1750-1778
The subject of this sketch was born in Philadelphia on the 10th day of September, 1750. His father was William Biddle, of New Jersey, son of one of the first settlers and proprietors of that state, who had removed to Philadelphia previous to Nicholas' birth. His mother was the daughter of Nicholas Scull, who was for many years surveyor general of Pennsylvania.
He was brought up to the sea, and when less than 16 years of age gave striking proof of that courage and fortitude for which in after-life he became distinguished.
In a storm in January, 1766, off the coast of Yucatan, the vessel in which he and his brother Charles were serving was wrecked. Charles, then five years older than Nicholas, wrote afterwards in his autobiography:
We were going at the rate of seven or eight knots when she (the vessel) struck. The first stroke she gave was dreadful, and if she had been loaded with any other cargo than mahogany and logwood she would have gone to pieces in an hour. The second sea that struck her carried her within the outer-breaker, and fortunately threw her broadside to the sea, by which means our boats could live to leeward of her. We hoisted them out; the long-boat was soon lost. The yawl we veered away with a hawser. My brother Nicholas went in her, and did everything he was ordered with as much coolness as he would have done alongside the wharf.
Nicholas underwent a very trying ordeal after the foundering of the ship. The yawl being too small to contain the crew of ten, lots were drawn as to who should go back to St. George's Key in her and who should await rescue on the Triangles. It fell to Nicholas' lot, with three others of the crew, to remain on the island. Here they tarried two weeks1 with only slight means of sustaining life. Had it not been for his brother Charles Biddle's incessant efforts in organizing a rescuing party, Nicholas might never have left the island alive. Several times the boat in which the rescuing party succeeded in setting sail was turned back by contrary winds, but still Charles persevered: let him tell the end of the rescue in his own words:
When we came within a quarter of a mile of the landing I stood up and called to my brother and Armstrong (one of the crew). Nothing could exceed their joy . . . . it was near two weeks we had been absent. I was shocked to see how miserably they looked. The water on the island was so bad that nothing but necessity could induce them to drink it.
1Some accounts state months. E. B.
After other voyages less disastrous, our youthful sailor, still seeking activity and adventure determined to enter the British Navy. Going to London with letters of recommendation, he was rated as a midshipman on board of a British sloop-of-war commanded by Captain (afterwards Admiral) Stirling. At the time of his enlistment there had been a prospect of active service against Spain, but in this he was disappointed. An extract from a letter written his brother Charles in America, from on board the man-of-war Portland at Montserrat, British West Indies, under date of June 20, 1772, shows very clearly his state of mind:
I have little, too little, duty. I have plenty of time to study or learn what I choose. This situation I liked very well with the expectation of a War. . . . .
At Antigua, in the month following, under date of July 6, he writes to his brother James:
I shall make a purchase of a sextant if I can meet with one that is cheap, as I know every method yet proposed for finding the Longitude. I will also get a three-foot telescope if I continue in the Navy, in which I intend to be guided by Captn. Stirling's advice. I am extremely fond of him, he has not only the character of an excellent commander but that much nobler of an excellent man.
This commission in the Portland came to an end in the autumn, for a letter, to his sister Lydia from London, dated October 20, 1772, recites:
DEAR SISTER:
The Portland is paid off and Captn. Stirling being in a bad state of health don't choose to be employed. But the case is otherwise with your Most Obedient; I am ready for any service or station.
After playful allusion to the British being so much engaged just then with the suppression of an Indian revolt at St. Vincent's as to prevent their engaging in war, he continues:
I foresee your curiosity will not be satisfied with what I have already said, therefore shall endeavor to do so far as my abilities will let me.
I wear my own hair, black hat, cloth coat, knit breeches, paper colored stockings (white?), leather shoes, metal buckles and linen shirt. I lodge in London and sleep in a bed.
In the next succeeding months an opportunity for more active employment presented itself, when a voyage of discovery was planned to ascertain how far navigation was practicable towards the North Pole. Extremely anxious to join this expedition, young Biddle at once endeavored to gain permission to do so. Not being successful in his application to the authorities, he determined to enter before the mast, and did so. On this same expedition went young Horatio, afterwards Lord Nelson. Both he and young Nicholas are said to have been appointed coxswains, a station always assigned to the most active and trusty seamen. The expedition penetrated as far as the latitude of 81 degrees and 39 minutes, and experienced all the hardships and vicissitudes of an Arctic voyage.
