Nicholas Biddle
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Nicholas Biddle (1750 – 1778) was a member of Templar Order and one of the first captains of Continental Navy during the American Revolution.
Biography
Early Life
Born in Philadelphia in the year 1750 to William Biddle and Mary Scull. At the age of thirteenm he journeyed on a voyage to the West Indies, during which he was stranded on a desert island for two months. In 1770, Biddle joined the British Royal Navy and served as a junior officer. During his time in the Royal Navy, Biddle met Robert Faulkner and also became part of the Templar Order.
While in Martha's Vineyard, an inn on the coast of Nantucket, Biddle met with Benjamin Church and also first encountered Connor, an Assassin, and quickly exchanged an insult with Faulkner. In 1773 Biddle resigned his commission and join Patriot Navy at the beginning of the American Revolutionary War. Biddle was given command of a schooner vessel, The Franklin, and patrolled the naval convoy routes.
Reign of East Coast
Biddle devised a plan with his Templar co-conspirators in the British Navy, ultimately aiming to strengthening and expanding the Patriot Navy under his command for the Templars. Biddle sent Templar ships to attack merchant ships in Nantucket and to occupy an abandoned fort, despite the lack of strategic value. Biddle pleaded and tricked the Continental Congress into believing that the British Navy was a threat to the Colonial Coast. As a result, the Congress commissioned more ships for Continental Navy and by 1776 made Biddle captain of a frigate, the Randolph.
Biddle continued patrolling the Colonial Coast and naval trade routes while orchestrating British attacks on the coast with his Templar co-conspirators. The Randolph attacked Nantucket, claiming it was a British Loyalist post when it actually belonged to the Patriots, in an attempt to convince the Congress further that more ships were needed. Biddle also planned to boost his reputation and service record in order to be promoted to the rank of admiral over the entire Continental Navy Fleet.
The Randolph was soon after assigned to escort The Belladonna, a French ship providing aid to the Patriots, however The Randolph abandoned The Belladonna to be attacked and seized by Templar ships. The Aquila, captained by Connor with Faulkner, came The Belladonna's defense before the ships attacked. The two ships destroyed the formation of Templar Ships, while Biddle observed the battle safely from a distance.
The Randolph's Last Stand
In 1778, in order to remove Connor as threat to his plans, Biddle patrolled the Caribbean coast, successfully luring the Aquila into a trap and attacked the Aquila with the aid of two Men-of-War. However, the Aquila destroyed the Men-of-War and successfully disabled the Randolph's mast with a single broadside of chained cannonballs. Connor and the Aquila crew boarded and attacked the Randolph, during which Connor confronted Biddle on the bridge, causing both crews to stop fighting and watched as both captains dueled.
Death
At first, Connor gained the upper hand until Biddle fired a shot at a gunpowder keg, causing the both of them to fall below deck. The two continued their duel, with Connor emerging victorious and wounding Biddle. While dying, Biddle justified his actions by claiming that he benefited and empowered the Patriots and the Navy. He rebuked the Assassins, calling Connor a fool for not understanding or accepting his goals for the Patriots. With his final words, Biddle asked Connor not to take the Randolph as prize, instead allowing him to die and sink with his ship. Connor granted his dying request and left and left several barrels of gunpowder to be ignited, destroying the Randolph.
Legacy
Biddle succeed in his goal of strengthening and expanding the Continental Fleet, which ensured many victories for the Patriots over the British in naval warfare, for example the Randolph's attack of the HMS True Briton and convoy in 1777. However, despite being a strong supporter of the Patriots, Biddle's true allegiance was to the Templars. Biddle used deception, duplicity and orchestrated the attacks on civilian merchants to further his goals. Although his actions eventually benefited the Patriots, he did so for the Templar's control over the East Coast of America, hence he became an enemy of the Assassins and died by Connor's hands before he could fulfill his dream to become admiral and making the Randolph the Continental flagship.
Personality
Biddle was a capable, experienced, brave and proud sailor and later captain. He also viewed himself as a "man of vision", ambitious charismatic and arrogant to the point that he saw himself as becoming the admiral of the entire Continental Navy. Biddle was a well admired and respected captain, not only did he lead successful campaigns he kept morale and crew effiency high by fairly sharing the spoils of victory and did not use corporal punishment.
Final words
Connor Boards the Randolph fight ensues
- Nicholas: Tenacious! Smart! Pity I have to kill you!
- Nicholas: Mr. Kenway will reward me greatly for riding him of you.
Biddle falls to the ground pulls out his pistol fires at Connor instead hits a powder keg. The two men fall down to a lower deck. Fight continues.
- Nicholas: I will make you suffer for the damage you've done to the Randolph!
Connor Finishes Nicholas Biddle.
- Connor: Your reign over the colonial coast has come to an end.
- Nicholas: Is that why you hunted me? Because you thought me an enemy to the cause? You're every bit the fool I was told.
- Connor: You brought pain and suffering upon innocent people for nothing but personal gain.
- Nicholas: Pain. Suffering. I set them free Weeded out the dissenters and empowered the Patriots. So what if I was admiral. The Revolution needs one and I was the best man for the job. The only man. If not for me, the Continental Navy would remain but a handful of rafts. For all your vision, you Assassin's are blind to the truth.
- Connor: Enough.
- Nicholas: Wait. Let the Randolph die with me. Don't take her as a prize. Please. Please. I want no quarter, just to sink with my ship.
Trivia
- Out of all the targets' portraits in the Davenport Homestead manor, Biddle's was not crossed out after his death.
Gallery
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Nicholas and Faulkner's argument interrupted by Amanda Bailey.
Reference