Lewis, James A. Neptune's Militia: The Frigate South Carolina during the American Revolution, (Kent, OH: The Kent State University Press, 1999.)
The information presented in this post is taken from the following sources:
Lewis, James A. Neptune's Militia: The Frigate South Carolina during the American Revolution, (Kent, OH: The Kent State University Press, 1999.)
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The information presented in this post is taken from the following sources:
Lewis, James A. Neptune's Militia: The Frigate South Carolina during the American Revolution, (Kent, OH: The Kent State University Press). The information presented in this post is taken from the following sources:
Lewis, James A. Neptune's Militia: The Frigate South Carolina during the American Revolution, (Kent, OH: The Kent State University Press, 1999.) The information presented in this post is taken from the following sources:
Lewis, James A. Neptune's Militia: The Frigate South Carolina during the American Revolution, (Kent, OH: The Kent State University Press, 1999.) The information presented in this post is taken from the following sources:
Lewis, James A. Neptune's Militia: The Frigate South Carolina during the American Revolution, "Kent, OH: The Kent State University Press, 1999.) The information presented in this post is taken from the following sources:
Lewis, James A. Neptune's Militia: The Frigate South Carolina during the American Revolution, (Kent, OH: The Kent State University Press, 1999.) South Carolina Audited Accounts relating to Jonathan Burbridge SC1001 South Carolina Audited Accounts relating to Thomas Burbridge SC1002 South Carolina Audited Accounts relating to William Burbridge SC1003 South Carolina Audited Accounts relating to John Carlisle (Carlile) SC1182 The information presented in this post is taken from the following sources:
Lewis, James A. Neptune's Militia: The Frigate South Carolina during the American Revolution, (Kent, OH: The Kent State University Press, 1999.) South Carolina Audited Accounts relating to Asa Cole and numerous others as sailors and officers on the Frigate South Carolina SC1926 Yet, the Committee saved it's final, damning judgment for last in their excoriating list of fraudulent claims made by Asa Delozier, "Attorney for Sundry persons". This pronouncement is as follows and is cited in full by the writer of this blog: "Your Committee are moreover satisfied that Asa Delozier did attempt to enlist the feelings and interest of Mr. John Mayrant, an officer on board of the frigate, in advancement of his views in purchasing the claims of the crew of the South Carolina Frigate, by offering him the sum of Two Thousand Dollars in cash or one third of the anticipated profits of such a speculation which he Delozier said would be equal to ten Thousand Dollars. This offer was treated by Mr. Mayrant with such indignation and contempt as it merited and a communication in relation to that fact was immediately made to the then Comptroller General by the later Gentleman. And a similar offer was made to Hugh A. Nixion [Hugh A. Nixon] another of the Officers of said Frigate. Your Committee have thus bestowed their utmost attention to the nature and testimony offered in support of this claim, they have endeavored to present it to this house in its point of view; If they have mistaken the facts or have drawn improper conclusions from them, it has been unintentional on their part; The evidence of fraud and of a disposition to impose upon the State have been so clear to them, That, they respectfully recommend that the prayer of the Memorialist be not granted. S/ Thomas Case, Chairman" This point may need a bit of explanation. Men filed for their pensions with the hope of having them granted to them by the state. If they could cite the name of an officer they served under who was still alive, that officer could be contacted by the committee and could then verify that the named individual had indeed served under his command. Many men could not do this, primarily due to the death of their named officer prior to the filing of their pension application. The only recourse these individuals had was to name as many upstanding members of society as they could who were seen as honest men and hope that their application would be accepted. But, if the indicated officer had served meritoriously himself and been commended by the senior commanding officer - in this case, Commodore Alexander Gillon - then the pension application of the individual had an even greater chance of being granted. John Mayrant and Hugh Nixon were both those types of gentlemen and valiant officers. But, Asa Delozier overstepped himself in approaching two upright and honest men who distained his request as repugnant to their character and dishonest in the extreme. The committee cited in their official document that John Mayrant contacted them to alert them of the overtures made to him by Asa Delozier. The fact that Hugh Nixon is cited as having been similarly approached indicates that he too must have notified the committee. The list of fraudulent intentions on the part of Asa Delozier - "Attorney for Sundry persons" - is