We get a glimpse of young Nicholas' hardy and unaffected character in a letter written to his sister from London on the return of the expedition. This letter is dated almost a year to a day, after the one we have just quoted from:
LONDON, Oct. 18th, 1773.
MY DEAR SISTER:— . . . . 'Tis three days since we were discharged from the Carcass (name of vessel). I suppose I should now give some small account of our proceedings, or do you not think it would be most proper first to forewarn you not to credit idle tales; for you must know I have been so frightened, so terrified at hearing of the surprising difficulties we encountered, the dreadful dangers we were in, that I am positive my hand shakes while I write, and what astonishes, confounds and frightens me most of all is that during the whole voyage, I did not apprehend danger ( !). But now good lack-a-daisy perceive it plain as the Ballad in sister Polly's hand
On the vessel's return to England, ominous signs were beginning to appear in the inter-relations of England and her American colony. Young Biddle soon resigned his commission and returned to Philadelphia, eager to enlist in the service of his country.
His first Commission was in command of the galley Franklin, fitted out for the defence of the Delaware. This was under authority of the Committee of Safety, of which Benjamin Franklin was president, and bears date August 1, 1775. It recites:
We, reposing especial trust and confidence in your Patriotism, Valour, Conduct and Fidelity, do by these Presents constitute and appoint you to be Captain of the Provincial Armed Boat called the Franklin fitted out for the protection of the Province of Pennsylvania and the Commerce of the River Delaware, against all hostile Enterprizes and for the defence of American Liberty.
In December of the same year he was .given command of the brig Andrea Doria (14 guns and 130 men), coming now directly into the service of Congress, as the following document plainly shows:
To Nicholas Biddle, Esquire, Captain of the Brigantine Andrea Doria.
You having received a Commission from the Congress to command the aforesaid Brigantine you are hereby directed to take charge of her and all her officers, men and stores, to see that everything be conducted in the most prudent manner and that the most careful and exact discipline, peace and good order be maintained on board the said Brig, and that you put yourself and the Brig aforesaid under the direction of Esek Hopkins, Esquire, Commander-in-chief of the Fleet of the United Colonies, and to follow, observe and obey all such directions, instructions and commands as you may receive from him; and carefully observe and answer all such signals as he may display, for which purpose you will secure from him an account of the intention and signification of each signal. And you are to be particularly careful that you do not separate from the Fleet unless by express orders from the Commander-in-Chief, but if by the extremity of weather it should so happen, you are to use your utmost endeavours to join it again immediately at such rendezvous as may be appointed for that purpose.
Dated at Philadelphia Jany. 6th, 1776.
By order of Congress.
(Signed) STEP. HOPKINS
CHRIST. GADSDEN
SILAS DEANE
JOSEPH HEWES
His vessel sailed with the fleet under Commodore Hopkins in the expedition against New Providence.
While waiting in the Delaware to set sail on this expedition, an incident occurred that revealed our young commander's mettle.
Two deserters from the Andrea Doria were reported at Lewes in prison. He sent an officer on shore to bring them back to the ship. The officer returned without his men, reporting that they, with other prisoners, had armed themselves and barricaded the door of their prison, swearing they would not be taken alive. The militia of the town had been called out, but hesitated to proceed to extremities. Taking a midshipman with him, Captain Biddle went directly to the prison and ordered one of the deserters inside, named Green, to open the door. His demand was met with a surly threat that if the captain attempted to enter he would shoot him. Captain Biddle ordered the door to be forced, and with a pistol in each hand stepped inside. Looking steadily at the threatening ringleader, who was armed with a musket and stood prepared to fire, he said, "Now, Green, if you do not take good aim you are a dead man!" His look and manner had such an effect that no further resistance was attempted, and the prisoners were soon seen secured.
It was at this time, before leaving the Capes, that he wrote his brother James:
I know not what may be our fate; be it however what it may, I will never cause a blush on the cheeks of my friends or countrymen.
A letter extant gives an account of the Glasgow incident during the New Providence expedition, when the English vessel managed to escape the efforts of the fleet. He played his own part in the action manfully, engaging and pursuing the enemy until the Admiral's signal was run up ordering the chase to be abandoned. This is not the place for a discussion of the wisdom or unwisdom of the maneuvers of the entire fleet. At some future time the writer may develop the subject from the correspondence adverted to.
