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had entered from the prizes. He had a great number of prisoners, so that, for some days before he got in, he never left the deck.

While he was thus indefatigably engaged in weakening the enemy's power, and advancing his country's interest, he was disinterested and generous in all that related to his private advantage. The brave and worthy opponent, whom the chance of war had thrown in his power, found in him a patron and friend, who, on more than one occasion, was known to restore to the vanquished the fruits of victory.

In the latter end of the year 1776. captain Biddle was appointed to the command of the Randolph, a frigate of thirtytwo guns. With his usual activity, he employed every exertion to get her ready for sea. The difficulty of procuring American seamen at that time, obliged him, in order to man his ship, to take a number of British seamen, who were prisoners of war, and who had requested leave to enter.

The Randolph sailed from Philadelphia, in February, 1777. Soon after she got to sea, her lower masts were discovered to be unsound, and, in a heavy gale of wind, all her masts went by the board. While they were bearing away for Charleston, the English sailors, with some others of the crew, formed a design to take the ship. When all was ready, they gave three cheers on the gun-deck. By the decided and resolute conduct of captain Biddle and his officers, the ringleaders were seized and punished, and the rest submitted without further resistance. After refitting at Charleston, as speedily as possible, he sailed on a cruise, and three days after he left the bar, he fell in with four sail of vessels, bound from Jamaica to London. One of them, called the True Briton, mounted twenty guns. The commander of her, who had frequently expressed to his passengers, his hopes of falling in with the Randolph, as soon as he perceived her, made all the sail he could from her, but finding he could not escape, he hove to, and kept up a constant fire, until the Randolph had bore down upon him, and was preparing for a broadside, when he hauled down his colours. By her superior sailing, the Randolph was enabled to capture the rest of the vessels, and in one week from the time he sailed from Charleston, captain Biddle returned there with his prizes, which proved to be very valuable.

Encouraged by his spirit and success, the state of South Carolina made exertions for fitting out an expedition under his command. His name, and the personal attachment to him, urged forward a crowd of volunteers to serve with him, and in a short time, the ship general Moultrie, the brigs Fair American, and Polly, and the Notre Dame, were prepared

for sea. A detachment of fifty men from the first regiment of South Carolina continental infantry, was ordered to act as marines on board the Randolph. Such was the attachment which the honourable and amiable deportment of captain Biddle had impressed during his stay at Charleston, and such the confidence inspired by his professional conduct and valour, that a general emulation pervaded the corps to have the honour of serving under his command. The tour of duty, after a generous competition among the officers, was decided to captain Joor, and to lieutenants Grey and Simmons, whose gallant conduct, and that of their brave detachment, did justice to the high character of the regiment. As soon as the Randolph was refitted, and a new mainmast obtained in place of one which had been struck with lightning, she dropt down to Rebellion Roads with her little squadron. Their intention was to attack the Carysfort frigate, the Perseus twenty-four gun ship, the Hinchinbrook of sixteen guns, and a privateer which had been cruizing off the bar, and had much annoyed the trade. They were detained a considerable time in Rebellion Roads, after they were ready to sail, by contrary winds and want of water, on the bar, for the Randolph. As soon as they got over the bar, they stood to the eastward, in expectation of falling in with the British cruizers. The next day, they retook a dismasted ship from New England; as she had no cargo on board, they took out her crew, six light guns, and some stores, and set her on fire. Finding that the British ships had left the coast, they proceeded to the West Indies, and cruized to the castward, and nearly in the latitude of Barbadoes, for some days, during which time they boarded a number of French and Dutch ships, and took an English schooner from New York, bound to Grenada, which had mistaken the Randolph for a British frigate, and was taken possession of before the mistake was discovered.

On the night of the 7th March, 1778, the fatal accident occurred, which terminated the life of this excellent officer. For some days previously, he had expected an attack. Captain Blake, a brave officer, who commanded a detachment of the second South Carolina regiment, serving as marines on board the general Moultrie, and to whom we are indebted for several of the ensuing particulars, dined on board the Randolph two days before the engagement. At dinner, captain Biddle said, "We have been cruizing here for some time, and have spoken a number of vessels, who will no doubt give information of us, and I should not be surprised if my old ship should be out after us. As to any thing that carries her guns upon one deck, I think myself a match for her." About three, P. M. of the 7th of March, a signal was made from the Ran

dolph for a sail to windward, in consequence of which the squadron hauled upon a wind, in order to speak her. It was 4 o'clock before she could be distinctly seen, when she was discovered to be a ship, though as she neared and came before the wind, she had the appearance of a large sloop, with only a square sail set. About 7 o'clock, the Randolph being to windward, hove to, the Moultrie being about one hundred and fifty yards astern, and rather to leeward, also hove to. About 8 o'clock, the British ship fired a shot just ahead of the Moultrie, and hailed her; the answer was, the Polly of New York, upon which she immediately hauled her wind, and hailed the Randolph. She was then, for the first time, discovered to be a two decker. After several questions asked and answered, as she was ranging up along side the Randolph, and had got on her weather quarter, lieutenant Barnes, of that ship, called out, "This is the Randolph," and she immediately hoisted her colours, and gave the enemy a broadside. Shortly after the action commenced, captain Biddle received a wound in the thigh, and fell. This occasioned some confusion, as it was at first thought that he was killed. He soon, however, ordered a ohair to be brought, said that he was only slightly wounded, and being carried forward encouraged the crew. The stern of the enemy's ship being clear of the Randolph, the captain of the Moultrie gave orders to fire, but the enemy having shot ahead, so as to bring the Randolph between them, the last broadside of the Moultrie went into the Randolph, and it was thought by one of the men saved, who was stationed on the quarter-deck, near captain Biddle, that he was wounded by a shot from the Moultrie. The fire from the Randolph was constant and well directed. She fired nearly three broadsides to the enemy's one, and she appeared, while the battle lasted to be in a continual blaze. In about twenty minutes after the action began, and while the surgeon was examining captain Biddle's wound on the quarter-deck, the Randolph blew up.

