History of Detroit, a chronicle of its progress, its industries, its institutions, and the people of the fair City of the straits, / by Paul Leake ... [Vol. 3]

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1042 HISTORY OF DETROIT
Biddle, a physician and surgeon of more than a quarter century's standing, who has attained prestige by his marked ability and unwavering
devotion to his profession. He was born February 25, 1862, in Detroit,
Michigan, and is a son of the late William S. and Susan Dayton (Ogden)
Biddle.
Major John Biddle, the grandfather of Dr. Andrew P. Biddle, was a
native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, born in March, 1792, the son of
Charles Biddle, vice-president of Pennsylvania during the Revolutionary war, and the nephew of Commodore Nicholas Biddle, of the Revolutionary navy. Major John Biddle was graduated at Princeton College
and entered the United States army. During the War of 1812 he
served under General Winfield Scott on the Niagara frontier, being
attached for a time to that general's staff, and promoted from captain
of artillery to major. A brother, Major Thomas Biddle, served in the
United States army with the rank of major in the campaign of 1812,
while an elder brother, Commodore James Biddle, was a noted officer
of the United States navy at that period. At the close of the War of
1812 Major John Biddle was stationed at Detroit, but a few years later
resigned his commission and returned to the east. In 1819 he married
Eliza F. Bradish, of New York, and, returning to Detroit, made a permanent settlement here and purchased large tracts of land. In 1823
he was appointed register of the United States land office for the district of Detroit and held the office until 1837, when he resigned. He
served by election as mayor of Detroit in 1827-29; was delegate from
Michigan to Congress in 1829-31; later he became a candidate for the
United States senate before the Michigan legislature, receiving a majority of four votes in the senate, while John Norville received a majority of seven votes in the house thus defeating Major Biddle for the high
honor; he served as president of the Michigan constitutional convention
in 1835, and in 1841 was elected to the state senate. He was president
of the original corporation which built the Michigan Railroad, and in
1835 became the first president of the St. Joseph (Michigan) branch of
the Farmers' and Merchants' Bank, in 1838 becoming president of the
bank itself in Detroit. His death occurred at White Sulphur Springs,
Virginia, August 25, 1859, following his return from a trip abroad.
William S. Biddle was born in Detroit, in 1830, and after graduation
from the Harvard Law school practiced his profession in New York
City for one year with his brother-in-law, Aaron Ogden, then returning
to Detroit. During the Civil war he aided the local government in
raising and drilling troops. In 1867 he removed to Grosse Isle, where he
lived the life of a gentleman of leisure until his death in 1912. Mr.
Biddle married Susan Dayton Ogden, who was born in 1831 and died in
Detroit in 1878. The children of William S. and Susan D. Biddle were
as follows: Susan Dayton, Eliza Bradish, Colonel John, Stratford
Bradish, Margaret Porter, Dr. Andrew Porter, Captain William S. and
Ann Eliza. Miss Susan Dayton is a talented musician and a prominent
member of the Daughters of the American Revolution; she resides in
Washington, D. C., at the home of her brother, Colonel John Biddle.
Miss Eliza Biddle married Rev. G. Mott Williams, D. D., who later became the first bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Marquette, and is still
serving in that high office. Colonel John Biddle was born in Detroit,
in 1859. His early education was acquired in Europe, and after one
year at the University of Michigan he entered West Point Military
Academy, from which he was graduated with the class of 1881. He
served in the Spanish-American war as chief of staff of the Eighth
Army Corps, seeing service with General Nelson A. Miles in Porto Rico,
and he is now colonel of engineers on the general staff of the United