Captain Biddle's after-cruise, independently in the Doria, resulted in a constant succession of captured prizes. Receiving orders to proceed off the Banks of Newfoundland in order to intercept the transports and storeships bound to Boston, he captured before reaching the Banks, two ships from Scotland with 400 Highland troops destined for Boston. When he arrived in the Delaware he had but five of the crew with which he sailed from New London, the rest having been distributed among the captured vessels and their places supplied by men who had entered from the prizes taken. He had a great number of prisoners, so that for some days before he got in, he never left the deck.
That his sterner virtues did not obliterate or subdue the gentler qualities of his spirit is shown by the care bestowed upon the sick coming under his charge during and following the expedition to New Providence. Smallpox broke out among the seamen of the fleet and the Doria was for a while converted into a hospital ship. Here Captain Biddle gave unremitting attention to the sufferers, resigning his own quarters to a young midshipman sorely stricken by the disease, and watching over him.
His brother's eulogium on him as "one of the best and bravest of men" springs to mind; and his personality as described by the former conjures up one who might well have been a sympathetic and welcome visitor in the sick-ward. Charles Biddle notes "He was a remarkably handsome young man, and very cheerful and entertaining," adding, "I believe he never drank a quart of liquor in his life." That he was possessed of great physical strength the lineaments of his countenance denote. The brush of Peale, the great American painter in the Revolutionary period, has well expressed on canvas the predominant traits of vigor joined to a calm resolution he exhibited so often at critical moments.
Before the first year of the war was ended, Nicholas Biddle was regarded at Philadelphia as one of the most active and efficient men in the naval service of the infant government. That even in so short a time he had won the confidence of those charged with the administration of the navy, the command to which he next succeeded furnishes abundant proof.
The frigate Randolph, of 32 guns, which had been building, was completed in November, 1776, and our young Captain was made commander.
In fitting her out for sea, it was found difficult to procure a suitable crew. Privateering in small vessels had attracted many capable seamen, depleting the available supply. To make up a sufficient number, Captain Biddle accepted some volunteers from the prisoners taken with his prizes; these proved to be troublesome members of the crew. Then to fill up, Congress drafted a partial crew from the army. With this heterogeneous body to man the vessel and after being delayed in obtaining a store of ammunition, the Randolph set sail from Philadelphia in February, 1777.
On the eve of the Randolph's departure, and under date of January 30, 1777, Robert Morris—then vice-president of the Marine Committee—addressed a letter to her captain. In it he expresses a conviction that the Randolph will prove a speedy vessel, and curiously enough gives warning as to the danger of engaging "two-deckers." On the 15th of February, he writes again, countermanding the first orders given and appointing Captain Biddle to sail for the Island of Martinique, there to take in stores and ammunition. At this juncture, however, the familiar saying about the "unexpected" was fulfilled, for shortly after leaving the Capes of the Delaware in a violent gale encountered, the Randolph's masts gave way, and had it not been for her commander's exertions she might never have reached port. Writing under date of February 11 from Charleston, S. C., where he succeeded in bringing his vessel in safety, he expresses himself as follows:
CHARLETOWN (Charleston), Feby 11TH, 1777.
MY DEAR BROTHER:—
I have just got here after one of the most disagreeable passages that ever I experienced. We sprung our foremast and were forced to get everything off it to keep it from going over the side. And a few days after we lost our mainmast which gave way even with the deck and gave little more warning than was necessary to stand from under. As it blew a fret of wind and a very high sea going to see it stagger from side to side with the roll of the vessel was as unpleasant a sight as ever I wish to behold. We rigged jury masts and very fortunately had got in just before a gale of wind came on that would undoubtedly have put us ashore. The Randolph is the very best vessel for sailing that ever I knew. I hope soon to be out in her again.
A person of credit declares to me that he knew those spars our masts were made of to have lain these 18 years in the water at the mast yard. . . . .
I lost 14 or 15 men on the passage by sickness but have been very hearty myself. . . . .
My love to Fanny and the family.
God bless you.
N. B.
From some cause unknown, his letter to the Marine Committee must have miscarried, for under date of April 26, 1777, the Committee write to Captain, Nicholas Biddle:
Your letter of the 14th instant is the only one we have received since the misfortune of carrying away your masts or indeed since you left the Capes of Delaware so that we are strangers to the cause and manner of that unfortunate incident, if you wrote any previous letter it never reached our hands.
Our young commander was not long in getting his vessel refitted, and was soon on a cruise to the West Indies. On this cruise he captured the English ship True Briton, 20 guns, having under convoy three merchantmen, and carried the four prizes into Charleston Harbor. This exploit gave great satisfaction in the South, the vessels being laden with arms and ammunition, of both of which that part of the country was then much in need.
