Alexander Williams Biddle (April 29, 1819 – May 2, 1899) was an American businessman from Pennsylvania. He was a member of the prominent and wealthy Biddle family and the grandson of

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of ...

soldier Clement Biddle. He served as an officer in the

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union of the collective states. It proved essential to th ...

during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by state ...

and fought in some of the key battles of the war.

Early life and education

Biddle was born on April 29, 1819, in

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania#Municipalities, largest city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the List of United States cities by population, sixth-largest city i ...

, to Thomas A. and Christine Williams Biddle. He received his early education from the school of Sears C. Walker in Philadelphia. He entered the

University of Pennsylvania The University of Pennsylvania (also known as Penn or UPenn) is a private research university in Philadelphia. It is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and is ranked among the highest-regarded universit ...

in 1834 and graduated in 1838. After graduation, he worked for the Bevan and Humphreys shipping firm in Philadelphia until 1842. In 1848, he joined his father's company, Thomas Biddle & Co., where he worked until the beginning of the Civil War.

Civil war

In 1849, he joined the first troop of the Philadelphia City Cavalry, in which he served until 1858. On September 1, 1862, he joined the 121st Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry and served under his cousin, Chapman Biddle. He served successively as a major, lieutenant colonel, and colonel. He fought at the

Battle of Fredericksburg The Battle of Fredericksburg was fought December 11–15, 1862, in and around Fredericksburg, Virginia, in the Eastern Theater of the American Civil War. The combat, between the Union Army of the Potomac commanded by Maj. Gen. Ambrose Bur ...

, the

Battle of Chancellorsville The Battle of Chancellorsville, April 30 – May 6, 1863, was a major battle of the American Civil War (1861–1865), and the principal engagement of the Chancellorsville campaign. Chancellorsville is known as Lee's "perfect battle" because h ...

, the

Battle of Gettysburg The Battle of Gettysburg () was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, by Union and Confederate forces during the American Civil War. In the battle, Union Major General George Meade's Army of th ...

(under

Abner Doubleday Abner Doubleday (June 26, 1819 – January 26, 1893) was a career United States Army officer and Union major general in the American Civil War. He fired the first shot in defense of Fort Sumter, the opening battle of the war, and had a p ...

) and the Battle of Bristoe Station. His name is inscribed on the 121st Pennsylvania's monument along South Reynolds Avenue in the

Gettysburg National Military Park The Gettysburg National Military Park protects and interprets the landscape of the 1863 Battle of Gettysburg during the American Civil War. Located in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, the park is managed by the National Park Service. The GNMP prope ...

Business career

After the war, he retired from Thomas Biddle & Company, and in 1874, he was named a director of the

Pennsylvania Railroad The Pennsylvania Railroad (reporting mark PRR), legal name The Pennsylvania Railroad Company also known as the "Pennsy", was an American Class I railroad that was established in 1846 and headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was named ...

. He also served as a director for the Philadelphia Savings Fund Company, the Pennsylvania Company for Insurance on Lives and Granting Annuities, the Lehigh Navigation Company, and the Contributionship Insurance Company. He served as president of the Board of City Trusts and as a member of the board of managers of the Pennsylvania Hospital. He was an executor of the estate of James Rush (1786–1869) and was instrumental in the construction of the Ridgway Library (part of the

Library Company of Philadelphia The Library Company of Philadelphia (LCP) is a non-profit organization based in Philadelphia. Founded in 1731 by Benjamin Franklin as a library, the Library Company of Philadelphia has accumulated one of the most significant collections of hist ...

Personal life

In 1855, he married Julia Williams Rush, the granddaughter of

Benjamin Rush Benjamin Rush (April 19, 1813) was a Founding Father of the United States who signed the United States Declaration of Independence, and a civic leader in Philadelphia, where he was a physician, politician, social reformer, humanitarian, educato ...

, and together they had seven children. He was a member of the

American Philosophical Society The American Philosophical Society (APS), founded in 1743 in Philadelphia, is a scholarly organization that promotes knowledge in the sciences and humanities through research, professional meetings, publications, library resources, and communi ...

, the

Franklin Institute The Franklin Institute is a science museum and the center of science education and research in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is named after the American scientist and statesman Benjamin Franklin. It houses the Benjamin Franklin National Memor ...

, the

Academy of Natural Sciences The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, formerly the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, is the oldest natural science research institution and museum in the Americas. It was founded in 1812, by many of the leading natu ...

, and the Pennsylvania Society of Sons of the Revolution. He died on May 2, 1899, in Philadelphia and was interred at

Laurel Hill Cemetery Laurel Hill Cemetery is a historic rural cemetery in the East Falls neighborhood of Philadelphia. Founded in 1836, it was the second major rural cemetery in the United States after Mount Auburn Cemetery in Boston, Massachusetts. The cemetery ...

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References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Biddle, Alexander 1819 births 1899 deaths 19th-century American businesspeople American bankers

Alexander Alexander is a male given name. The most prominent bearer of the name is Alexander the Great, the king of the Ancient Greek kingdom of Macedonia who created one of the largest empires in ancient history. Variants listed here are Aleksandar, Al ...

Burials at Laurel Hill Cemetery (Philadelphia) Businesspeople from Philadelphia Cornell family Members of the American Philosophical Society Military personnel from Philadelphia Pennsylvania Railroad people People of Pennsylvania in the American Civil War Union Army officers University of Pennsylvania alumni

Early life and education

Civil war

Business career

Personal life

See also

References

External links