The Friends of Valley Forge Park. "Valley Forge Legacy: The Muster Roll Project - 4th Pennsylvania Regiment", (last database update: 02/13/2016).
Heitman, Francis B. Historical Register of Officers of the Continental Army: During the War of the Revolution, April, 1775, to December, 1783, (Genealogical Publishing Company, Inc., 1973).
Lewis, James A. Neptune's Militia: The Frigate South Carolina During the American Revolution, (The Kent State University Press, 1999).
Middlebrook, Louis F. The Frigate South Carolina: A Famous Revolutionary War Ship, (The Essex Institute, 1929).
Montgomery, Morton L. History of Berks County, Pennsylvania in the Revolution from 1774 to 1783, (Historical Society of Berks County, 1975).
Price, George, transcriber. "Genealogy of the Scull Family - of South Jersey (NJ)" (www.rootsweb.com, USGenWeb/NJGenWeb website, August, 2007).
Scull, Robert Drake. "Sculls in the USA: Descendants of Nicholas and John Scull in America, 1685-1830", (ntlworld.com, no date given).
Trussell, John B. B., Jr., The Pennsylvania Line: Regimental Organization and Operations, 1776-1783, (Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, 1977).
Pension Application of Jacob Fleisher S2214
Pension Application of John Fox S2219
Pension Application of Henry Lotz S40950
Pension Application of Michael Spatz S3957
The earlier post entitled "'Who was Edward Scull?' - An Enigma on board the Frigate South Carolina, Possibly Solved - " and dated "03/12/2015" addressed a situation of a somewhat confusing nature. There are three purported individuals on board the frigate South Carolina who seem altogether to make up this one man. In the earlier post cited immediately above, this mystery seems to have been clarified and his true name settled upon - Edward Scull. Yet, since that initial post more information pertaining to Edward Scull has been collected. The writer of this blog feels that this information should be presented to the readership of this blog at this time. But, instead of the enigmatic nature of this individual being perpetuated further, it would seem to indicate that Edward Scull actually lead a commendable life and contributed to the winning of independence for the United States of America. For it would seem that prior to travelling the hinterland of Pennsylvania, looking for marine recruits for the frigate South Carolina, Edward Scull spent time as an officer of a Pennsylvania Regiment of Foot and may have been involved in some closely-contested and hard-fought battles of the American Revolution.
(Note: As cited in the earlier post on Edward Scull and dated "03/12/2015" in Lewis's work, Neptune's Militia, page 165, the following information is recorded for Edward Scull:
Edward Scull (Scully?) Lieutenant of Marines
Luke Scully ------- (no position given)
Edward Scully (Scull?) Volunteer
On the following page, page 166, the following information also appears and is associated with the name of Edward Scull:
------- Soule, (Soull?) Recruiting Officer
All of these combinations are associated with the name of Edward Scull. The writer of this blog has never encountered the first name of Luke nor the last name of Soule or Soull in relation to the man Edward Scull. Only in a single instance has the writer of this blog encountered the name of "Scully" associated with the man Edward Scull. This is as one of the prisoners-of-war on board the HMS Astrea on December 20, 1782. He is simply cited as "Edward Scully - Volunteer". Yet, all of the remaining sources all cite the individual as "Edward Scull" which is the name that will be utilized in this post.)
Evidence exists from Edward Scull's early life but, even here, the facts are sketchy and fragmentary in nature. This fragmentary nature may be due to some of the evidence seeming to be of a contradictory nature with other pieces of information. In fact, it could appear that there are indeed two different individuals by the name of Edward Scull instead of just one man. Some of the dates seem to possibly violate plausibility but, do indeed fit into a rather implausible frame of reference. The writer of this blog realizes that all of this is confusing but, assures the readership that all will come into sharper focus as the post progresses.
According to Scull's article, "Sculls in the USA...", page 19, Edward Scull's father was Nicholas Scull, Jr., a mapmaker and surveyor who rose to be the Surveyor General of Pennsylvania in 1748. According to this article, Edward Scull married Abigail Heap at some point in 1738. This is the only source this writer has encountered in his research that mentions Edward Scull being married. All the other sources are silent on this matter. This same article states that Edward Scull became a surveyor. He supposedly moved to the township of Reading in Berks County in 1750 where he continued to work as a surveyor until 1752. Supposedly, at the time of his father's will be probated in 1767, Edward Scull was already dead. Very little of this information matches up with other information from various different sources that will be cited in this post. These will be pointed out as they are introduced in this post and, hopefully, clarified. The hope of the writer of this blog is to reduce some of the mysticism that surrounds the man, Edward Scull, and present the real man.
