Alerberg, Hug Sergeant (Marines?)
Allen, Enoch Marine?
Balty, Henry Marine
Bartholemew, Robert Marine?
Baur, ------- Sergeant (Marines?)
Bearns, Henry Marine
Bonfolk, Christopher Marine?
Boyle, Caleb Marine?
Brunig, John Marine?
Carpenter, James Lieutenant of Marines, 2nd officer
Clark, John Marine
Conrade, John Marine?
Derger, Wilhelm Marine?
Deats, John Marine
Fillar, John Marine?
Fleisher, Jacob Marine
Fox, John boy, Marine
Fr----, Heinrich Marine
Frankel, John Marine
Gallagher, William Marine?
Gastage, Edward Mariner/Marine
Greiner, Jacob Marine
Hartman, Abraham Marine
Heinlein, George Marine
Henderson, John Lieutenant of Marines
Hingle, Adam Marine?
Hlees, Jacob Marine
Holsmai, Jonas Marine?
Hose, John Marine?
Houser, Anthony Marine
Houser, George Marine
Jemmison, Charles Marine?
Jerder, Caspar Marine?
Jost, Johannes Marine?
Kaerf, Heinrich Marine?
Kean, William Marine?
Kiehl, Frederick Marine
Keelufer, Aug Wee Sergeant, Marine?
Kelin-Kerfer, Gole Corporal, Marine?
Kezof, Schan See Marine?
Killarman, Frederick Marine?
Kitz, Carpenter Marine?
Kuhn, John Marine
Luzar, Schars Corporal, Marine?
LeFelke, Verd Marine?
Lomullar, Christo Marine?
Lotz, Henry Marine
Morriss, William Marine?
Moyer, Henry Marine
Pape, Gole Corporal, Marine?
Quilge, Pfieffer Marine?
Robeson, Abel Marine
Roymer, Henry Lieutenant, Marine
Schillig, Heinrich Marine?
Schlappig, Henry Marine
Schultz, George Marine
Scull, Edward Lieutenant , Marine
Shelter, Adam Marine?
Smith, John Marine?
Smith, Peter Marine
Thompson, Henry Marine
Thompson, William Lieutenant, Marine
Tiley, Frederich Marine?
Treadwell, Samuel Marine
Tucker, Jacob Marine, volunteer
Tuttle, Jonas Marine?
Ungar, Nicholas Marine?
Waggoner, Isaac Marine
Walters, John Lieutenant, Marine
Westfall, John Marine?
Wicks, Henry Marine
Yager, Heinrich Marine?
Youten, Caspar Marine?
(Note: Six of the individuals listed above are listed as "Lieutenant, Marines". These men are James Carpenter, John Henderson, Henry Roymer, Edward Scull, William Thompson, and John Walters. The writer of this blog has only been capable of finding any additional information on two of these listed men - James Carpenter and Edward Scull. For James Carpenter, all that is found at this point in research is his entry in Bobby Gilmer Moss's work, Roster of South Carolina Patriots in the American Revolution, page 149. His entry is brief and simply states, "He served aboard the frigate South Carolina. Revill, p. 385". There is a slight bit more for Edward Scull. Most of this has been listed in the "note" section at the end of this specific post below. But, this blog writer has encountered another piece of information on an Edward Scull. It is contained in the "Wills: Abstracts: Berks Co., PA 1792-1795" contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by Thera." article. In the section containing "Wills - 1794" on pages 34-35, there is a very brief will abstract for Edward Scull. It states:
SCULL, EDWARD, Reading.
November 15, 1783 - July 5, 1794
To mother Mary SCULL all estate real and personal.
Exr: Mother Mary SCULL
Wits: Abigail SCULL, Ann MORGAN and William SCULL.
The question is whether this is the Lieutenant Edward Scull who served on board the frigate South Carolina or another man by a very similar name.)