extensive, precise in it's description and enumeration by the Committee, and conclusive in it's pronouncement. To cite just a few of the legal malfeasances of this scoundrel, Asa Delozier attempted to file claims for individuals who had in fact already received full remuneration for their services at the time of this document being filed with the state of South Carolina, in some cases decades earlier. He attempted to claim remuneration for men who never served on board the frigate South Carolina and, in some cases, never even set foot on board said ship-of-war. He cited men as having performed services which they never served on board the frigate or for having served in vague positions of responsibility, such as that of "legionnaire". He produced signed affidavits from men who were proven to have been illiterate and unable to write at all. He produced names of men who were said to have served on board the frigate but, who appear to be fictitious individuals created by the mind of Asa Delozier as their names do not appear in the Portage Bill book of the frigate South Carolina. Finally, he contacted and attempted to bribe former officers of the frigate in order to garner their support for his scurrilous claims by lending their "word of honor" as officers and gentlemen that these documents were valid in their claims. The Committee on Claims directed that the "prayer of the Memorialist" - Asa Delozier - not be granted. But, a serious, extensive crime of fraudulent activity had been committed in this case. Asa Delozier could hope to be disbarred at the very least, if not sentenced to prison for his criminal activities. Yet, there is no indication that he ever suffered any reprisals from the state of South Carolina for all his egregious crimes. This may be due to the writer of this blog not being in possession of these materials indicating what befell Asa Delozier after the discovery and revelation of these crimes. It could be just a matter of the passage of so much time since these events. But, one thing is clear concerning this fascinating bit of legal "shenanigans" - men have always been out to make a buck, however they can make that buck, even during the American Revolution and the decades immediately following the birth of our country. This century does not hold a monopoly on legal shysters. They, too, were there at the beginning. The information presented in this post is taken from the following sources:
Lewis, James A. Neptune's Militia: The Frigate South Carolina during the American Revolution, (Kent, OH: The Kent State University Press, 1999.) Moss, Bobby Gilmer. Roster of South Carolina Patriots in the American Revolution, (Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1983.) South Carolina Audited Accounts relating to Asa Cole and numerous others as sailors and officers on the Frigate South Carolina SC1926 The first two posts on this unusual subject of women on board a ship-of-war during the American Revolution were posted with the post titles and dates as follows: "An Accidental Discovery of Surprising Individuals on board the Frigate South Carolina - Women on board the Frigate South Carolina -" and posted on 04/17/2015. "An Accidental Discovery of Surprising Individuals on board the Frigate South Carolina: Women on board the Frigate South Carolina, Pt. II - Further Information Uncovered" and posted on 07/15/2020. When the writer of this blog first encountered the citing of women as having served on board the frigate South Carolina, he was very excited. Not only had the frigate itself and her unusual crew and marine contingent surprised him with their varied ethnicity and combat experiences, but now had proven itself to be even more unusual in including women on board the frigate as members of the crew. The nexus point of this post was the discovery of two entries on page 6 of Moss's work, Roster of South Carolina Patriots in the American Revolution. These two entries have been thoroughly referenced in the two above cited posts and will be cited again here due to their brevity and the amount of time that has passed between now and the dates of the two posts being posted. These entries are as follows: "Adamson, Catherine Bantlion - She served aboard the frigate South Carolina. A.A. 1880A." "Adamson, Susanna Story - She served aboard the frigate South Carolina. A.A. 1880A." The first discovery of this information was just after the inception of this overall blog and the second was less than one and one-half years ago for a time span of over five years between these two posts. The writer has always wondered what rating's work they performed on board the patriot frigate or if they were simply "passengers" as many others were during the first voyage of the frigate South Carolina across the Atlantic Ocean to America. But, after several years of speculation, the answer may finally be at hand. Within the lengthy document known as "South Carolina Audited Accounts SC1926" (A.A. 1880A), the following sentence appears: "Mary Dick and Sarah Fitzgerald are the widows of James Dick and William Fitzgerald who were also in said service, on board said Ship (the frigate South Carolina)." Of