The enemy's vessel was the British ship Yarmouth, of sixty four guns, commanded by captain Vincent. So closely were they engaged, that captain Morgan, of the Fair American, and all his crew, thought that it was the enemy's ship that had blown up. He stood for the Yarmouth, and had a trumpet in his hand to hail and inquire how captain Biddle was, when he discovered his mistake. Owing to the disabled condition of the Yarmouth, the other vessels escaped.

The cause of the explosion was never ascertained, but it is remarkable that just before he sailed, after the clerk had copied the signals and orders for the armed vessels that accompanied him, he wrote at the foot of them, "In case of coming to action in the night, be very careful of your magazines."

The number of persons on board the Randolph'was three hun dred and fifteen, who all perished, except four men, who were tossed about for four days on a piece of the wreck, before they were discovered and taken up. From the information of two of these men, who were afterwards in Philadelphia, and of some individuals in the other vessels of the squadron, we have been enabled to state some particulars of this unfortunate event in addition to the accounts given of it by Dr. Ramsay, in his History of the American Revolution, and in his History of the Revolution in South Carolina. In the former work, the historian thus concludes his account of the action: "Captain Biddle who perished on board the Randolph was universally lamented. He was in the prime of life, and had excited high expectations of future usefulness to his country, as a bold and skilful naval officer."

Thus prematurely fell, at the age of twenty-seven, as gallant an officer as any country ever boasted of. In the short career which Providence allowed to him, he displayed all those qualities which constitute a great soldier. Brave to excess, and consummately skilled in his profession, no danger nor unexpected event could shake his firmness, or disturb his presence of mind. An exact and rigid disciplinarian, he tempered his authority with so much humanity and affability, that his orders were always executed with cheerfulness and alacrity. Perhaps no officer ever understood better the art of commanding the affections, as well as the respect of those who served under him; if that can be called an art which was rather the natural effect of the benevolence and magnanimity of his character.

BLAND, THEODORIC, a worthy patriot and statesman, was a native of Virginia, and descended from an ancient and respectable family in that state. He was bred to the science of physic, but upon the commencement of the American war, he quitted the practice, and took an active part in the cause of his country. He soon rose to the rank of Colonel, and had the command of a regiment of dragoons. While in the army he frequently signalized himself by brilliant actions. In 1779, he was appointed to the command of the Convention troops at Albemarle barracks. in Virginia, and continued in that situation till some time in 1780, when he was elected to a seat in congress. He continued in that body three years, the time. allowed by the confederation.

After the expiration of this term, he again returned to Virginia, and was chosen a member of the state legislature. He opposed the adoption of the constitution, believing it to be repugnant to the interest of his country, and was in the minority that voted against its ratification. But when it was at

length adopted, he submitted to the voice of the majority. He was chosen to represent the district in which he lived, in the first congress under the constitution.

He died at New-York, June 1, 1790, while attending a session of Congress, in the forty-ninth year of his age. He was honest, open, candid; and his conduct was such in his intercourse with mankind as to secure universal respect. He had a talent and genius for poetry.

BLOUNT, THOMAS, took an early and active part in favour of the rights and liberties of his country, at an early age. Whilst a boy, at the age of sixteen, he entered into his country's service a volunteer in the Revolutionary army, in which he served in various capacities until the conclusion of a peace. We are not acquainted with the rank he held at the close of the war, but such was the confidence of the state in his patriotism and military talent, that he was raised by successive promotion, to the highest rank in the militia of that state, in which capacity he commanded universal approbation. General Blount had been a member of congress for many years, with occasional intervals. As a politician, whilst he was justly considered the inflexible and ardent friend to his country, he never departed from that gentlemanly deportment which characterised the man. He was an honorable and worthy man, and in him North Carolina lost one of her most useful and respected citizens. Intrepid as a soldier, firm and consistent as a politician, he united the qualities of a statesman and warrior, with those of the patriot and scholar. He died at the city of Washington, on the 8th February, 1812, in the 53d year of his age, whilst attending his duties in congress, as a representative from the state of North Carolina. His remains were interred in the public burial ground, on the 10th February, with military honours. His funeral was attended by the military and members of both houses of congress; and the solemnity and length of the procession which accompanied to the silent tomb, afforded ample testimony to the general sensibility for his loss.

BOUDINOT, ELIAS, was born in Philadelphia, on the 2d of May, 1740. He was descended from one of those pious refugees who fled from France to America to escape the horrors of ecclesiastical persecution, and to enjoy religious freedom in this favoured land. He had the advantage of a classical education, and pursued the study of the law under the direction of Richard Stockton, Esqr. a member of the first American congress, whose eldest sister he afterwards married.

Shortly after his admission to the bar of New Jersey, Dr. Boudinot rese to the first grade in his profession. Early in

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