October 13, 1862: 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. 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)

Oct. 13^th 1862

Camp Near Sharpsburg

Meade’s Division

Dear Julia

I got a letter from you this morning and have been thinking of writing to you and Clem and Tom all day long but have had but little time. I woke early and let to work to get our ammunition put into two wagons to be sent to Lieut Harding the Division Ordinance Officer – this took some time after breakfast and I found I would be obliged to be in camp whilst the Colonel went out on Battalion drill – hardly had he gone when an orderly came with orders for the Quartermaster who was absent. To those I replied. Then came another orderly with a circular to know if general order No. 217 had been complied with. This I endorsed as fulfilled. Shortly after came another saying with an order from the Brigade Commander stating that two wagons sent with ammunition had only two mules each and that four was meant and that the meaning of order No 217 must be strictly complied with. So I ordered the mules to go. Soon after the Colonel returned he had dinner and after dinner got notice to get ready for immediate inspection. We did so marched the regiment out passed in review before Colonel Magilton and were then ordered to execute a number of movements by having all of what we did without difficulty but not as well as we shall hereafter do them. The ranks were then opened and knapsacks inspected and the Regiment dismissed.

Citation: Alexander Biddle (1819-1899), autograph letter signed to Julia Williams Rush Biddle. 13 October 1862. Rush:IV:30:24