James Biddle, the subject of this memoir, is the son of the late
Charles Biddle, Esquire, of Philadelphia, and was born in that city
on the 18th of February, 1783. He was educated in the University of
Pennsylvania, where he acquired a taste for literature, which, in the
intervals of professional duty, has been most assiduously cultivated.
In the year 1800, the American navy offered the most flattering
prospects to the aspiring youth of our country. Its fame acquired by
the war with France was rapidly increasing. The brilliant success of
Captain Truxtun, in his victory with the French frigates Insurgente and
Vengeance, gave additional eclat to the navy.
To this distinguished commander, Mr. Biddle entrusted the care of his
two sons, James and Edward, who, on obtaining midshipmen’s warrants,
were attached to the frigate President, fitting for the West Indies.
The cessation of hostilities with France brought the frigate again to
the United States after a much shorter cruise than was intended, but
which was rendered memorable by the melancholy death of Mr. Edward
Biddle, who died at sea of a fever after an illness of a few days.
Early in 1802, James Biddle sailed to the Mediterranean, in the frigate
Constellation, Captain Murray, to protect American commerce against
Tripolitan cruisers. This gave our young officer valuable opportunities
of renewing his acquaintance with classic writers, and remains of
antiquity, obtained by him during his studies at the University, and
which were to him an additional fund of instruction and gratification.
The Constellation returned home in 1803, and Mr. Biddle was transferred
to the frigate Philadelphia, Captain Bainbridge, and returned again to
the Mediterranean, where this unfortunate ship struck upon a rock, and
was lost.
When all efforts to get the Philadelphia afloat were found to be
unavailing, Lieutenant Porter and Midshipman Biddle were dispatched to
the commander to inform him of the accident. As they approached the
Tripolitan gun-boats, they were fired upon and ordered to surrender.
Porter and Biddle were prepared to deliver up their swords, but this
ceremony was dispensed with by the savage Tripolitans; twenty of whom,
of the most ferocious appearance, armed with sabres, pistols, and
muskets, jumped into the boat, and at once commenced their work of
insult and plunder. Two of them snatched Biddle’s sword, pulled off his
coat, and began to fight for it, when, to decide their dispute, they
returned it to him.
His cravat was violently torn from his neck, his waistcoat and shirt
torn open, in search for valuables that might be concealed about his
person. They searched all his pockets, and took all his papers and
money, except twenty dollars in gold, which he had slipped into his
boot and thereby secured. The officers and crew were then carried on
shore, conducted amidst the shouts and acclamations of a barbarous
rabble to the palace gates, and ushered into the presence of the
bashaw, who, seated in state, received them in the audience chamber;
and after asking a variety of questions about the American squadron,
they were conducted to the place assigned for safe keeping.
There is no subject which the imagination can present to us more
full of horror than that of slavery among the barbarians of Africa.
In this situation, ignorant of the fate of their companions, and
doubtful of their own, they continued nineteen months in close and
rigorous confinement, in want of pure air, exercise, and employment,
with occasional threats by the bashaw of his vengeance; circumstances
calculated to impair the health and break the spirits of the strongest
and most resolute. Yet happily they preserved their health and their
spirits unbroken.
They considered it a point of honor to be firm and cheerful, to
disregard the threats of the barbarians, and to sustain by an
unconquerable fortitude the character of their country. In consequence
of the peace with Tripoli, in the month of September, 1805, they
were liberated, and Captain Bainbridge and Midshipman Biddle, who
had not separated since the loss of the frigate, returned together
to Philadelphia. Upon the release of Mr. Biddle, he was promoted
to a lieutenancy, and after remaining at home but a few weeks, he
was ordered to the command of one of the gun-boats, then lying at
Charleston, South Carolina, but finding this service both inactive
and irksome, he obtained an appointment as second lieutenant in the
frigate President, under the command of his friend Captain Bainbridge.
In this, and other similar situations, he had opportunities to display
a character of firmness and decision, jealous of personal honor, and
aspiring to deeds of enterprise and of fame. In 1811 he sailed as
bearer of dispatches from our government to the American minister in
France, and remained in Paris nearly four months, during which he was
presented to the Emperor Napoleon, and attended all the parties given
at the Tuileries.
