Nicholas Biddle (naval officer)

Nicholas Biddle (naval officer)
Nicholas Biddle
Born September 10, 1750
Philadelphia
Died March 17, 1778
Atlantic Ocean
Allegiance Kingdom of Great Britain Kingdom of Great Britain
United States United States of America
Service/branch United Kingdom Royal Navy
United States Navy Seal United States Navy
Years of service 1770-1778
Rank Captain
Battles/wars

American Revolutionary War

Nicholas Biddle (September 10, 1750 – March 17, 1778) was one of the first five captains of the Continental Navy, which was raised by the Americans during the American Revolutionary War.

Contents

Early life

Nicholas Biddle was born in Philadelphia. His father was William Biddle, 3rd (1698–1756) of the Biddle family, and mother was Mary Scull (1709–1789). At the age of thirteen, he went on a voyage to the West Indies, during which he was left on a desert island for two months. In 1770, he became a midshipman in the Royal Navy. In 1773, he resigned from the navy in order to join Captain Constantine Phipps on an expedition to the Arctic. While on this trip, he became acquainted with the future Lord Nelson.

American Revolutionary War

Just as the American Revolution threatened to break out, he returned to the colonies and offered his services to the state of Pennsylvania. In August 1775, the Pennsylvania Committee of Safety placed Biddle in command of the armed galley Franklin.

In December 1775, he was commissioned into the Continental Navy and made Captain of the 14-gun brig Andrew Doria. He participated in the expedition against New Providence, and fought in the Continental Navy's action with the Glasgow on April 6, 1776; he was highly critical of the action, noting that the lack of signalling by Commodore Esek Hopkins led to a "helter skelter" action. He captured numerous vessels including British army transports on later cruises.

He participated in a cruise of the Newfoundland Banks that was so successful in the taking of ships, that when he returned to port he had only five sailors left on board his ship; the rest were crewing the prizes.

On June 6, 1776, he was appointed by Continental Congress to command the Randolph, a 32-gun frigate then being built in Philadelphia. She was launched near the close of the year, and sailed early in 1777. In September 1777, Biddle captured engaged the British 64-gun ship-of-the-line HMS Yarmouth. Rather than trying to flee from the more heavily armed opponent, the Randolph engaged in battle. An eyewitness reported the frigate held her own in the twenty minute engagement, appearing, "to fire four or five broadsides to the Yarmouth's one." After Biddle was wounded, the Randolph blew up suddenly, killing all but four of the 305 on board including Biddle. The loss of Randolph was a serious blow to the fledgling Continental Navy.

His brother, Edward Biddle, was a staunch advocate for American independence, and his nephew, Nicholas Biddle (1786-1844), was an esteemed banker.

Four ships of the United States Navy have been named for him.

See also

Cyrus Townsend Brady whose book For Love of Country" is based partly on the life of Nicholas Biddle.

References

External links


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать реферат

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Nicholas Biddle — may refer to: Nicholas Biddle (naval officer) (1750–1778), officer in the American Continental Navy Nicholas Biddle (banker) (1786–1844), American banker and President of the Second Bank of the United States This disambiguation page lists… …   Wikipedia

  • Nicholas Biddle (banker) — This article is about Nicholas Biddle the banker. For Nicholas Biddle the naval officer, see Nicholas Biddle (naval officer). Nicholas Biddle portrait by William Inman, c.1830s Born January 8, 1786 …   Wikipedia

  • Biddle — Biddle, a surname, may refer to:PeopleMembers of the Biddle family* Clement Biddle, 1740–1814, an American Revolutionary soldier and quartermaster general. * Nicholas Biddle (naval officer) (1750 1778) * James Biddle (Leader of American… …   Wikipedia

  • List of people from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania — The following is a list of notable residents, natives, and persons generally associated with the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the sixth largest city in the United States, although it is a undeniable fact that every person in the known… …   Wikipedia

  • William Bell Clark — (September 26, 1889 – October 31, 1968) was an advertising executive and self taught naval historian, specializing in the period of the American Revolution, 1775 1783.Early Life and EducationBorn in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, William Bell Clark …   Wikipedia

  • Military leadership in the American Revolutionary War — American Revolutionary War Armed Forces …   Wikipedia

  • Assassin’s Creed III — Assassin s Creed III Разработчик …   Википедия

  • Персонажи Assassin’s Creed — Эта статья об объекте вымышленного мира описывает его только на основе самого художественного произведения. Статья, состоящая только из информации на базе самого произведения, может быть удалена. Вы можете помочь проекту …   Википедия

  • United States — a republic in the N Western Hemisphere comprising 48 conterminous states, the District of Columbia, and Alaska in North America, and Hawaii in the N Pacific. 267,954,767; conterminous United States, 3,022,387 sq. mi. (7,827,982 sq. km); with… …   Universalium

  • Continental Navy — American Revolutionary War Armed Forces …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”