course! Obviously! This single sentence extracted from the document A.A. 1880A of the South Carolina Audited Accounts documents indicates that these two women - Mary Dick and Sarah Fitzgerald - were the widows filing for their deceased husbands back pay rendered during the American Revolution. These pension amounts were made available to the veteran if they were still alive and received a number which began with the letter "S" indicating that they were survivor. But, if the man had died and the widow was applying for his pension, then the government issued pension received a number beginning with the letter "W" indicating that the widow was applying for the pension of her deceased husband. There exist numerous instances of this occurrence concerning those men who served on board the frigate South Carolina. These women became the executors of their deceased husband's will and estate, if he had any possessions. But, they certainly did not serve on board the frigate themselves! Thus, it may be that Catherine Bantlion Adamson and Susanna Story Adamson were only the executors of the wills of their deceased husbands, whoever they may have been. It may be that Dr. Moss was incorrect in stating that these two women "served" on board the frigate South Carolina when in actuality they performed the role of executor of their husband's wills and estates and did not serve during the American Revolution, possibly not even being alive during that event. And, yet, thus far, the writer of this blog has neither seen nor encountered a reference within a pension application or an audited accounts document that refers to either Catherine Bantlion Adamson or Sarah Story Adamson. Simply because these other women filed as widows of veterans of the American Revolution does not necessarily mean that all adult females were filing as such. It is still possible - however remote it may be - that these last two named women did serve on board the frigate South Carolina. Only further research and diligent work can possibly clear up an issue that has been clouded with the passage of almost 250 years of time. The information presented in this post is taken from the following sources:
"From Alexander Hamilton to Pierce Butler, February 19, 1794," Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Hamilton/01-16-02-0034. Lewis, James A. Neptune's Militia: The Frigate South Carolina during the American Revolution, (Kent' OH: The Kent State University Press, 1999. South Carolina Audited Accounts relating to Asa Cole and numerous others as sailors and officers on the Frigate South Carolina SC1926 The Committee of Claims now moved on to the issue of members of the crew and marines of the frigate South Carolina that were illiterate as can be seen from the manner in which they signed their pension applications or their powers of attorney. The document continues as such: "Of such of the individuals as could not write their names, a mark is made and it is manifest that the power had long before been filled up, and the names of the individuals for whom it was intended, signed in the usual distance such letters are made from each other in writing, so as, when it seems to have been necessary that a mark should be made, the mark in the shape of a cross invariably interfears [interferes] either with the last letter of the Christian [name] or the first letter of the Sir-name [surname]. And, of that class of powers, or [are] those given by: Francis Barney Edwin Bowen Joshua Bowens Joseph Byne Richard Davis John Dawson Henry Dracon Isaac Duval Elias Emplement Francis Foussard Richard Lunt Philip Prosser Of the twelve men cited here, only two - Joshua Bowen (not Bowens as spelled here in this citation) and Richard Lunt - have stated positions on board the frigate South Carolina. Joshua Bowen was listed as a "Volunteer" which is a position the validity of which has already been called into question in this series of related posts. Richard Lunt was listed as a "Gunner's yeoman", another questionable position. Several other individuals do not appear in Lewis's work, Neptune's Militia, section entitled "Appendix: Crew and Marines of the South Carolina, pages 135-170, with their last names spelled as here in this list but, with a slightly different spelling instead. All the remaining ten men other than Joshua Bowen and Richard Lunt are cited as "no position given". But, the document continues in addressing the issue of these unusual positions found such as in the cases of Richard Lunt being cited as a "Gunner's yeoman" and Joshua Bowen being cited as a "Volunteer". The document continues as such: In many other points of view, it is the fixed belief of your Committee the powers adduced are wholly Variant from the usual mode of executing powers of Attorney. In some instances, an individual who is entered on the Portage Bill Book as a master's mate, is personated and called in the power as a Marine, or Ordinary, a Volunteer, a Carpenter or a Gunner, just as chance or accident, for the time would Suggest; Proving to the entire satisfaction of your Committee, a fixed and selected design on the part of some 1 [someone] to defraud the honest sailor of his