Charles John Biddle

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For other persons named Charles Biddle, see Charles Biddle (disambiguation).

Charles John Biddle, (1819 – September 28, 1873) was an American soldier, lawyer, U.S. Congressman, and newspaper editor.

Biddle was born and died in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He was the son of Nicholas Biddle, president of the Second Bank of the United States, and nephew of Congressman Richard Biddle. Charles Biddle graduated from Princeton in 1837, where he studied law, and was admitted to the bar in 1840. He served in the Mexican-American War, serving first as a captain of an infantry company. For gallantry, he was promoted to the rank of major. At the close of the war, he returned to Philadelphia to practice law.

In early 1861, following the outbreak of the American Civil War and President Abraham Lincoln's call to arms, he was appointed as a lieutenant colonel in the Pennsylvania Reserves, rising in May to the rank of colonel of the 42nd Pennsylvania. In October of that year was elected to the Thirty-seventh United States Congress to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Edward J. Morris. He was tendered a commission as a brigadier general, but declined it, and then resigned from the army in February 1862.

After the war, he became one of the proprietors and editor-in-chief of the Philadelphia Age, and retained that place during the remainder of his life. His literary work was confined mainly to editorial contributions to the columns of this journal. His only separate publication was The Case of Major Andre, a carefully prepared essay read before the Pennsylvania historical society, vindicating the action of George Washington. The immediate occasion was a passage in Lord Mahon's History of England, which denounced the execution of André as the greatest blot upon Washington's record. By an authority so high as the London Critic, this essay was subsequently pronounced a fair refutation of Lord Mahon's charge.

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Preceded by
Edward J. Morris		 Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Pennsylvania's 2nd congressional district
1861-1863		 Succeeded by
Charles O'Neill