Following this, for some months the Randolph was blockaded by a superior force in Charleston Harbor. But by February, 1778, a force had been gotten together with which it was hoped a successful attack might be made upon the blockading fleet. For this purpose the Randolph, accompanied by the General Moultrie, 18 guns; the Polly, 16 guns; the Notre-Dame, 16 guns, and the Fair-American, 14 guns, sailed together. They were on the lookout for the Carrysfort, 32 guns; the Perseus, 24 guns; the Hinchinbrook, 16 guns, and a privateer.
The squadron was delayed in getting to sea by contrary winds, and low water on the bar, the Randolph being a vessel of unusual draft. During the delay the British cruisers disappeared, so that when the American ships did get to sea they set their course to the eastward, hoping to fall in with the enemy. In this they were not successful; but about 3 p. m., on the 7th of March, a signal was made from the Randolph for a sail to the windward, in consequence of which the squadron hauled on the wind and stood for her. As the sequence will prove, this strange sail turned out to be the English "two-decker" Yarmouth, carrying 64 guns. Two or three accounts of the action that ensued between her and the Randolph have come down; one by Captain Blake, commanding the marines on the Moultrie, another through one of the latter's crew, besides the report of the captain of the Yarmouth to his home government.
Captain Blake relates that, two or three days before this meeting, he had dined on hoard the Randolph, when Captain Biddle expressed himself to this effect:
We have been cruising here for some time and have spoken a number of vessels who will no doubt give information, and I should not be surprised if my old ship should be sent after us, but as to anything that mounts her guns on one deck, I think myself a match for her.
The "old ship" here alluded to was the Portland, a 50-gun ship, on which Captain Biddle had formerly served in the British Navy. Let us follow Captain Blake in his recollections of what ensued after the first sighting of the Yarmouth.
It was near 4 o'clock before she could be seen from our quarter deck. . . . About 6 o'clock I again looked at her through the glass. At this time she had neared us so much that her topsails were out of water . . . . and coining down before the wind she had the appearance of a large sloop with only a square sail set. About 7 o'clock the Randolph being to windward hove to; the Moultrie being then about 150 yards astern and rather to leeward also hove to. . . . . . About 8 o'clock the British ship fired a shot just ahead of us, and hailed asking what ship it was. The answer was the Polly, "Where are you from?" Answer, "from New York." She took no further notice of us, but immediately hauled her wind and hailed the Randolph. At this time, and not before we discovered her to be a "two-decker." One or two questions being asked and answers returned as she was ranging up alongside of the Randolph and had got on her weather quarter I heard Lieut. Barnes very distinctly call out "This is the Randolph," who immediately begun the action. The British ship's stern being then clear of the Randolph the Captain of the Moultrie gave orders to fire and in consequence of it three broadsides were fired, the last of which I am satisfied must have gone into the Randolph, as the enemy had shot so much ahead as to bring her between us. I then mentioned with some warmth to our Captain that instead of assisting we were firing into the Randolph, in consequence of which we immediately made sail to get ahead and engage her on the bow; but before this could be effected the Randolph blew up.
John Davis, a member of the Moultrie’s crew, in his formal statement relates as follows:
That in February 1778 I sailed in the ship Gen’l. Moultrie from Charleston in company with the Randolph, Capt. Biddle. That on the 7th of March following at 1 P. M. we discovered a sail standing for us when the Randolph made a signal to heave to. About 4 P. M. Capt. Biddle hove out a signal to make sail. We then spoke him and Capt. Biddle told us that one of his crew had deserted from the British ship Yarmouth, of 74 guns, and he knew the ship to windward to be her—and from her appearance he had no doubt it was her; notwithstanding which, Sullivan (Captn. of Moultrie) did not make sail, and the Randolph was obliged to engage the Yarmouth or sacrifice our ship. The Yarmouth hailed us as she passed. We answered the "Polly from Charleston" and that our convoy was ahead. They then hailed the Randolph; and immediately after engaged. The Randolph appeared to fire four or five broadsides to the Yarmouth's one until she blew up, when Sullivan hauled down his colors, and we should have been taken but for Capt. Blake, who commanded the marines. He insisted upon our making sail and such was the confusion on board the Yarmouth as she was so much injured during the engagement that they took no note of us.
