Charles Biddle

Merchant Captain and Militia Officer

Biography

Photo of a small white house with a porch in front and windows extending from the front of the roof, all surrounded by a white picket fence — The Biddle Home in Beaufort (AmRevNC photograph)

Capt. Charles Biddle’s autobiography reads like an adventure novel. He was born in Philadelphia to an unlucky businessman and the daughter of the surveyor-general of Pennsylvania. His father died after going broke due to a bad choice of partner, and Biddle went to sea at age 14. His early experienc