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 (excerpt):
Head Qrs 121 Reg P.V.
Camp near Belle plains
Saturday March 28 1863
Dear Wife
I today received the enclosed it explains itself, I cant very well tell you anything more for I don’t recollect what I said in my letter to Tom and perhaps it is as well that you should know nothing about it – but I think the enclosed will both please and amuse you from the weathercocky character of recent correspondence of which it is the sequel. You can see how it is nothing more than the result of vagaries which sit longer upon my brother Tom than most others – I have written to him as kindly as I could and trust our next discussion will be in the peaceful scenes of civil life when war will be no more. We have been in expectation to day of having a Review of the Army Corps but it has rained incessantly with occasional lightning and thunder the roads are again wretched and it will be several days before they Can be in any very good order again – We have also today been expecting the Colonel but he has not arrived and cant do so before to morrow afternoon I wrote to you yesterday about our Brigade Review which we got through with very nicely the little 121st doing its share very fairly. One thing which surprises me is the tales of dissension among officers of other regiments which I hear of in their relations with each other – In the 121st We have always been united and there is no one among them in whom I have not a great deal of confidence and with whom we have ever had any but the pleasantest relations…
Citation: Alexander Biddle (1819-1899), autograph letters signed to Julia Williams Rush Biddle. 28 March1863. Rush IV:30:29