nicholas biddle civil war

Biddle would return to Pottsville and passed in 1876 at 82. Jacqueline Dormer/staff photo A flag marks the grave of First Defender Nicholas Biddle, who was the first to shed blood in the Civil War. He reportedly shook hands with Biddle and encouraged him to seek medical attention. Dick Butkus, pro football player; inducted into Pro Football Hall of Fame, 1979. He also served in the Pennsylvania General Assembly. Biddle spent the rest of his life in Pottsville, performing odd jobs until he began to suffer from rheumatism. Contributor Names “Poor Nick had to take it” as the mob closed in like “wild wolves,” Captain James Wren, Biddle’s commander, later recorded. He reportedly soon found work as a servant in the lavish home of Nicholas Biddle, the wealthy financier and longtime president of the Second Bank of the United States, whose name the escaped slave adopted as his own. As the volunteers arrived at Camden Station, they were pelted with stones, bricks, bottles and whatever else the local mob could reach; some were even clubbed or knocked down by a few well-landed punches. The surviving First Defenders contributed $1 each to pay for a tombstone, upon which was inscribed: In Memory of Nicholas Biddle, Died August 2, 1876, Aged 80 Years. First Defender Heber Thompson wrote that one man was caught dumping gunpowder on the floor of one of train cars “in the hope that a soldier carelessly striking a match in the darkened interior…might blow himself and his comrades to perdition.” For the idealistic volunteers from Pottsville, Allentown, Reading and Lewistown, the ordeal quickly erased any romanticized notions of soldiering they might have had. His was the Proud Distinction of Shedding the First Blood in the Late War for the Union, Being Wounded while marching through Baltimore with the First Volunteers from Schuylkill County, 18 April 1861. Not only that, but it was what you could call a “hostile city” at the time. Following his retirement from banking, he helped establish Girard College in Philadelphia and held literar… When news of President Lincoln’s call to arms spread throughout the North in April 1861, both the National Light Infantry and the Washington Artillery were quick to tender their services. April 18, 1861,” it reads. He remained in Pottsville, still nursing the painful head wound he had suffered in Baltimore. William Barret Travis, commander of the Texas troops at the battle of the Alamo. Biddle, the bank’s director, retaliated by restricting loans to the state banks, resulting in a reduction of the money supply. As for the Union soldier who was the first to spill blood, Nicholas Biddle was unable to enlist for the Union. He is the author of First in Defense of the Union: The Civil War History of the First Defenders, and maintains a Web site on the 48th Pennsylvania at 48thpennsylvania.blogspot.com. Quakers, they had emigrated from England in part to escape religious persecution.Having acquired extensive rights to more than 43,000 acres (170 km 2) … First Casualty of the Civil War Disputed. Portrait photographs--1860-1870. A large crowd gathered in front of Biddle’s home and then, as a drum corps played, began the solemn procession up Minersville Street to the “colored burying ground” adjacent to the Bethel A.M.E. Church. Did Andrew Jackson Shut down the bank to stop him? It was upon seeing Biddle that they exploded. BIDDLE’S INJURIES WERE THE MOST SERIOUS, an irony considering he wasn’t technically a soldier since the Federal government would not muster him in because of his race. Others in the group were hit by bricks and bottles as the mob tried to overtake the train. Size Approximately 8x12 inches. Biddle's work as a banker has been extensively treated in Ralph C. H. Catterall, The Second Bank of the United States (1903); Fritz Redlich, The Molding of American Banking: Men and Ideas (2 vols., 1947-1951); Walter B. Smith, Economic Aspects of the Second Bank of the United States (1953); and Bray Hammond, Banks and Politics in America from the Revolution to the Civil War (1957). Old Hickory's attack on Biddle's bank had some unexpected consequences Editor's Note: Bray Hammond wrote this essay for American Heritage in 1956 and developed it into Banks and Politics in America from the Revolution to the Civil War, for which he won the Pulitzer Prize for history in 1958. A true American aristocrat, he read classics in their original language and collected art. Battered and bruised, the First Defenders would arrive in Washington D.C later in the day where President Lincoln met them personally. Masako, Crown Princes of Japan, wife of Crown Prince Naruhito, heir apparent to the Chrysanthemum Throne. of hostilities was Daniel Hough, an Irish immigrant soldier who died at Fort Sumpter on April 14, 1861, four days before Nicholas Biddle, who was injured during a civil disturbance at a train station in Baltimore several days later. Private Ignatz Gresser, a native of Germany, suffered from a painful ankle wound, and Private David Jacobs had a fractured left wrist and a few broken teeth. Despite being a wounded veteran, he could not draw a Federal pension because he had never mustered in. Since that