Nicholas Biddle

Captain Nicholas Biddle was a Continental Navy officer who served in the American Revolutionary War. Born in Philadelphia, Biddle began his career at sea in 1763 and joined the Royal Navy at the age of 20. In 1773, he participated in an exploratory voyage to the Arctic with Constantine Phipps and Horatio Nelson. After the Revolutionary War broke out in 1775, Biddle joined the Continental Navy as one of its first five captains, commanding both the USS Andrew Doria and USS Randolph. In 1778, Randolph confronted HMS Yarmouth in the Battle off Barbados. After a twenty-minute battle, Biddle's ship Randolph suddenly exploded, killing him and most of his men. Four ships of the United States Navy have been named in his honor.²