Lieutenant Biddle had but recently returned from France, when the
war was declared between the United States and Great Britain. He at
once availed himself of the first chance of service, and accordingly
volunteered his services to Commodore Rodgers, who had command of
the frigate President, but unfortunately the number of officers was
complete before he made application. But his disappointment was soon
relieved by the arrival of the sloop-of-war Wasp, Captain Jones, with
dispatches from France; this vessel had not her full complement of
officers, and Lieutenant Biddle immediately procured an order to join
her as first lieutenant.
The Wasp went to sea on the 13th of October, 1812, and on the 18th
fell in with six sail of the line of British merchant vessels under
convoy of the Frolic sloop-of-war. An attack was made, and a heavy fire
of cannon and musketry opened upon them, which was quickly returned
by the Wasp without interruption. Amidst this severe contest the two
vessels struck each other with a tremendous crash, the jib-boom of
the Frolic coming between the main and mizzen rigging of the Wasp,
directly over the heads of Captain Jones and Lieutenant Biddle; this
position gave the Wasp an opportunity of sweeping the deck of the
Frolic, which was done by two guns of the Wasp. Lieutenant Biddle
jumped on the bowsprit and boarded her, and to his surprise found that
the only persons on deck were the commander and two other officers, and
a seaman at the wheel. Upon seeing Lieutenant Biddle, these officers
threw down their swords and surrendered, and, as their colors were
still flying, he hauled them down himself, and took possession of the
Frolic in forty-three minutes after the first fire. Soon after the
action Biddle was ordered by Captain Jones to make his way with the
prize to a southern port of the United States, but he had not proceeded
far when a large ship hove in sight, to windward, which proved to be
the Poictiers, a British seventy-four, and as the Frolic was totally
dismasted, and the Wasp so disabled in her rigging and sails as to
be incapable of escaping immediately, both vessels were taken by the
Poictiers. Captain Jones and his officers were carried to Bermuda,
and after a short detention there, were released upon their parole,
and returned to the United States. The very efficient part borne by
Lieutenant Biddle in this memorable action, is related in the following
extract from the official letter of Captain Jones. “Lieutenant Biddle’s
active conduct contributed much to our success, by the exact attention
paid to every department during the engagement, and the animating
example he afforded the crew by his intrepidity.”
The legislature of Pennsylvania voted Lieutenant Biddle a sword, and a
testimonial still more grateful to his feelings was offered to him by
a number of highly respectable gentlemen of Philadelphia, in a letter
addressed to him, of which the following is an extract:--“Whilst your
country confers upon you those distinguished marks of approbation which
are ever due to merit and valor, a number of the personal friends and
companions of your youth are desirous of attesting to you their esteem,
and of perpetuating the remembrance of your private worth. With this
view they have directed us, as their committee, to present to you in
their name, a silver urn, bearing upon it an appropriate inscription,
and a representation of the action between the Wasp and the Frolic, in
which you so conspicuously assisted to exalt the naval character of our
country.”
Shortly after, Lieutenant Biddle was promoted to the rank of
master-commandant, and received command of the Hornet sloop-of-war.
This ship, after cruising for some time in the vicinity of New York and
New London, was attached to the command of Commodore Decatur, destined
for a cruise to the East Indies.
On the third day after the sailing of this squadron, the Hornet
separated in chase of a vessel which proved to be a Portuguese brig,
and then proceeded singly towards the Island of Tristan d’Acunha, which
was the first place of rendezvous for the squadron. On the passage she
chased and boarded every vessel that came in sight. On the morning
of the 23d of March, 1815, when about to anchor off the north end of
that island, a sail was descried to the southward and eastward. The
Hornet made sail immediately, and hove to for her to come down. When
she had come down and shortened sail, she took in her steering sails
in a very clumsy manner, purposely to deceive the Hornet, and came
down stem on as near as possible, lest the Hornet should perceive her
broadside and run. “At forty minutes past one, P. M.,” says Captain
Biddle’s official letter, “being nearly within musket-shot distance,
she hauled her wind on the starboard tack, hoisted English colors and
fired a gun. We immediately luffed to, hoisted our ensign, and gave
the enemy a broadside. The action being thus commenced, a quick and
well-directed fire was kept up from this ship, the enemy gradually
drifting nearer to us, when at fifty-five minutes past one he bore up
apparently to run us on board. Expecting he would certainly board us, I
ordered every officer and man to the quarter-deck, to be ready to repel
the boarders if an attempt was made. The enemy’s bowsprit came between
our main and mizzen rigging on our starboard side, affording him an
opportunity to board us, if such was his design; but no attempt was
made. There was a considerable swell, and as the sea lifted us ahead,
the enemy’s bowsprit carried away our mizzen shrouds, stern-davits and
spanker-boom, and he hung upon our larboard quarter. At this moment an
officer, who was afterwards recognized to be Mr. McDonald, the first
lieutenant and the then commanding officer, called out that they had
surrendered. I directed the marines and musketry men to cease firing,
and while on the tafferel, asking if they had surrendered, I received a
wound in the neck. The enemy again called out that he had surrendered.
