Thomas Biddle, Junior
Major
Paymaster, United States Army
Thomas Biddle, the son of Charles and Hannah Sheppard Biddle, was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on 21 November 1790.
On 1 September 1823, Thomas married the former Ann Mullanphy in Saint Ferdinand’s Church at Florissant, Missouri. They had no children.
On 9 April 1812, Thomas was commissioned a Captain in the Infantry under Colonel Zebulon Pike. He transferred to the 2nd Artillery on 6 July 1812. He distinguished himself at Fort George and Stony Creek. At the reduction of Fort Erie he commanded the artillery and was subsequently severely wounded in the defense of that place. At the battle of Lundy's Lane on 25 July 1814, he commanded a light battery and was wounded again. Thomas brought the only British field-piece retained by the Americans on that occasion away as a trophy. On 15 August 1814, he was made a brevetted major and in December became an aide to General Izard. Thomas later transferred to a Rifle Regiment on 7 January 1820. On 7 August 1820, he was appointed Paymaster in St Louis and served there for ten years.
During an 1830 campaign speech, Missouri Congressman Spencer Pettis attacked the president of the United States Bank, Nicholas Biddle. His remarks upset Thomas (Nicholas’ brother) so much that he went to the hotel where Congressman Pettis was staying and cow-hided him. Congressman Pettis, who won re-election by a large majority, issue a challenge and Thomas promptly accepted. Thomas, having the choice of distance by being the challenged person, fixed it at five feet because of his near-sightedness. At dawn on 27 August 1831, they met on Bloody Island (a small sandbar on the Mississippi River near St Louis). With pistols almost touching, both were struck at the first exchange and mortally wounded. Congressman Pettis died from his wound on 28 August. Thomas died from his wound on 31 August.
Six brothers, William, James, Nicholas, Charles, John, and Richard and one sister, Mary Biddle survived Thomas. He was preceded in death by his parents and two brothers Nicholas and Edward.
Major Thomas Biddle, was buried with military honors in St Louis’ Calvary Cemetery.
Biddle Street in St Louis is named in honor of Thomas and Ann Biddle.
Source of information:
1. Virtual American Biographies (http://www.famousamericans.net/thomasbiddle/).
2. Pennsylvania Founding Families, 1681-1911. [database online] Provo, UT: Ancestry.com, 2000. Electronic reproduction of Colonial and Revolutionary Families of Pennsylvania, Vol. I-III originally published in 1911.
3. Colonial Families in the U.S. [database online]. Orem, UT: MyFamily.com, Inc., 1999. Original data: Mackenzie, George Norbury, Ed. Colonial Families of the United States of America. New York: 1907.
4. Biographies of Notable Americans, 1904 [database online]. Orem, UT: MyFamily.com, Inc., 1997. Original data: Johnson, Rossiter, ed. Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans. Volumes I-X. Boston, MA: The Biographical Society, 1904.
5. American Biographical Notes [database online]. Orem, UT: MyFamily.com, Inc., 1997. Original data: Hough, Franklin Benjamin. American Biographical Notes: Being Short Notices of Deceased Persons, Chiefly Those Not Included in Allen's or Drake's Biographical Dictionary. Albany, NY: Joel Munsell, 1875.
6. Biographical Directory of the American Congress [database online]. Orem, UT: MyFamily.com, Inc., 1998. Original data: Biographical Directory of the American Congress, 1774-1949: The Continental Congress September 5, 1774, to October 21, 1788 and The Congress of the United StatesFrom the First to the Eightieth Congress March 4, 1789 to January 3, 1949, Inclusive. Washington, DC: United States Government Printing Office, 1950.
7. The Ohio Star (Ravenne, Ohio), 22 September 1831, page 2.
8. Huron Reflector (Norwalk, Ohio), 26 September 1831, page 2.
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