hard earned profits; and to impose upon the State of South Carolina." At this point in the narrative, the writer of this blog has decided to cite all the definitive information that is known concerning each of these men listed above. Hopefully, this will clarify and illustrate the dubious nature of these claims "supposedly" on "behalf" of these same men. This information comes from the following sources: Lewis, James A. Neptune's Militia: The Frigate South Carolina during the American Revolution, (Kent, OH: The Kent State University Press, 1999.) Moss, Bobby Gilmer. Roster of South Carolina Patriots in the American Revolution, (Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1983.) Revill, Janie, copier. Copy of the Original Index Book: Showing the Revolutionary Claims Filed in South Carolina Between August 20, 1783 and August 31, 1786, (Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1969.) _________________________________________________________________________ Francis Barney - In Lewis's work, page 136, he is cited as "no position given". Francis Barney appears in neither Moss's work nor Revill's work. _________________________________________________________________________ Edwin Bowen - In Lewis's work, page 138, he appears with the alternate first name of Edward. He is cited as "no position given". In Moss's work, page 87, Edward Bowen is cited as "...he served aboard the frigate South Carolina. A.A.1880A". Edwin/Edward Bowen is not cited in Revill's work. _________________________________________________________________________ Joshua Bowens - In Lewis's work, page 138, he appears with the alternate first names of Josiah, Jofficsa, and Joshaway. His last name is cited as Bowen. He is cited as "Volunteer". In Moss's work, page 87, Josiah Bowen is cited as "...he served aboard the frigate South Carolina. A.A. 1880A". Joshua/Josiah Bowen/Bowens is not cited in Revill's work. _________________________________________________________________________ Joseph Byne - In Lewis's work, page 140, he is cited with the possible alternate first name of John. His last name is cited as the possible alternates of Byrne or Byrn. He is cited as "no position given". Joseph/John Byne/Byrne appears in neither Moss's work nor Revill's work. But, a John Byrn does appear in Moss's work, page 132, and is cited as "...he served aboard the frigate South Carolina. A.A. 1880A". John Byrn is not cited in Revill's work. __________________________________________________________________________ Richard Davis - In Lewis's work, page 143, he is cited as "no position given". In Moss's work, page 239, Richard Davis is cited as "...he served aboard the frigate South Carolina. A.A 1880A". Richard Davis is not cited in Revill's work. __________________________________________________________________________ John Dawson - In Lewis's work, page 143, he is cited as "no position given". In Moss's work, page 242, John Dawson is cited as "...he served aboard the frigate South Carolina. A.A. 1880A". John Dawson is not cited in Revill's work. __________________________________________________________________________ Henry Dracon - In Lewis's work, page 145, he is cited with the alternate last name of Deacon. He is cited as "No position given". In Moss's work, page 267, Henry Dracon is cited as "...he served aboard the frigate South Carolina. A.A. 1880A". Henry Dracon/Deacon is not cited in Revill's work. __________________________________________________________________________ Isaac Duval - In Lewis's work, page 146, he is cited with the alternate last names of Duvall and Douville. He is cited as "no position given". In Moss's work, page 277, Isaac Duval is cited as "...he served aboard the frigate South Carolina. A.A. 1880A". Isaac Duval/Duvall/Douville is not cited in Revill's work. __________________________________________________________________________ Elias Emplement - In Lewis's work, page 146, he is cited with the alternate last names of Eunsilemant, Eucplinaut, Emplimant, Emplemant, and Eusplemant. He is cited as "no position given". In Moss's work, page 297, Elias Eunsilemant is cited as "...he served aboard the frigate South Carolina. A.A. 1880A". Elias Eunsilemant/et al. is not cited in Revill's work. __________________________________________________________________________ Francis Foussard - In Lewis's work, page 147, he is cited with the alternate last name of Fonssard. He is cited as "no position given". In Moss's work, page 321, Francis Fonssard is cited as "...he served aboard the frigate South Carolina. A.A. 1880A". Francis Foussard/Fonssard is not cited in Revill's work. __________________________________________________________________________ Richard Lunt - In Lewis's work, pages 155 and 156, he is cited with the alternate last names of Luat and Luats. He is cited as "no position given" on page 155. He is cited as "Gunner's yeoman" on page 156. In Moss's work, page 585, Richard Luat is cited as "...he served aboard the frigate South Carolina. A.A. 1880A". But, on page 587 of the same work, Richard Lunt is cited as "...he served as a gunner's yeoman aboard the frigate South Carolina. A.A. 1880A; C669". The