This post focuses on additional information that has been located concerning some of the officers who served on board the frigate South Carolina. These men are cited in two previous posts on this blog. One is cited in the post dated "03/03/2015" and dealing with the numerous "Captains" on board the frigate during her first voyage. The citation is from Lewis's work, Neptune's Militia, "Appendix: Crew and Marines of the South Carolina", page 146, and is as follows:
Elias Elvell Captain and volunteer
(Note: In Lewis's work, Neptune's Militia, his last name is alternately spelled as Elvill, Elvile, or Elwell. Hopefully, this post will demonstrate this man's true last name.)
Yet, in Moss's work, Roster of South Carolina Patriots in the American Revolution, page 293, the following entry appears:
Elias Elvell - He served aboard the frigate South Carolina. A.A.1880A.
It is the opinion of this blog writer that this is the true spelling of Elias's last name due to the corroboration between these two distinct sources. Also, the Lewis work, Neptune's Militia, cited above lists two "positions" for Elias Elvell - "Captain and volunteer". Referencing the earlier post on "Captains" on board the frigate South Carolina, one finds that there were many individuals who held this "position", far more than a single ship-of-war would need or be able to adequately utilize. But, this man, and others like him, who sailed on board the frigate South Carolina for the Americas in August 1781 were captains in their own right.
In the post dated "03/03/2015" concerning "Captains" on board the frigate South Carolina, these men were examined as a group rather than individually. The Royal Navy was very active in seeking out and capturing rebel vessels at sea. Many of these men were most probably captains of merchant vessels that had been captured by Royal Navy warships. They would then be sent to England for imprisonment until they could be exchanged, at which point they usually ended up in France looking for a means to get back home to America. Several of them (about thirteen, to be more exact) found their way to the frigate South Carolina and Commodore Alexander Gillon. In exchange for passage to America on board his ship, Gillon signed many of these men onto his frigate as "volunteers". Again, according to the post dated "03/06/2015" concerning "Volunteers" on board the frigate South Carolina, "volunteers" were those individuals who due to skills needed on board the frigate could be off service in the daily operation of the ship but, were not subject the the orders of the ship's officers. With both of the definitions clearly stated here, most likely Elias Elvell was a recently-released merchant sea captain who had made his way to Amsterdam, Holland, signed onto the frigate South Carolina because of some sea-faring skill he possessed, served in the capacity of a "volunteer" while on board the ship, and took his passage home by this means. This possible explanation fits more easily with the citation above from Moss's work, Roster of South Carolina Patriots in the American Revolution.
The next set of officers to be addressed contains four men who are cited in the post dated "03/04/2015" and dealing with "Officers" on board the frigate South Carolina. The following citations are from Lewis's work, Neptune's Militia, "Appendix: Crew and Marines of the South Carolina" and are as follows:
Andrew Dice Officer page 144
John Duteille Master of Arms, petty officer, subordinate officer page 145
George Franks Adjutant, officer of marines page 148
J. Irvine Officer page 152
The entries in Moss's work, Roster of the South Carolina Patriots in the American Revolution are as follows:
Andrew Dice - He served as an officer aboard the frigate South Carolina. A.A.1880A, page 253.
John Duteil - He served aboard the frigate South Carolina as master of arms. A.A.2112A; X411, page 277.
George Frank - He served nine months and twenty-four days as adjutant aboard the frigate South Carolina during 1782 and 1783. Y214, page 329.
Jay Irvine - He served aboard the frigate South Carolina. A.A.7238, page 485.
(Note: In Moss's work, Roster of South Carolina Patriots in the American Revolution, John Duteille's last name is spelled as "Duteil"; George Franks's last name is spelled as "Frank"; and J. Irvine's full first name is cited as "Jay".)
The information gathered here adds to the last three men listed in this entry. John Duteil (or Duteille) was not an officer as implied in the Lewis entry. He was a Master of Arms, which means that he was a petty officer (NCO) in rank and rating. George Frank served as an adjutant on board the frigate South Carolina, seemingly on the last cruise of the frigate. But, the strange citation here is that he is cited to have served "...during 1782 and 1783". The frigate South Carolina was captured on December 20, 1782 and was held by the British by the beginning of 1783. Thus, the citation of him having "...served nine months and twenty-four days as adjutant aboard the frigate South Carolina", must refer to his actual service on board the frigate South Carolina as well as the time he was on parole in British-controlled New York City.
The confirmation of the correct first name of "J. Irvine" to "Jay Irvine" may mean that the citation for "John Irvin" is a repeat of the later citation of "J. Irvine". Both of these citations on page 152 of Lewis's work, Neptune's Militia, have as the "position" citation as "officer". This may indicate that these are the same man being cited twice due the the similarity of spellings of his first and last names.