James Biddle

 A page from Commodore James Biddle's list of the seventy six dead (seventy four of yellow fever) aboard the USS ''Macedonian'' dated 3 August 1822 James Biddle (February 18, 1783 – October 1, 1848), of the Biddle family,  brother of financier Nicholas Biddle and nephew of Capt. Nicholas Biddle, was an American commodore. His flagship was USS ''Columbus''.

Education and early career[edit]

Biddle was born in Philadelphia, where he attended the University of Pennsylvania. After graduating, he entered service in the United States Navy as a midshipman in 1800.

Retained in the navy reduction of 1801, Biddle served in the war against the Barbary pirates. Early in 1802, Biddle joined the ''Constellation'', under Captain Alexander Murray and was part of his fleet in the Mediterranean.

The ship he was in, USS ''Philadelphia'', struck rocks off Tripoli, and along with his commodore, William Bainbridge, he was kept imprisoned for 19 months. In 1805, Bainbridge acknowledged his progress up the ranks would be swift from midshipman to lieutenant, which was granted in 1807. He would be promoted to command his own ship on March 5, 1813.

During the War of 1812, Biddle was first lieutenant in the USS ''Wasp''. He was in command of the sloop USS ''Hornet'' in 1815 when she defeated HMS ''Penguin''. In 1817, he was sent to the Columbia River in the USS ''Ontario'' to formally take over the Oregon Country for the United States, which was completed in 1818. His diplomatic duties with Chile and the commander of the San Marin fleet, Lord Thomas Cochrane, allowed the U.S. to occupy the territory.

After the war, Biddle performed various duties in the Gulf of Mexico, the South Atlantic, and the Mediterranean. His  In 1830, Biddle and US Consul David Offley negotiated and concluded a treaty with the Sublime Porte. The treaty was later used by U.S. diplomats to claim extraterritorial privileges for U.S. citizens in the Ottoman Empire.

'''Biddle and the USS ''Macedonian'''''[edit]

In the early nineteenth century, the prevalence of yellow fever in the Caribbean "led to serious health problems" and alarmed the United States Navy as numerous deaths and sickness curtailed naval operations and destroyed morale. A tragic example occurred in May 1822 when the frigate USS ''Macedonian'' left Boston and became part of Commodore James Biddle's West Indies Squadron. Secretary of the Navy Smith Thompson had assigned the squadron to guard United States merchant shipping and suppress piracy. Biddle was also involved in a plan to promote Cuban independence from Spain and annexation to the United States.  During their deployment seventy six of the Macedonian officers and men died. Seventy four of these deaths were attributed to yellow fever. Biddle reported another fifty two of his crew were on sick-list. The magisterial work by David Mc Culloch ''The Path Between the Seas: The Creation of the Panama Canal, 1870-1912,'' gives a memorable account of the devastation''.'' In his report to the Secretary of the Navy, Biddle and Surgeon's Mate Dr. Charles Chase state the cause as "fever". As a consequence of this loss, Biddle noted his squadron was forced to return to Norfolk Navy Yard early. The ''Macedonian'' crew upon arrival were provided medical care and quarantined at Craney Island. Biddle upset at the loss of his crew wrote Smith Thompson " how deeply my feelings have been afflicted at the disturbing mortality & sickness and …. I hope you will order an investigation into the cause of the sickness on board."

Biddle told Thompson the ''Macedonian'' had been improperly fitted out in Boston and while there, the frigate's hold was never properly cleaned and that the filth and debris he discovered in the hold had led to the fever. Biddle consequently brought charges against Commodore Isaac Hull then in command at the Boston Naval Yard. Medical testimony during a court of inquiry however supported the conclusion that a drastic change in temperatures, dampness, and tropical climate were the proximate cause of the fever, and "Much to Biddle's chagrin the court of inquiry found Hull not guilty."

Provided by Wikipedia
Showing 1 - 6 results of 6 for search 'J. Biddle', query time: 0.03s Refine Results
  1. 1
  2. 2
  3. 3
  4. 4
  5. 5
  6. 6