There are some glaring contrasts or "issues" that stand out when one compares the list of the Hessian prisoners of war that signed on board the frigate South Carolina to the Americans who signed on board as marines. But, the one striking similarity is that both groups signed on just before the final cruise of the frigate South Carolina. In other words, they would have been on board the frigate at the same time and would have had opportunity, however short, to get to know one another, since they were all signed on to the frigate in the capacity of marines. This possibility of familiarization could have been heightened by the fact that the Americans who signed on board the frigate were by and large Pennsylvania Germans, many of them, if not all, being able to communicate with the Hessian prisoners of war in their native language.
The first contrast is the number of recorded marines. The Hessian list, in the post directly preceding this post, there are 49 listed Hessians who signed on board the frigate South Carolina as marines. The "American" list contains 72 men who signed on as marines. It is known that at the same time Commodore Gillon and others were recruiting among the Hessian prisoners of war at their respective prison camps in Lancaster and Reading, PA, there were others moving about the countryside, attempting to recruit men from among the American civilian population. These recruiting parties seem to have been more successful in terms of the numbers of recruits who signed on board the frigate South Carolina than those attempting to "convince" the Hessians that their only escape from the prison camp conditions was to "desert" to the rebel cause. (See "Berks County Men Who Died on the Ship 'South Carolina' on December 19, 1782", Jane Unger, Berks County PAGenWeb Project site - this recruiting effort was successful in that at least 32 of these men died during the American Revolution, supposedly on board British prison ships, like the Old Jersey, moored in Wallabout Bay, NY).
The second contrast is the number of Americans that their role or function on board the frigate South Carolina is uncertain - there is a question mark (?) listed after their designation "Marine". In the list of Hessian prisoners of war who signed on board the frigate, there are only three who have a blank space after their name and before their unit designation - Henry Dreger, Heinrich Hentzel, Johan Unger. The other 46 Hessian prisoners of war are all listed as "musketier" meaning that they were privates on the German establishment and had signed on board the frigate South Carolina as "Marine". Yet, on the list of Americans who signed on board the frigate South Carolina, there are no less than 32 men who are listed as "Marine?". There seems to be substantial uncertainty as to whether or not these men were marines on board the frigate South Carolina. The assumption is that these men were all privates as opposed to another rank. Even the three sergeants and three corporals of marines, as well, are listed with a question mark (?) after their ranks. But, all six of the officers of marines, in this case all of them lieutenants, are listed without a question mark (?) after their ranks. So, there seems to be certainty regarding the officers of these marines but, a great deal of uncertainty as to their NCOS and enlisted men who were supposedly serving under their command. In the list of Hessian prisoners of war, there are no NCOS or officers listed among the 49 men who enlisted as marines on board the frigate South Carolina. All of them are listed as "musketiers" or privates.
