To open this post, the writer of this blog will cite the entry for each of these men as it appears in Moss's work, Roster of South Carolina Patriots in the American Revolution:
Isaac Dade - He was born in Boston, Massachusetts on 10 May 1756 and died on 4 February 1819. He was married to Fanny Blundel on 22 December 1787. He filed "Pension Application of Isaac Dade W19149". His entry reads: "He first served in Col. Lee's Virginia Regiment. Thereafter, he served six months aboard the frigate, South Carolina." Moss, page 229.
Robert Faucett - He filed "Pension Application of Robert Faucett S41528". He received bounty land warrant number BLWt 193-100. His entry reads: "He enlisted during 1775 at Tarborough, North Carolina and served six months under Capt. Irwin Toole in the Second North Carolina Regiment and was at the battle of Great Bridge, Va. On 20 November 1776, he enlisted at Edenton, North Carolina, and served under Capts. James Gee and John Ingle in the same regiment. He was in the battles of German Town, Brandywine and was taken prisoner at the fall of Charleston. Shortly thereafter, he escaped and entered the service aboard the frigate South Carolina and was discharged in Philadelphia." Moss, page 305-306.
(Note: Neither of these men have entries in Moss's work, Roster of South Carolina Patriots in the American Revolution, that are associated with stub indent numbers. The writer of this blog does not know what criterion were used to include an individual in Moss's work, Roster. But, it would appear that since both of these men filed pension applications in which they claimed service on board the frigate South Carolina, they were afforded an entry in this work.)
Just as with any two unrelated men, there are numerous dissimilarities between these two men. For instance, Isaac Dade was married while there appears nothing in Robert Faucett's pension application to indicate that he ever was married. Robert Faucett participated in several notable battles of the American Revolution while Isaac Dade cites his service only at the Battle of Brandywine.
But, the similarities are striking. Both men were born in the 1750s. Isaac Dade was born in 1756 and Robert Faucett was born four years earlier, in 1752.
Both men are from outside the state of South Carolina. Isaac Dade is from Boston, Massachusetts. Robert Faucett's locale of origin cannot be ascertained from his pension application but, since he enlisted in the town of Tarborough, North Carolina, one can assume that he either came from that town or nearby.
Both men claim service in the Continental Army prior to their signing on with the frigate South Carolina. Isaac Dade entered the army in January 1777 but, served in a Virginian unit, Colonel Henry Lee's Regiment, rather than in a regiment representing his home state. Robert Faucett entered the army in 1775 in his home state of North Carolina and served in the 2nd North Carolina Regiment of Foot.
Both men fought at the Battle of Brandywine on September 11, 1777. This was a major American defeat. Isaac Dade cites in his pension application that "...in the month of January in the year of Our Lord Seventeen hundred & seventy seven I entered and was engaged in the land service of the United States on the continental establishment, and served accordingly from that time to the month of September in the same year (when having received a severe wound at the Battle of Brandywine [11 Sep] I was obliged to retire from the army on furlough untill I should recover from my wound)..." Both Robert Faucett's citation in Moss's work, Roster, cites this battle as well as his pension application also cites the Battle of Brandywine as being among the land engagements in which he was involved.
Both men appear to have served on board the frigate South Carolina at the same time. Isaac Dade states that "I then entered the Continental frigate South Carolina commanded by captain Gillane [sic: Commodore Alexander Gillon...] & served in the same six months..." Robert Faucett states "..that he afterwards served on board the Frigate South Carolina, under the command of, Commodore Gillen, and that he afterwards was discharged from the service at the City of Philadelphia." There is no definitive way of knowing for sure but, it would appear from their statements in their respective pension applications, that both Isaac Dade and Robert Faucett signed on board the frigate South Carolina after it had moored at Philadelphia, PA and served on board her for a relatively brief period of time, both being discharged prior to the frigate's departure for her final, brief voyage.
Both men have no "position" cited for their service on board the frigate South Carolina. In Lewis's work, Neptune's Militia, in the section entitled "Appendix: Crew and Marines of the South Carolina, both Isaac Dade and Robert Faucett have their names cited as being a member of the crew or marines but, there is no indication of their function on board the frigate. Isaac Dade is cited in Lewis's work, Neptune's Militia, page 143 and Robert Faucett is cited on page 147. Nothing is recorded beside their names which is where "position" should be recorded. Only their names are recorded.
Both men would file for pensions late in their lives, citing "reduced circumstances" as the reason for their being in need of assistance from their country. Isaac Dade stated in his pension application that "...by reason of my reduced circumstances in life and poverty, I stand in need of assistance from my country for support..." Robert Faucett, almost verbatim, stated that same condition: "...the said Robert Faucett is in such reduced circumstances as to require the aid offered under the aforesaid Act of Congress." At the time of their statements before the respective courts, Isaac Dade was seventy years old and Robert Faucett was sixty-six years old.
This post has been comparison between two men who both served at one point on board the frigate South Carolina. But, sadly, this last point made is one that is encountered all too often in the time period after the American Revolution. Men struggling to make a life for themselves or their families will turn to the country for which they bled, suffered and sacrificed during the long eight years of the American Revolution. Many, many of them would be "in reduced circumstances" and require the assistance and financial aid of their country to have some sort of relief in their waning years. The new, growing nation had forgotten her saviors of yesteryear, the ones there at her creation. Make no mistake, several of them had served on board the frigate South Carolina.