. We marched through the night to Jefferson about 8 miles from Frederick and after passing through the town went into a clover field of a Mr. Johnson and bivouacked at midnight – tying our horses to the fences and sleeping on the ground. Our passing through Frederick was received with many loyal greetings and Union flags waving from the level of the people I should think them loyal – although there are some bitter Secessionists in the town. At the west end of Frederick there are two roads, we took the Southern one which again forks and then we took the right hand one marching over a good road all the way. On the morning after our arrival by and Jefferson we breakfasted at Mr. Johnson’s – who is an elder brother to Cost Johnson. They are a regular Maryland family and seemed as if they heartily hated both sides ourselves for being there in the unceremonious way in which we came and the South for having been there. After breakfast we marched a mile and a half down into the valley to Catocton City. We have crossed at the Catocton Ridge during the night on the march to Jefferson. On the banks of the creek we found a few piece of bottom land found where we stacked arms and remained during the heat of the day. We bathed and washed made the men do the same and rested until ½ past 4 O’clock when we again resumed the march…
Citation: Alexander Biddle (1819-1899), autograph letter signed to Julia Williams Rush Biddle. 10 October 1862. Rush:IV:30:24
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