(Note: In the "Pension Application of John Fox S2219", Fox refers to being recruited by an individual who "...said that his name was Scull that he was Enlisting man (sic) in the Service of the United States on the Continental establishment as Marines..." In the list of American marines above, there does appear the entry "Scull, Edward - Lieutenant, Marine". Thus, it would appear that a Lieutenant Scull of Marines did indeed exist and serve on board the frigate South Carolina for her second and last cruise and was responsible for recruiting these men in Reading, PA. John Fox notes that not only he himself was recruited by LT Scull but, also his friend, Michael Spatz, was recruited at the same time and in the same locale. Both of these men's names appear in Dr. Lewis's work, Neptune's Militia, "Appendix: Crew and Marines of the South Carolina", (pages 147, 166) as being marines on board the frigate South Carolina. Junior officers, among which lieutenants were indeed included, were frequently sent out into the countryside to recruit men into their various units or "Corps". LT Scull must have been a very convincing individual or a great deceiver because these men were certainly not enlisted "... on the Continental establishment as Marines...", ie, as Continental Marines, but, rather on the state establishment of South Carolina as state marines. John Fox is cited in the list above and is listed as "Fox, John - boy, Marine")
The third contrast to appear is the wide discrepancy between ranks listed on the Hessian role and those listed on the American role. The Hessians, in their depositions to the examining board of Hessian officers in New York City on January 1-4, 1783, state that early on they had been separated from their officers. It would also appear from the list included in Dr. Lewis's work, Neptune's Militia, "Appendix: Crew and Marines of the South Carolina, pages 135-170, that they had separated from their NCOS as well. All the Hessian prisoners of war who signed on board the frigate South Carolina enlisted as "musketier" or privates. The American role, in contrast, lists several as "Marine" (private), three as "Sergeant", three as "Corporal", and six (!) as "Lieutenant" of Marines. Some one had to have commanded the Hessian marines for this last, brief voyage of the frigate South Carolina. Yet, there is no indication that any of the Hessians officers were on board the frigate South Carolina for this last cruise. It is the assumption of this blog writer that these Hessians were placed under the command of an officer who spoke German and could thus communicate with all of his troops at any time. Or, possibly, he could have relayed his commands to his sergeants or corporals in English and they could have translated these into German and relayed them to the German marines under their command. All of the sergeants and corporals on the American roster have German-sounding last names and at least one of the officers on the same roster also has a German-sounding last name.
As stated above, other sources indicate that at the same time Commodore Gillon and others were speaking to the Hessian prisoners of war at their prison camps in Lancaster and Reading, PA, there were others who were travelling through the countryside seeking recruits among the local population. One of these sources is cited above, "Pension Application of John Fox S2219". Fox goes into some detail concerning the persuasiveness and argumentation used by Lieutenant Scull to gain their consent to enlist on board the frigate South Carolina. Fox makes a very interesting comment at this point in his pension application. He states "...we then Remained in Reading and was about 70 men who belonged to us as Marines we were marched to Wilmington where we entered on board a Ship there called the Carolina [South Carolina]..." Thus, according to Fox's pension application, he was recruited in Reading, PA where one of the Hessian prisoner of war camps was located. He also emphasizes that "...about 70 men who belonged to us as Marines..." were recruited and present at Reading, PA when they marched to board the ship. The above roster of men includes 72 names, which is just right for the "...about 70 men..." estimate of John Fox. Also, there is no mention of the Hessian prisoners of war being marched with these local men to board the frigate South Carolina. John Fox would have certainly made some type of mention of this unusual occurrence if the Hessian prisoners had marched with them.
(Note: In Moss's work, Roster of South Carolina Patriots in the American Revoltuion, page 852, an entry for Edward Scull appears. It simply states that "He served as a lieutenant in the marines aboard the South Carolina." An entry for him also appears in Revill's work Copy of the Index Book Showing the Revolutionary Claims Filed in South Carolina:Between August 20, 1783 and August 31, 1786, page 305, indicating that he had filed a claim in South Carolina. A John Fox appears in both works but, is not the John Fox spoken of here. According to his pension application, "Pension Application of John Fox S2219", Fox applied in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Berks County for support in his old age through the Act of Congress of the 18th of March 1818 and was placed on the pension rolls at $8.00 a month. But, at the time of his petition of November 27, 1829, he had been stricken from the pension rolls and was petitioning to be readmitted to the pension rolls. Interestingly, his petition for readmission to the pension rolls from which he had previously been stricken mentions a Michael Spatz, probably a friend/companion, as enlisting with him on board the frigate South Carolina as a marine also. A Michael Spatz does appear in Dr. Lewis's work, Neptune's Militia, "Appendix: Roster of Crew and Marines on the South Carolina", pages 166, but, his position on board the ship is blank whereas, John Fox is listed as "boy, Marine". Also, as a last point, in all of the correspondence from John Fox, his signature is always signed as "John Fox, X his mark" which indicates that John Fox was illiterate and could not even sign his name.)