It was with difficulty I could restrain my crew from firing into him
again, as they persisted he had fired into us after having surrendered.
From the firing of the first gun to the last time the enemy cried out
he had surrendered, was exactly twenty-two minutes by the watch. She
proved to be his Britannic majesty’s brig Penguin, mounting sixteen
thirty-two pound carronades, two long twelves, a twelve pound carronade
on the top-gallant forecastle, with swivels on the capstan and in
the tops. She had a spare port forward so as to fight both her long
guns of a side. The enemy acknowledge a complement of one hundred and
thirty-two men, twelve of them supernumerary marines, from the Medway
seventy-four. They acknowledge also a loss of fourteen killed and
twenty-eight wounded; but Mr. Mayo, who was in charge of the prize,
assures me that the number of killed was certainly greater.” Among
the killed of the Penguin, was Captain Dickinson, her commander, who
is represented to have been a deserving and favorite officer. The
Hornet had but one man killed and eleven wounded. Among the wounded
were Captain Biddle severely, and McConner, the first lieutenant,
dangerously. It is always gratifying to notice the attachment of our
brave tars to their commanders. Captain Biddle had his face much
disfigured by being struck twice with splinters, and, when he received
the wound in the neck, from which the blood flowed profusely, some of
the crew insisted upon his retiring below for the purpose of having
it dressed, two of whom seized him in their arms for that purpose, so
that he could scarcely extricate himself from them; but finding he was
determined to remain on the deck, one of them stript off his shirt,
tore it into strips, and almost by force tied it tightly about Captain
Biddle’s neck to prevent his bleeding. Captain Biddle would not have
his own wound dressed until after all his men had theirs dressed.
Captain Biddle received his wound in the neck after the enemy had
surrendered. He was standing upon the tafferel, and had ordered the
musketry not to fire, when one of his officers called out to him that
there was a man taking aim at him. Captain Biddle’s back being towards
the officer, he did not hear this, but two of the marines perceiving
the fellow taking aim at their commander, fired at him, and he fell
dead the instant after he had discharged his piece. He was not more
than ten or twelve yards from Captain Biddle when he shot him; the
ball struck the chin directly in front with much force, and passing
along the neck, tearing the flesh, went off behind through his cravat,
waistcoat and coat collar. The Penguin being so completely riddled,
her fore-mast and bowsprit gone, and her main-mast so crippled as
to be incapable of being secured, she was accordingly scuttled and
destroyed. Shortly after, peace with Great Britain was restored, and
Captain Biddle returned to New York, much indisposed and debilitated
by his wound. During his absence he had been promoted to the rank of
post-captain. On his return, a public dinner was given to him by the
citizens of New York, and a service of plate presented to him by the
citizens of Philadelphia. It has been the distinguishing character of
this gentleman, to exert in the public service an unwearied activity
and an ardent enterprise, which surmounted every obstacle and commanded
the events of his life. He was a party to two of the most decisive
actions of the war, in which his persevering spirit led him forward
in spite of every untoward event in the path of glory, and crowned
his exertions with success. The capture of the Frolic by the Wasp,
not only broke the charm of British naval superiority, but showed a
decided superiority in favor of America. The capture of the Penguin
was not less decisive; and if, at the commencement of the war, the
British navy was surprised, from habits of security and contempt for
their enemies, they had, before the victory of the Hornet, learned
their error and corrected their conduct. In this instance, even the
enemy was utterly unable to frame an apology for his defeat, since he
had come out prepared, and with unusual means to pursue and capture an
American ship-of-war. Congress voted a gold medal (_see_ Plate XIV.)
and the thanks of that body to Captain James Biddle, commander of the
sloop-of-war Hornet, for the capture of the brig Penguin, Captain
Dickinson, in twenty-two minutes, March 23, 1815.