final entry in this second citation - C669 - indicates that Richard Lunt did indeed receive a stub indent from the State of South Carolina for service during the American Revolution. According to Revill's work, page 385, on May 31, 1783, Richard Lunt did receive 52p/13s/3d for services rendered on board the frigate South Carolina during the American Revolution. Further research has indicated that Richard Lunt died in Newbury, Massachusetts on October 27, 1796 at the age of 53 years old. He is buried in the First Parish Burying Ground in Newbury, Massachusetts. ___________________________________________________________________________ Philip Prosser - In Lewis's work, page 164, he is cited with the alternate last names of Rossen and Rosser. He is cited as "no position given". In Moss's work, page 832, Philip Rosser is cited as "...he served aboard the frigate South Carolina. A.A. 1880A". Philip Rosser/Prosser is not cited in Revill's work. ____________________________________________________________________________ There exists glaring discrepancies in this collected data. First, Francis Barney only appears in Lewis's work, page 136 and there only as "no position given". He appears in neither Moss's work nor Revill's work. So, possibly he is simply a created individual and not a real person at all. Second, all of the men, except Josiah Bowen and Richard Lunt, have as their only identification to service during the American Revolution, "...he served aboard the frigate South Carolina." There is no other indication that they were awarded a stub indent by the State of South Carolina for their defined and recognized services during the American Revolution. Third, the document number - Audited Accounts (A.A.) 1880A - is this very document, the veracity of which is being called into question as being fraudulent. Fourth, the two men who have actual positions on board the frigate South Carolina connected to them - Josiah Bowen and Richard Lunt - both have sufficiently vague positions to call into account their actual roles on board the patriot frigate. Fifth, the absolute plethora of spellings of last names is daunting and demands clarification. But, all of this aside, the truly damning point concerns Richard Lunt. It is obvious from the research done here that he did indeed receive a stub indent from the State of South Carolina in the amount of 52 pounds/13 shillings/3 pence for his services during the American Revolution. That he received said amount on May 31, 1783 - directly after the end of the war. And, that he died in the fall 1796, long before this document began to circulate. There is no actual date on the document - Audited Account 1880A - but, there are dates of reference to other official documents the latest of which is 1817. This is over twenty years after the death of Richard Lunt and yet he is presented in the document as being alive, well, and wanting his recompense for services rendered in the American Revolution. Fraud is afoot in this attempt to collect back wages and unpaid monies from the state of South Carolina. The information presented in this post is taken from the following sources:
"From Alexander Hamilton to Pierce Butler, February 19, 1794," Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Hamilton/01-16-02-0034. Lewis, James A. Neptune's Militia: The Frigate South Carolina during the American Revolution, (Kent, OH: The Kent State University Press, 1999.) South Carolina Audited Accounts relating to Asa Cole and numerous others as sailors and officers on the Frigate South Carolina SC1926 As stated in an earlier post, this document from the Committee of Claims is lengthy and detailed, as can easily be seen from the last three posts. But, at this point in the document, the tone of the Committee of Claims begins to change to a more shrill and accusatory tone with the exposure of fraudulent and illegal activity and implications of possible legal action against Asa Delozair, "Attorney for Sundry persons". The document continues as such: "Of the powers that carry satisfactory evidence, on their face, of forgery are: Amos Anderson Robert Barrell Samuel Boyland Joseph Brown John Buckly John Bulger John Byne John Chandler Joseph Coaken John Evins Nicholas Fountain Henry Larrance John Moyett George Shampayne Rubin Tucker Job Wetherall Thomas Williams Yet, again, at this point the writer of this blog feels the need to cite all pertinent information regarding these men who supposedly served on board the frigate South Carolina. By doing so, the writer hopes to bring to light a more true, exact account of what is going on here in this document - A.A.1880A. The information presented here is taken from the following sources: Lewis, James A. Neptune's Militia: The Frigate South Carolina during the American Revolution, (Kent, OH: The Kent State University Press, 1999.) Moss, Bobby Gilmer. Roster of South Carolina Patriots in the American Revolution, (Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1983.) Revill, Janie, copier. Copy of the Original Index Book: Showing the Revolutionary Claims Filed in South Carolina Between August 20, 1783 and August 31, 