Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge ...

Clement Biddle (May 10, 1740 – July 14, 1814) was an

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.

Life

Biddle was born May 10, 1740, in

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; (Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, Ma ...

, to John Biddle (1707–1789) and Sarah Owen (1711–1773). He was the younger brother of Owen Biddle, Sr. (1737–1799). His great-grandson was

Algernon Sydney Biddle Algernon Sydney Biddle (October 11, 1847 – April 8, 1891) was an American lawyer and law professor at the University of Pennsylvania Law School. An endowed chair was established at the University of Pennsylvania Law School in his name. Biograph ...

. Biddle was a part of the

Society of Friends Quakers are people who belong to a historically Protestant Christian set of Christian denomination, denominations known formally as the Religious Society of Friends. Members of these movements ("theFriends") are generally united by a belie ...

and helped organize the "Quaker Blues," a company of volunteers. Biddle's first marriage was to Mary Richardson on June 6, 1764. They had one child, Francis, who died at childbirth. His second marriage was to Rebekah Cornell, the daughter of Rhode Island Chief Justice Gideon Cornell. They had four children: Frances (died at infancy), Thomas (born June 4, 1776), George Washington (February 21, 1779 – 1812), and Mary (born January 12, 1781). He was elected to 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 ...

in 1766.Bell, Whitfield J., and Charles Greifenstein, Jr. Patriot-Improvers: Biographical Sketches of Members of the American Philosophical Society. 3 vols. Philadelphia: American Philosophical Society, 1997, I: 292, 321, 321-26, 345. During the

, Biddle fought in the

Battle of Princeton The Battle of Princeton was a battle of the American Revolutionary War, fought near Princeton, New Jersey on January 3, 1777, and ending in a small victory for the Colonials. General Lord Cornwallis had left 1,400 British troops under the comm ...

, the Battle of Brandywine, the

Battle of Germantown The Battle of Germantown was a major engagement in the Philadelphia campaign of the American Revolutionary War. It was fought on October 4, 1777, at Germantown, Pennsylvania, between the British Army led by Sir William Howe, and the American C ...

and the

Battle of Monmouth The Battle of Monmouth, also known as the Battle of Monmouth Court House, was fought near Monmouth Court House in modern-day Freehold Borough, New Jersey on June 28, 1778, during the American Revolutionary War. It pitted the Continental Army, c ...

. He was the

Commissary A commissary is a government official charged with oversight or an ecclesiastical official who exercises in special circumstances the jurisdiction of a bishop. In many countries, the term is used as an administrative or police title. It often c ...

General at

Valley Forge Valley Forge functioned as the third of eight winter encampments for the Continental Army's main body, commanded by General officer, General George Washington, during the American Revolutionary War. In September 1777, Congress fled Philadelphi ...

under George Washington, and his headquarters was at Moore Hall. ''Note:'' This includes Biddle resigned from the Army in 1780. In 1781, Biddle was made quarter-master general of the Pennsylvanian troops. After the Revolutionary War, he was the first

U.S. Marshal The United States Marshals Service (USMS) is a federal law enforcement agency in the United States. The USMS is a bureau within the U.S. Department of Justice, operating under the direction of the Attorney General, but serves as the enforce ...

(1789–1793) for Pennsylvania. In the 1790 census, Biddle's jobs were "Notary, Scrivener, and Broker," which made him a rich man.

Death

He died in Philadelphia on July 14, 1814, and is buried at Christ Church in Philadelphia.

References

External links

Papers of the War Department: Clement Biddle
* 1740 births 1814 deaths Military personnel from Philadelphia People of Pennsylvania in the American Revolution People of colonial Pennsylvania Continental Army staff officers Military history of the United States Quartermasters Clement United States Marshals Burials at Christ Church, Philadelphia {{US-army-bio-stub

Life

Death

See also

References

External links