Nick Biddle, First Casualty of the U.S. Civil War Nick Biddle, a resident of Pottsville, Pennsylvania, holds a significant place in American history as the first known casualty of the U.S. Civil War. His injury occurred on April 18, 1861, in Baltimore, Maryland. The event took place days before the start of the conflict, marking a prelude to the ensuing four-year struggle that would deeply affect the nation's social, political, and economic landscape. Biddle's fate underscores the escalating tensions that precipitated the Civil War, and his story serves as a reminder of the human cost associated with such historic conflicts.