William Riddle

From a prominent Pittsburgh family, he was the oldest son of Robert Moore Riddle (1812-1858), who was publisher of the Pittsburgh Commercial Journal, past mayor of the city (1853-54), and a founder of the new Republican Party.

William was 19 years old when he enrolled on 23 October 1861 at Camp Pierpoint in Langley, VA and he was appointed 2nd Lieutenant of Company F, 5th Pennsylvania Reserves. He was wounded at Mechanicsville, VA on 26 June 1862 and captured there. He escaped from Libby Prison in Richmond, VA, returned to duty, and was detailed as aide de camp to General George G Meade, date not given.

He was with General Meade on the Campaign and was slightly wounded in the hand in action at Antietam on 17 September 1862.

He was commissioned Major, US Volunteers and assigned as aide de camp to General John Reynolds on 17 May 1863, and was with the General when he was killed at Gettysburg on 1 July. He was back with General Meade in 1864 and was honored by brevet to Lieutenant Colonel on 1 August 1864,but resigned his commission on 7 December 1864; another member of Meade's staff, Theodore Lyman wrote of him

For a long time he has been in miserable health and, in warm weather, is seldom well enough for hard duty.

He was killed in a barroom brawl in Philadelphia on his 25th birthday, 2 June 1867.

His service basics from Bates,1 the Card File,2 and Heitman.3 His service and wounding at Antietam from Meade's report. His presence at Gettysburg from Maj. Gen. O.O. Howard's after-action report of 31 August 1863. The Lyman quote from his letter of 10 December 1864, thanks to Tom Huntington. Personal details from family genealogists and the US Census of 1850, which gives him the middle initial "R", not seen elsewhere. His death detail from Appleton's American Annual Cyclopedia and Register of Important Events of the Year 1867 (1870). His gravesite is on Findagrave. His picture from a CDV posted to the FamilySearch database; it had been offered for sale by the estate of collector Fadjo Cravens, Jr. He's also seen in an 1864 group photograph of General Meade's personal staff at Brandy Station, VA, now at the Library of Congress.

06/02/1842; Pittsburgh, PA

06/02/1867; Philadelphia, PA; burial in Allegheny Cemetery, Pittsburgh, PA