Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 1).djvu/284

256 German poets ; became a contributor to the " South- ern Literary Messenger" in 1842, and afterward contributed to the " Ladies' Repository " and other periodicals. Collections of his poems were pub- lished in 1850, '52, and '58, at Cincinnati.

BIDDLE, James, naval officer, b. in Philadel- phia in 1783; d. there, 1 Oct., 1848. He entered the navy as a midshipman in 1800, was on board the frigate " Pliiladelphia " when she was wrecked off the coast of Tripoli in 1803, and with the rest of the officers and crew was held in captivity dur- ing the war with the Barbary states. After his release he was on ordinary duty until the war of 1812, when he was assigned to the sloop-of-war " Wasp," and was present at the capture of the British sloop " Frolic." He was placed in com- mand of the prize, with orders to make for some southern port of the United States ; but while the two vessels were hastily repairing damages, a Brit- ish seventy-four, the " "Poictiers," appeared, and, as the two late antagonists could neither fight nor escape, they were both captured. On being ex- changed in March, 1813, Mr. Biddle was promoted master-commandant and placed in charge of a gun-boat flotilla in the Delaware, but was soon transferred to the " Hornet," then blockaded by the British in the port of New London, Conn. He escaped with his ship, and shortly afterward sailed for Tristan d'Acunha. When off that island (23 March, 1815) he fought and captured the British brig " Penguin," after a sharp engagement of twenty-two minutes at close quarters, during which the " Penguin " was so shattered by the " Hor- net's " fire that she had to be scuttled and aban- doned. Just at the end of the action Biddle was severely wounded. Ha zing repaired the damages to his ship, he sailed for tihe Cape of Good Hope, and on 27 April encountered a British line-of-battle ship, which followed the " Hornet " for nearly thirty- six hours, pressing her so closely — often within cannon-range — that Biddle was obliged to throw his guns overboard, only escaping capture by the exercise of good seamanship. He sailed for San Salvador to refit, but when he reached port found that a treaty of peace had been concluded. Reaching New York on 30 July, he found that he had been pro- moted post-captain while at sea. Congress voted him a gold medal, and New York gave him a state dinner, while his native city presented him with a service of plate. He asked for a court of inquiry to investigate the sacrifice of his armament, and the return of the " Hornet," which acquitted him of all blame, and commended the skill that had saved the ship from capture. After the war he was almost continuously on active duty. In 1817 he took possession of Oregon for the United States, and in 1826 represented the government in nego- tiating a commercial treaty with Turkey. At his suggestion, while governor of the naval asylum at Philadelphia (i838-'42). Sec. Paulding sent thither unemployed midshipmen for instruction, thus laying the foundation of a naval school. He was flag-officer of the East Lidia squadron in 1845, and negotiated the first treaty with China, after- ward landing in Japan. This was his last extend- ed cruise, though he was in command on the Cali- fornian coast during the Mexican war.

BIDDLE, John, soldier, b. in Philadelphia, Pa., 9 March, 1789; d. in White Sulphur Springs, Va., 25 Aug., 1859. He became second lieutenant in the 3d artillery, 6 July, 1812, first lieutenant in March, 1813, captain in the 42d infantry in Octo- ber, and assistant inspector-general, with the rank of major, on 19 June, 1817. He became U. S. In- dian agent at Green Bay, Wis., in February, 1821, and resigned in May of the same year. He then removed to Detroit, Alich., and was territorial dele- gate in congress from 1829 till 1831, when he was appointed register of the land-oltice in Detroit. Maj. Biddle travelled extensively in Europe just before his death. He wrote many interesting pa- pers on Miciiigan history.

BIDDLE, Nicholas, naval officer, b. in Philadelphia, 10 Sept., 1750; killed in action, 7 March, 1778. On 22 Dec, 1775, congress passed a resolu- tion appointing nineteen naval officers, of whom five were captains. Nicholas Biddle, one of these, was assigned to the "Andrea Doria," an armed brig. In October, 1776, the number of captains had been increased to twenty-four, and it became necessary to settle the question of rank. A resolu- tion was passed accordingly, and Biddle's name stands fifth on the list. His maritime experience jn-ior to this time had been somewhat extended. When a boy of thirteen he went on a voyage to the West Indies, and was cast away on a desert island, where, with two companions, he remained two months. In 1770 he entered the British navy as a midshipman, such appointments being open to the sons of colonial gentry. Three years afterward, hearing of Capt. Phipps's proposed Arctic exploring expedition, he deserted his own vessel and shipped as a seaman on board one of Phipps's vessels, where he met Nelson, the future admiral, a volunteer like himself. Both boys were made cockswains before the voyage was ovei", and Biddle served through the cruise, but returned to America as soon as revolution threatened. Being now an experienced sailor, he was given an independent command. The " Andrea Doria " mounted fourteen or sixteen guns, and her first cruise was to the Bahamas with a small squadron under Fleet-Captain Hopkins. Biddle participated in the very creditable capture and occupation of New Providence, where a large quantity of munitions of war were seized, and loaded upon the vessels of the squadron for trans- portation to the United States. Off' Montauk point. Long Island, two small British cruisers were captured (4 and 5 April), and on 6 April a large ship, the " Glasgow," was engaged. In this fight, which was indecisive, Biddle took part. The Eng- lishman drew ofE after having sustained and in- flicted much damage, and, being a better sailer than the heavily-laden Americans, made her escape. After refitting in New London, the "• Andrea Doria " cruised on the banks of Newfoundland, captured two armed transports filled with soldiers, and made prizes of so many merchantmen that when he re- turned to the Delaware Biddle retained but five of his original crew, the rest having been placed on board prizes. On 6 June, 1776, he was appointed by congress to command the " Randolph," a 32- gun frigate then building in Philadelphia. She was launched near the close of the year, and sailed early in 1777. Some constructional defects were discovered in the ship, and Capt. Biddle put into Charleston for repairs. These made, he sailed, and was back again in a few days with four prizes, one of which had an armament of twenty guns. The South Carolinians were so pleased with these successes that they voluntarily equipped four small vessels, which they placed under his command, and the squadron sailed in search of British cruisers sup- posed to be in the neighborhood. On 7 March they encountered the British 64-gun ship "Yarmouth." Prudence dictated fiight from so powerful an an- tagonist, but she soon overtook and engaged the "Randoljjh." After a sharp action of twenty min- utes at close quarters the latter blew up, and the vessels were so close together that fragments of