time, remembrance of Biddle’s role in the Civil War has faded almost to the point of oblivion, and, shamefully, his tombstone has been destroyed by vandals. African Americans--Military service. Nicholas Biddle. The term of service for the initial 75,000 Northern volunteers—including those in the ranks of the First Defender companies—was for three months, and in late July 1861, the soldiers were mustered out. Share to Twitter Share to Facebook Share to Pinterest. Born in the late 1790s, he escaped slavery in Delaware and resided in Pennsylvania most of his adult life where he worked in a Pottsville hotel. Nicholas Biddle (17861844) established the Bank of the United States as a prototype of the modern central banking system. Nicholas Biddle was the first casualty of the Civil War. Judi Dench (Dame Judith Dench), actress; known to James Bond fans for her role as M in Bond films beginning with Golden Eye (1997), her many awards include an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress (Chocolat, 2000). black history culture race. Privacy. Did Nicholas Biddle try to buy the presidential election in 1832? Thomas P. "Tip" O'Neill, speaker of the House of Representatives. He had been associated with the company since its formation in 1840 and was so highly regarded by the members of the unit that they considered him one of their own and issued him a uniform. When the engineer stepped in, the mob stopped trying to knock the locomotive off the tracks. This collection contains a typescript transcription of the Civil War diary of Nicholas Biddle Gibbon, written between 1861 and 1866, and describing his service in North Carolina and Virginia as a drill master and commissary in the 1st and 28th North Carolina Regiments. Photographic prints--1860-1870. 2 Fritz Redlich, The Molding of American Banking: Men and Ideas (New York: Hafner, 1947) p. 110. All of them except Nicholas Biddle, of course. “If poor old Nick Biddle calls on you with a document, as he calls it, don’t say you are in a hurry and turn him off, but ornament the paper with your signature and plant a good round sum opposite your name,” the paper implored. But Biddle refused. Using the power of the bank to expand and contract the money supply, Biddle played a prominent role in creating a stable currency and in bringing order to the chaotic American marketplace. Nicholas Biddle, an African American Union soldier was the first man wounded in the Civil War. Summary Photograph shows Nicholas Biddle, an African American Union soldier, in uniform, half-length portrait, facing front. While serving with the Washington Artillery in Baltimore in the first days of the war, he was targeted by a Confederate and badly injured by a brick thrown on April 18, 1861. But most of the First Defenders were quick to reenlist, this time “for three years, or the course of the war.” Almost to a man, the National Light Infantry became Company A of the 96th Pennsylvania Infantry, while most members of the Washington Artillery reenlisted into the ranks of Company B, 48th Pennsylvania Infantry, with James Wren remaining as captain. “In Memory of the First Defenders And Nicholas Biddle, of Pottsville, First Man To Shed Blood In The Civil War. The Biddle family of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is a prominent Old Philadelphian family descended from English immigrants William Biddle (1630–1712) and Sarah Kempe (1634–1709), who arrived in the Province of New Jersey in 1681. United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Military personnel--Union. Cartes de visite--1860-1870. Regardless of who shed first blood in what would be the bloodiest of all America’s wars, it seems strange that Biddle remains an overlooked and almost entirely forgotten figure in the Civil War’s rich history. Many of the Pennsylvanians present that day believed Biddle was the first man to be struck down by an enemy combatant in the Civil War. Bank War, in U.S. history, the struggle between President Andrew Jackson and Nicholas Biddle, president of the Bank of the United States, over the continued existence of the only national banking institution in the nation during the second quarter of the 19th century. Whatever the truth, by 1840 Biddle had made Pottsville his home, taking up residence in a modest dwelling on Minersville Street. The angry citizens of Baltimore were spoiling for a fight and picked up whatever weapons and projectiles they could find. The entire Baltimore police force had been summoned to escort the volunteers through the streets, but even the police had a difficult time controlling the raucous crowd of 2,000, which jeered the anxious militiamen while hurrahing for Jefferson Davis and the Southern Confederacy. Before setting out from the Pennsylvania capital, the soldiers of the five companies took the oath of allegiance and were all sworn in as soldiers of the United States. "Nick Biddle," of Pottsville, Pa., the first man wounded in the great American Rebellion, "Baltimore, April 18, 1861" / W. R. Mortimer. COPYRIGHT (C) 2017 - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED - BLACK THEN Born in the late 1790s, he escaped slavery in Delaware and resided in Pennsylvania most of his adult life where he worked in a Pottsville hotel. Like many lives of African-Americans at the time, that of Nicholas Biddle leaves history with more questions than answers. The other origin of Biddle is that he escaped to Philadelphia early on and worked in the service the more famous Biddle, then he took the name upon settling in Pottsville. Henry Kendall, particle physicist; shared Nobel Prize in 1990. After Biddle moved to the Pennsylvania State Senate, he lobbied for the rechartering of the Second Bank of the United States. Around this time, the Philadelphia’s famous banker Nicholas Biddle had rolled into town to establish an iron furnace. 