The first, real concrete evidence we have of Edward Scull is at the beginning of the American Revolution. According to Heitman's work, Historical Register of Officers, page 487, the following information concerning Edward Scull is recorded:
Edward Scull (Pennsylvania) - Adjutant, Haller's Battalion of the Pennsylvania Flying Camp, July 1776
Captain, 4th Pennsylvania Regiment of Foot, January 3, 1777
resigned, May 11, 1779
This is the first occurrence, as far as the writer of this blog is aware, of an individual who eventually served on board the frigate South Carolina having been a part of the military organization known as the "Flying Camp". According to Trussell's work, The Pennsylvania Line, pages vi-vii, the "working" definition of this unique unit is as follows:
"The 'Flying Camp' was created in July, 1776 as a reserve or pool of organizations, to reinforce the Continental Army on an emergency or temporary basis. It consisted primarily of local, militia-type units called up from the colonies of the Middle Atlantic region. Although the unit structure remained relatively constant, the individual personnel comprising it fluctuated, departing on expiration of their prescribed limited tours of duty and being replaced by others, until the tours of those men also expired. The members of the Flying Camp, although provided by individual colonies, were paid by Congress. In the case of Pennsylvania, some units in the full-time service of the colony (as distinct from short-term volunteers or from militia in State service, and from Continentals in the service of Congress) were briefly made available to the Flying Camp."
As adjutant of Haller's Battalion of the Pennsylvania Flying Camp, Edward Scull would have been of officer's status. The position of "adjutant" of a battalion or regiment is exactly that - just a position to be filled by an officer within the unit. The actual rank of the specific officer can vary, depending on the abilities of that officer in executing the duties of an adjutant.
The second position for Edward Scull indicated in Heitman's work, Historical Register of Officers, would have been the result of a move from the "...local, militia-type unit..." to a regular army unit, the 4th Pennsylvania Regiment of Foot, on the Continental establishment, which occurred on January 3, 1777. This was roughly six months after his elevation to the position of adjutant of Haller's Battalion of the Pennsylvania Flying Camp. Edward Scull's move to the regular army organization and structure was accompanied by a promotion to captain, which would have also entailed the command of a company within the 4th Pennsylvania Regiment of Foot. According to Trussell's work, The Pennsylvania Line, page 65, this was the case. The regiment had originally been formed as the 3rd Pennsylvania Battalion but, was reorganized as the 4th Pennsylvania Regiment of Foot in January-February, 1777. Edward Scull was one of the original company commanders, commanding Company A of the regiment for almost two and one-half years, until his resignation from the Continental forces on May 11, 1779.
(Note: Again, as in the post on John Henderson just below this post and dated "02/07/2016", there existed a different system of indicating the individual companies of a regiment. In Trussell's work, The Pennsylvania Line, the author uses the system established during the American Civil War of indicating the companies by a single letter such as "Company A" here in the case of Edward Scull's company in the 4th Pennsylvania Regiment of Foot. The writer of this blog is more accustomed to companies being referred to by their company commander's names. It would most probably have been designated as "Captain Scull's Company" or "Scull's Company" of the 4th Pennsylvania Regiment of Foot.)
The text of Trussell's work, The Pennsylvania Line, page 65, states that Edward Scull resigned and was replaced by William Henderson, who had been promoted to a captaincy on May 16, 1778. But, a footnote within the text states that "...the years given for Scull's resignation and Henderson's promotion are incompatible. Either Scull resigned in 1778 or Henderson was not promoted until 1779. Pennsylvania Archives, Series V, Volume II, page 1032, however states categorically that Henderson was promoted to fill the vacancy created by Scull's resignation." This statement still does not directly address the discrepancy but, it is most likely that William Henderson was promoted to his captaincy when Edward Scull resigned his captaincy on May 11, 1779. Also, according to Trussell's work, The Pennsylvania Line, page 68, Captain Edward Scull is cited as being a resident of Berks County, PA. This fact may seem trivial to report but, will be of significance later in the course of this post.
(Note: According to Montgomery's work, History of Berks County, pages 143 & 268, Edward Scull became the Secretary of the Board of War for the Pennsylvania Supreme Council on May 16, 1778. There is a discrepancy of dates between the above cited work and Trussell's work, The Pennsylvania Line, page 65, even with the included footnote referenced in the paragraph above. Montgomery's work clearly states that on May 16, 1778 Edward Scull became an active member of the civilian government conducting the military efforts of the colony of Pennsylvania, the same day that William Henderson was promoted to his own captaincy. This, too, makes sense due the colonial administration not wanting there to be any unseemly "gaps" in the services of an individual when a transfer of positions and powers took place. So, this dilemma is perpetuated - when did Edward Scull resign his captaincy in the 4th Pennsylvania Regiment of Foot to assume his new duties within the civilian government of Pennsylvania and did William Henderson's promotion to the vacancy in the 4th Pennsylvania take place at the same time? It is almost certain that these two events informed upon each other but, what year they took place in is the real question here - 1778 or 1779.)