1786, (Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1969.) ___________________________________________________________________ Amos Anderson - In Lewis's work, page 135, he is cited as "no position given". In Moss's work, page 17, Amos Anderson is cited as "...he served aboard the frigate South Carolina. A.A. 1880A". Amos Anderson is not cited in Revill's work. ___________________________________________________________________ Robert Barrell - In Lewis's work, there is no Robert Barrell, but, there is a John Barrell. In Lewis's work, page 136, John Barrell is cited with the alternate last name of Barell. He is cited as "no position given". In Moss's work, page 49, John Barrell is cited as "...he served aboard the frigate South Carolina. A.A. 1880A". John Barrell is not cited in Revill's work. ___________________________________________________________________ Samuel Boyland - In Lewis's work, page 139, he is cited with the alternate first name of John. He is cited as "no position given". In Moss's work, page 92, Samuel Boyland is cited as "...he served aboard the frigate South Carolina. A.A. 1880A". Samuel Boyland is not cited in Revill's work. ___________________________________________________________________ Joseph Brown - In Lewis's work, page 139, he is cited as "no position given". Joseph Brown appears in neither Moss's work nor Revill's work. (Note: In Lewis's work, page 139, six Browns appear as having served among the crew of the frigate South Carolina. Only William Brown appears in Moss's work, is cited as being a "Mariner", and having received a stub indent from the State of South Carolina. None of the six Browns are cited in Revill's work.) ____________________________________________________________________ John Buckly - In Lewis's work, page 140, he is cited with the alternate last names of Burkley, Buckley, Buckle, and Bulkey. He is cited as "no position given". In Moss's work, page 120, He appears as John Buerly and is cited as "...he served aboard the frigate South Carolina. A.A. 1880A". John Buerly/Buckly is not cited in Revill's work. _____________________________________________________________________ John Bulger - In Lewis's work, page 140, he is cited as "no position given". In Moss's work, page 120, John Bulger is cited as "...he served aboard the frigate South Carolina. A.A. 1880A". John Bulger is not cited in Revill's work. _____________________________________________________________________ John Byne - In Lewis's work, page 140, he is cited with the alternate first name of Joseph and the alternate last names of Byrn and Byrne. John Byne is cited as "no position given". In Moss's work, page 132, he appears as John Byrn and is cited as "...he served aboard the frigate South Carolina. A.A. 1880A". John Byne/Byrn is not cited in Revill's work. _____________________________________________________________________ John Chandler - In Lewis's work, page 141, he is cited as "no position given". In Moss's work, page 162, he is cited as "...he served aboard the frigate South Carolina. A.A. 1880A". John Chandler is not cited in Revill's work. _____________________________________________________________________ Joseph Coaken - In Lewis's work, page 142, he is cited with the alternate last name of Coaker. He is cited as "no position given". Joseph Coaken/Coaker is cited in neither Moss's work nor Revill's work. _____________________________________________________________________ John Evins - In Lewis's work, page 146, he is cited with the alternate last names of Evans and Evens. He is cited as "no position given". In Moss's work, pages 298 and 300, both John Evans and John Evins appear and are cited in both instances as "...he served aboard the frigate South Carolina. A.A. 1880A". Neither John Evans nor John Evins are cited in Revill's work. _____________________________________________________________________ Nicholas Fountain - In Lewis's work, page 147, he is cited with the alternate last names of Fontaine, Toulaine and Foulaine. He is cited as "no position given". In Moss's work, page 321, he is cited as Nicholas Fontaine and that "...he served aboard the frigate South Carolina. A.A. 1880A". In Reviil's work, page 386, Nicholas Fontaine is referred to as appearing in Entry Book No. 3, page 156. _____________________________________________________________________ Henry Larrance - In Lewis's work, page 154, he is cited with alternate last names of Laurence and Lawrence. He is cited as a "Master's mate". In Moss's work, page 555, he is cited as Henry Laurence and is cited as "...he served as a master's mate aboard the frigate South Carolina and was also the auditor general of the state. A.A. 4454A; C401." In Revill's work, page 385, Henry Laurence is cited as receiving a stub indent from the State of South Carolina on July 1, 1784 for 116p/9s/10.5d. ______________________________________________________________________ John Moyett - In Lewis's work, page 159, he is cited as "no position given". John Moyett is cited in neither Moss's work nor Revill's work. ______________________________________________________________________ George Shampayne - In Lewis's work, page 141, he is cited with