3 Bray Hammond, Banks and Politics in America: From the Revolution to the Civil War (Princeton Grace Hopper, mathematician and computer pioneer. The marker for his grave had been destroyed not only after he was buried. Kirk Douglas, American actor (Spartacus). Nigger in Uniform!” screamed the agitated Baltimore crowd of Southern sympathizers. Departing Pottsville on April 17, 1861, they reached Harrisburg late that evening. By the end of the incident, four soldiers and twelve rioters were dead. For whatever reason, the servant Biddle remained behind in Pottsville when his employer returned to Philadelphia. It was on this subject that he made his first speech, which attracted general attention at the time, and was warmly commended by Chief-Justice Marshall and other leaders of public opinion. Jackson’s veto was only one part of the war on the “monster bank.” In 1833, the president removed the deposits from the national bank and placed them in state banks. He had arrived in Pottsville as a … Nicholas Biddle's Management In 1823, the BUSII entered its third stage under President Nicholas Biddle, who as a Pennsylvania state legislator had been a supporter of the first Bank of the United States. . The 6th Massachusetts was taking the same route as the First Defenders and retaliated by firing on the Baltimore rioters. Charles John Biddle (1819 – September 28, 1873) was an American soldier, lawyer, Congressman, and newspaper editor. A few years after graduation from Princeton College, John Biddle entered the United States Army, serving for most of the War of 1812 in the Niagara Frontier under General Scott. Sarah Spencer Washington. Of course, it didn’t help that there was a train of Union recruits was in the city. Impoverished in his final years, he walked the streets of Pottsville seeking charity. But exactly when he slipped the chains of human bondage is not known. 1 Thomas P. Govan, Nicholas Biddle: Nationalist and Public Banker (University of Chicago Press, 1959) p. 412. “Nigger in Uniform! Nicholas Biddle died in his home on August 2, 1876, at the age of 80. One thing about Biddle is that real name is basically lost to history. Before he died, the proud figure claimed he had enough money saved up in the bank for a proper funeral and burial, but upon his death it was discovered that there was not a penny to his name. Agreeing to pay for the costs, they arranged Biddle’s funeral, which took place just two days after his death. At the time some considered Biddle’s blood the first shed in hostility during the Civil War. Pottsville’s leading newspaper, The Miners’ Journal, appealed to the community for help. However, he would head to Washington D.C. to join the Union’s call for soldiers. Also see . Troops of color weren’t admitted into the U.S Army until May 1863 with the establishment of the United States Colored Troops. The surviving veterans of the Washington Artillery and the National Light Infantry once again answered the call. Biddle refused the president’s advice to seek medical attention, insisting that he preferred to remain with his company. Next Post On Race, Ballet and Being Muslim: We are not less than anyone else. Previous Post The 2020 Blake Mini Library “Breaking Barriers” Collection. Biddle, however, had willingly marched off to war as the orderly of Captain Wren, the Washington Artillery’s commanding officer. Dick Van Patten, actor; best known for his role on the TV series Eight is Enough. The Pennsylvanians were the first of the volunteers to arrive in the District of Columbia and would thus go down in history as the “First Defenders.” Their Baltimore injuries occurred as the men arrived for the final leg of their journey from Pennsylvania to Washington. Source: Blackfacts.com. Along with 80 industrialists and capitalists, they celebrated the success of William Lyman’s Pottsville Furnace, the first in the United States to smelt iron by an anthracite-fired blast furnace continuously for 100 days. One account has him settling in Philadelphia, where he possibly was taken in by abolitionists. The vibe of Baltimore was that Maryland needed to ditch the Union. “Peace, Union, and Glory”: Berks County African Americans in the Civil War By LAURA HIRNEISEN After Lincoln’s initial call for troops in 1861, Pottsville resident Nicholas Biddle, then sixty-five years old, promised himself he would join the fighting, even if it had to be on the sly. Now known as the Gillingham House, the residence served as a station house for escaped slaves heading further into the north.