If Edward Scull indeed became a captain in the 4th Pennsylvania Regiment of Foot on January 3, 1777, the he may well have participated in the actions fought by this regiment of foot after that period. These actions would have included the Battle of Brandywine (September 11, 1777), the Paoli "Massacre" (September 21, 1777), and the Battle of Germantown (October 4, 1777). After the campaign season of 1777 had ended, the regiment was recorded as having marched into the winter encampment at Valley Forge, PA and remained with Washington and the main army through out the following grueling winter. According to the Friends of Valley Forge's work, "Valley Forge Legacy: The Muster Roll Project - 4th Pennsylvania Regiment" cited among the field officers and regiment staff of the 4th Pennsylvania Regiment of Foot as having served with the regiment at Valley Forge was Edward Scull.
(Note: If Edward Scull did indeed not resign his captaincy until May 11, 1779, then he would have also served with the 4th Pennsylvania Regiment of Foot at the pivotal Battle of Monmouth on June 28, 1778 but, probably not the Sullivan Expedition which took place in the summer of 1779. His resignation date is cited as having been May 11, 1779. All of the above cited actions, as well as those also cited in the previous paragraph are listed among the actions fought in by the 4th Pennsylvania Regiment of Foot.)
It is quite conceivable that Edward Scull saw combat in these hard-fought engagements of the American Revolution and survived the surprise attack on the units of the Pennsylvania Line by British light infantry that has come to be known as the Paoli "Massacre". But, the incredible piece of as-of-yet uncited information is that Edward Scull would have been just over sixty years old! According to Montgomery's work, History of Berks County, page 268, "Edward Scull... was born in Philadelphia on October 26, 1716...". It is not inconceivable for a man of this age to have served as Edward Scull served. He may well have been a fairly robust individual who was also very patriotic in his sense of duty to his country. Thus, if this is indeed the true Edward Scull, he would have served in the Battle of Germantown just three weeks before turning sixty-one years old and endured the winter at Valley Forge when he was sixty-one years old.
(Note: This last shared piece of information is the piece that has caused the writer of this blog the most concern. While it is true that older men served during our American Revolution, it is a fact that mostly younger men served in the war and especially for the length of service time that Edward Scull served. This piece of information is what initially convinced the writer of this blog that there must be two separate individuals by the name of Edward Scull. But, thus far, the writer of this blog has not run across any bit of information that might indicate that there were indeed two separate individuals who had this same first and last names. It would seem that there was only this single individual - Edward Scull.)
Further evidence indicates that Edward Scull had become known as an effective recruiting officer in the area of Berks County, Pennsylvania by the beginning of 1778, at the latest. According to Montgomery's work, History of Berks County, page 168d, the following information appears under the heading of "During the Year 1778":
"In January [1778], General Washington recommended that Capt. Edward Scull (Reading) should recruit 150 men in Berks county for the Battalions of the State in the Continental Army which was done."
Further along in Montgomery's work, History of Berks County, page 168e, the following information appears under the heading of "During the Year 1780":
"In June [1780], a company of 52 men was raised as volunteers in Berks county and sent to Philadelphia under the command of Major Edward Scull."
The first entry clearly indicates that none other than George Washington himself recommended the necessary men be raised in Berks County by Edward Scull. The entry concludes with the statement that the assignment was completed as directed. The second entry indicates that almost one and one-half years later, Edward Scull succeeded once again in raising the required men through appealing to their sense of duty to their colony as indicated by the fact that these men are cited as being "...raised as volunteers...".
This information brings this post much closer to its original intent of the frigate South Carolina. According to Lewis's work, Neptune's Militia, page 165 & 166, one of the four "position" citations for Edward Scull is that of "recruiting officer". This is associated with the name of "-------Soule" or "-------Soull". This name never appears in any source this writer is familiar with concerning Edward Scull. But, in Montgomery's work, History of Berks County, page 268, there appears a brief sketch of the life of Edward Scull, the text of which also contains a facsimile of Edward Scull's signature. The first name is only recorded in this signature as the letter "E" which is so stylized as to be almost unrecognizable to the modern eye. But, the spelling of the last name, "Scull", is from where the confusion stems. It is the opinion of this writer that the stylized, flaring script of this signature can easily make the name to appear as either "Soule" or as "Soull". But, the "position" of "recruiting officer" is indeed the correct "position" for Edward Scull.