the alternate last names of Champaigne and Champayne. He is cited as a "French sailor, Matelot Voluntaires du Luxembourg". In Moss's work, page 161, he is cited as George Champaigne and is cited as "...he served aboard the frigate South Carolina. A.A. 1880A". George Shampayne/Champaigne is not cited in Revill's work. ______________________________________________________________________ Rubin Tucker - In Lewis's work, page 168, he is cited with the alternate first name of Reuben. He is cited as a "Carpenter's mate". In Moss's work, page 941, he is cited as Reuben Tucker and is cited as "...he served as a carpenter's mate aboard the frigate South Carolina. A.A. 1880A; A.A. 7927; C671." In Revill's work, page 385, Reuben Tucker is cited as receiving a stub indent from the State of South Carolina on May 31, 1785 for 75p/8s/0d. ______________________________________________________________________ Job Wetherall - In Lewis's work, page 169, he is cited with the alternate first name of Jacob and the alternate last names of Weathrell, Weatherall, and Witherale. He is cited as a Master's mate". In Moss's work, page 981, he is cited as Job (Jacob) Wetherall and is cited as"...he served aboard the frigate South Carolina as a master's mate. From January 5, 1778 to November 4, 1780, he was aboard the brigantine Polly under Capt. Hezekiah Anthony. A.A. 8387; C441; K173." For the stub indent C441, Jacob (Job) Wetherall received from the State of South Carolina the sum of 53p/7s/0d on July 28, 1784. ______________________________________________________________________ Thomas Williams - In Lewis's work, page 170, he is cited as a "Soldier". In Moss's work, page 998, he is cited as "...he served aboard the frigate South Carolina as a legionnaire. A.A. 1880A; A.A. 8577." Thomas Williams is not cited in Revill's work. ______________________________________________________________________ Again, the vast majority of these individual men - twelve to be exact - have "no position given" as their cited positions on board the frigate South Carolina. Robert Barrell does not even appear in Lewis's work, page 136, though there is a John Barrell but he again has a "no position given" cited for him. Of the individuals who do have positions cited for them Lewis's work, the cited positions are questionable in most of the cases. These are as follows: Henry Larrance - there are two alternate spellings of his last name in Lewis's work, page 154. These are Laurence and Lawrence. His position is cited as "Master's mate". George Shampayne - there are two alternate spellings of his last name in Lewis's work, page 141. These are Champaigne and Champayne. His position is given as "French sailor, Matelot Voluntaires du Luxembourg". Rubin Tucker - has an alternate spelling of his first name in Lewis's work, page 168. This is Reuben. His position is cited as "Carpenter's mate". Job Wetherall - there are three alternate spellings of his last name in Lewis's work, page 169. These are Weathrell, Witherale, and Weatherall. His first name is alternately given as Jacob. His position is cited as "Master's mate". Thomas Williams - there are no alternate spellings of his first or last name that appear in Lewis's work, pages 135-170. His position is given as "Soldier". All of these positions could easily have been created by an individual intent on dissembling and creating deception as a means of appearing to represent men who actually served on board the frigate in legitimate positions of naval responsibility. The positions of "Master's mate" and especially "Soldier" are both sufficiently vague as to create a situation of questionability of validity. Of course, the "no position given" is even more easily open to falsehood and forgery and calls into question the individual having even served on board the frigate South Carolina at all. Yet, with the citation of George Shampayne, the individual in question drew upon the members of the Voluntaires du Luxembourg who formed the first marine contingent to serve on board the frigate South Carolina and were all almost certainly back in their native country of France by the time of the creation of this document. Also, the claims of these former marines and "matelots" (sailors) had been taken up between the two countries of France and the United States and had been under consideration by higher authorities and powers. |
AuthorIn 2020, William S. Covington, Jr. retired after having been involved in the field of education since 1987. Most recently, he was an instructor of Social Studies at Waxahachie Global High School located in Waxahachie, TX. He was also an adjunct instructor of Western Civilization at Navarro College, also located in Waxahachie, TX. In his spare time and since 1999, he has been an 18th century re-enactor and presenter of the American Revolution who does many presentations through out each year to interested groups. He has been a member of the National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution, Arlington, TX Chapter since April 2013. He has been married to June Renee Jacobsen Covington since May 3, 1986. They have three grown children and two grandchildren. Categories |