August 18, 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 (excerpt):

Head Qrs Reg P.V.

Camp at Rappahannock St

Tuesday 18^th August 1863

Dear Wife

We have to day moved our Camp about 5 yds out of the wood across the railroad and are now above and West of it on a little hill which slopes in all directions out front is nearly parallel to the RRd towards the SW – Although there are but six or seven trees on this knoll which is nearly Covered with our tents we are well situated on higher ground than formerly with a better arrangement of the Camp – tomorrow night will be the conjunction of the Moon with Venus Jupiter and Saturn – an unusual thing as they are the three brightest planets all now nearer to the moon than they are likely to be for many days to come. We are ordered to day to draw knapsacks which as men don’t care to carry much clothing in such weather we suppose to mean that we shall have to carry an extra supply of rations – We are very much in a muddle as to where we are going and don’t understand why we don’t hear from Charleston (or rather why the papers are so quiet about It We think it will fall but now quite so soon as has been predicted perhaps not for three or four months yet…

Citation: Alexander Biddle (1819-1899), autograph letter signed to Julia Williams Rush Biddle, 18 August 1863. Rush IV:30:34