The proof of this final statement lies in the existing pension applications filed by survivors of the frigate South Carolina in either 1818 or 1819. All of them are from residents of Berks County, Pennsylvania who claim to have served as marines on board the frigate South Carolina just prior to her capture by the three British men-of-war off of the Capes of the Delaware on December 20, 1782. These are the "Pension Application of Jacob Fleisher S2214", "Pension Application of John Fox S2219", "Pension Application of Henry Lotz S40390", and "Pension Application of Michael Spatz S3957". As all the numerations of the pension applications contain an "S" at the beginning of the numeration, all of them were issued to a surviving veteran of the American Revolution, which is indicated by the "S". Only the first pension application cited, that of Jacob Fleisher, was issued in 1819. All the others were issued in 1818. In many of the cases of the provision of additional supporting testimony for one of the pension applications found here, each of the men would support the pension application of the others by submitting supporting statements. This is the cases of the pension applications of Jacob Fleisher and John Fox, who both have two of the other's names cited in their supporting evidence. But, Henry Lotz only has the name of Michael Spatz attached to his pension application and Michael Spatz has no other testimonies or supporting statements attached to his pension application at all.
The text of these separate pension applications reveal pertinent information to this specific post. On page 4 of Jacob Fleisher's pension application the following statement appears:
"...Jacob Fleisher of Bern Township County aforesaid aged fifty-seven years, who upon his solemn oath doth depose and say that he enlisted as a private soldier in the service of the United States in the year 1782 in the Borough of Reading County aforesaid by Lieut. Scull in a company Commanded by Capt. Joiner [Joyner] on the Ship Carolina [South Carolina]...."
Further on in his pension application, on page 19, Jacob Fleisher cited the following information regarding his enlistment on board the frigate South Carolina:
"....he [Jacob Fleisher] was fully determined to take an active part in achieving the Liberties and privileges which we now enjoy and on a certain day in the month of June of the year 1780 your petitioner met with an Officer in a public house in Reading County & State aforesaid who asked your petitioner if he would Enlist to him and said Officer said his name was Scull that he was Enlisting man [men] for the service of the United States as Marines to fight against the Common Enemy..."
Jacob Fleisher clearly stated, in these two separate statements, that it was "...an officer..." whose name was Scull and that the recruitment took place in "...Reading County aforesaid..." with the county aforesaid being Berks County. Also, the first statement above seems to indicate that "...Lieut. Scull..." was identified as an officer of the ship's company. Even after the passage of thirty-five years, Jacob Fleisher remembered the correct spelling of the recruiting officer's name - Scull.
On page 16, of the pension application of John Fox contains the following information regarding his enlistment on board the frigate South Carolina:
"...John Fox of the Township of Alsace County aforesaid aged upwards of 52 years, who being by me sworn according to law doth depose & say that he enlisted in the borough of Reading County aforesaid in the year 1781 in a Company commanded by Capt. Joiner [Joyner], that he marched from the said borough of Reading to this City of Philadelphia and there was put on board the ship called South Carolina..."
Slightly earlier in his pension application, on page 10, John Fox explained the circumstances leading to his enlistment on board the frigate South Carolina:
"...your Petitioner was fully determined to take an active part in achieving the Liberties and privileges which we now enjoy and That as near as he can recollect that in the Month of June A.D. 1780 your petitioner and a comrade named Michael Spatz were determined to Enlist in an[d] Infantry Corps which at that time was Enlisting man [men] for the service of the United States in the Revolutionary War in Reading Berks County Pennsylvania when on our way to a public House were the [sic, where they] were Enlisting man [men] for said Infantry Corps we met a certain officer who asked us boys which way we then answered him that we were going to Enlist to an Infantry Corps, he then said that his name was Scull that he was Enlisting man [men] in the Service of the United States on the Continental establishment as Marines and that we should Enlist to him that our case would be easier to enter with him and prevailed on us to comply we there agreed...."