Capt. Nicholas Vincent, of his Britannic Majesty's Ship Yarmouth, 64 guns, reported under date of March 17, 1778, that on the 7th of March he fell in with 6 sail eastward of the Barbadoes, standing on the wind. . . . . About 9 o'clock in the evening he succeeded in ranging up on the weather-quarter of the largest vessel of the strangers. Hoisting her own colors, the Yarmouth ordered the ship near to her to show her ensign, when the American flag was run up and the enemy poured in a broadside.
A smart action slow commenced and was maintained with vigor for 20 minutes, when the stranger blew up. The two ships were so near each other at the time that many fragments of the wreck struck the Yarmouth and among other things an American ensign rolled up was blown in upon her forecastle. This flag was not even singed. (The vessels in company sailed in different ways and the Yarmouth gave chase to two, but her sails had so suffered in the engagement that the chased vessels were soon out of sight.) The Yarmouth had lost 5 men killed and twelve (12) wounded. On the 12th, while cruising near the same place, a piece of wreck was discovered on which were five men making signals for relief. When these were taken on board the Yarmouth they reported themselves as having belonged to the U. S. Ship Randolph, 32 guns, Captn. Biddle, the vessel that had blown up on the night of the 7th in action with the English ship. They had floated on the raft five days without sustenance save a little rain water. They stated that early in the engagement Commodore Biddle was wounded, but ordering a chair was placed in it on the quarter-deck, and continued to direct the battle and encourage the crew. His tire was constant and well directed. . . . . Just then while a surgeon was examining his wound, the Randolph was blown up and the commander, with 311 of her 315 officers and men, perished.
Charles Biddle, after reviewing the testimony of those I have quoted, notes in his autobiography:
As soon as my brother was certain that she was a ship of the line, he hove out a signal to make sail, which was instantly obeyed by all the fleet but the Genl. Moultrie, who lay with her maintop-sail to the mast, so that Captn. Biddle was obliged to engage the Yarmouth or sacrifice the Genl. Moultrie. It is probable he expected to cripple the Yarmouth, which he in some measure did, and very likely would have effectually done it but for the unfortunate accident that happened. One of the men picked up by the Yarmouth sailed with me from Baltimore. He told me he was stationed at one of the quarterdeck guns near Captn. Biddle who early in the action was wounded in the thigh. He fell, but immediately sitting up again, and encouraging his crew, told them it was only a slight touch he had received. He ordered a chair and one of the surgeon's mates was dressing him at the time of the explosion. None of the men saved could tell by what means the accident happened. Mr. Davis told me that the Randolph fired 4 broadsides to the Yarmouth's one, and that she was in a perfect blaze from the time the firing first began until the explosion. Capt. Morgan told me he thought it was the ship the Randolph was engaged with that had blown up, and he bore away to inquire how Capt. Biddle was, and had the trumpet in his hand, going to hail, before he found his mistake.
The writer has found the idea advanced in one of our naval histories "that it is entirely probable that Capt. Biddle would have attempted to decide the conflict by boarding the enemy's vessel." Circumstances appear to support this view. He had a most excellent crew when sailing from Charleston, for his brother, after the tragedy, writes:
Thus fell, in the 28th year of his age, one of the best and bravest of men, and as gallant and well-disciplined a crew as ever sailed the ocean.
The great discrepancy in weight of metal and strength of hull, as between the Randolph and the Yarmouth, in a long encounter would be bound to tell, and with a knowledge of the fact, the Randolph's commander evidently planned to push the attack home as soon as possible, delivering broadside after broadside at close range and closing in on the enemy. The after-evidence discloses how close the vessels were before the fatal explosion. His wound might have interfered with the plan, although as captain of the vessel he would probably have confided the command of the boarding-party to his officers and remained in command of the ship.
In Cooper's Naval History, the following notice of Captain Biddle occurs:
There is little question that Nicholas Biddle would have risen to high rank and great consideration, had his life been spared. Ardent, ambitious, fearless, intelligent, and persevering, he had all the qualities of a great naval captain, and, though possessing some local family influence perhaps, he rose to the station he filled at so early an age by personal merit. For so short a career, scarcely any other had been so brilliant; for though no victories over regular cruisers accompanied his exertions, he had ever been successful until the fatal moment when he so gloriously fell. His loss was greatly regretted in the midst of the excitement and vicissitudes of a Revolution, and can scarcely be appreciated by those who do not understand the influence that such a character can produce in a small and infant service.