Captain Nicholas Biddle |
|
(1750-1778) |
Captain Nicholas Biddle was born 10 September 1750 in Philadelphia. At the age of 13 he went to sea in the merchant service, and in 1772 entered the British Navy as a midshipman. As tension mounted between the Colonies and the Crown, Biddle resigned his commission and returned to America, volunteering his services to his home state of Pennsylvania. On 1 August, 1775 he became Commanding Officer of the armed galley Franklin, which had been fitted out by the Pennsylvania Committee of Safety to defend the Delaware. In December 1775, Captain Biddle took command of the 14-gun brig Andrew Doria and joined the fleet commanded by Esek Hopkins in the expedition against New Providence. In this action Andrew Doria captured numerous armed merchantmen, including two armed transports carrying 400 reinforcements for the British Army in North America. Later, Captain Biddle assumed command of Randolph, which was manned in part by paroled British prisoners of war. These prisoners mutinied shortly after the ship sailed, but the superb leadership of the 27 year old captain ended the trouble quickly. Violent storms dismasted his ship off the Delaware Capes, but Captain Biddle's superb seamanship brought Randolph into Charleston for repairs. He sailed again for the West Indies on 4 September, 1777 and en route captured HMS True Briton, along with her three ship convoy. Captain Biddle took his fourth prize back to Charleston and blockaded there until late February 1778, when he successfully eluded the British patrol and escaped to the open sea.
|
Page published Feb. 25, 2007 |