Unlike with the pension application of Jacob Fleisher, the first statement of John Fox includes all the shared information of Fleisher except he excludes mention of the officer, Lieut. Scull. The second statement of John Fox, as it appears on page 10 of his pension application, is in large part almost verbatim from the pension application Jacob Fleisher and begs a very careful examination of it to ascertain if they might have been prepared by the same individual, like a lawyer or some other kind of professional person. This second statement contains the name of a comrade of John Fox's - Michael Spatz. In this statement, John Fox referred to both of them having met "...a certain officer..." who "...then said his name was Scull..." Thus, John Fox stated that not only was he enlisted by a "Lieut. Scull", as with Jacob Fleisher, but, also Michael Spatz was involved with them in this enlistment. John Fox, as with Jacob Fleisher's recollections of these events, cited this as having taken place in "...Reading Berks County Pennsylvania..." He also hints at Edward Scull as having initially approached the two likely young men, as being persuasive and forceful in his arguments, and that he "...prevailed upon us to comply...." This is a aspect of Edward Scull's psyche and personality that we have yet to encounter in the previous citations concerning him from the various different sources. He was certainly cited as a recruiter for the Continental units serving in the Main Army under George Washington.. Washington once even personally requested that "Capt. Edward Scull" be allowed to recruit for the units from Pennsylvanian that were serving in the regular army. Every indication is given that this was accomplished successfully by Edward Scull. He was obviously well-known as a recruiting officer in the area of Berks County, Pennsylvanian and, possibly, well beyond the borders of the county. But, this sheds light on the persuasive nature of Edward Scull. John Fox's words seem to give an aspect of pressure being placed on him to enlist with Edward Scull even though Fox had expressly stated that he intended "...to Enlist to an Infantry Corps...". Edward Scull, as a recruiting officer, had a set quota of men to enlist for the frigate South Carolina and was not above using his persuasive skills to convince these young men to enlist with him.
Further evidence of Edward Scull's "knack" for persuasion can be found in his actions immediately following the consent of the young recruits having been given to him to enlist with him. According to page 19 of Jacob Fleisher's pension application:
"...I [Jacob Fleisher] then said I was ready and we {Edward Scull and Jacob Fleisher] both appeared before a certain Mr. Reeser then a Justice of the Peace in and for Berks County who administered to your petitioner the usual Oath and I received bounty Money in the Name of the United States...".
The same type of passage appears on page 10 of the pension application of John Fox:
"...we [John Fox and Jacob Fleisher] there agreed and we were brought before a Certain Mr. Reefer [Reeser] than [then] a Justice of the Peace in and for Berks County who administered the usual Oath and we received the bounty money in the Name of the United States for and during the War...".
This may have been proper procedure to bring new recruits before a Justice of the Peace or other legal official and have the oath administered to them. But, few, if any, of the other pension applications associated with the frigate South Carolina include a reference to this action taking place. But, it is the thought of the writer of this blog that this may have been a tactic on the part of Edward Scull to impress upon his new recruits the gravity of the situation they had entered into by pledging to enlist with him. The pension applications of both Jacob Fleisher and John Fox indicate that these two individuals were illiterate in that they both signed the pension application with "Their X Mark". Even if an individual were unable to read and write, he/she could make their mark in the form of an "X" or other scratch mark in between their first and last names written on the document in question by a literate person. Edward Scull may well have used the gravity of being immediately sworn in before a dour and serious Justice of the Peace to impress upon these new recruits that they were legally bound now to not desert or "jump bounty" and leave prior to their commitment being fulfilled. These youthful, illiterate men would possibly have been awed by the official, legal nature of their swearing in that all thought of running away would have been swept from their minds and they would have been obedient to their recruiting officer - Edward Scull.
The two remaining pension applications are those of Henry Lotz and Michael Spatz. Neither of thee pension applications actually mentions Edward Scull by name nor do they allude to having been recruited by him for service on board the frigate South Carolina. But, both of these men do state in their separate pension applications that they did indeed serve on board the frigate South Carolina. The recruitment of Michael Spatz and John Fox by Edward Scull is supported by a statement in the pension application of John Fox cited above in the section on John Fox. Henry Lotz does not refer to Edward Scull, nor any other recruiting officer for that matter, but, does state the following:
"...that he enlisted in the Borough of Reading of aforesaid, in a Company commanded by Captain Joiner [John Joyner], in the year 1781, that he was marched in said Company to the City of Philadelphia and there was put on the Ship called South Carolina..."
It is completely possible that Henry Lotz was recruited by another roving recruiting officer and then joined the frigate South Carolina. That after joining the ship's crew, he came to be acquainted with Jacob Fleisher, John Fox, and Michael Spatz and, subsequently, wrote a supporting, verifying statement that Michael Spatz did indeed serve on board the frigate South Carolina as a marine. But, Edward Scull is the only cited recruiting officer for Berks County and had a long association with the county. Again, it is not impossible that Henry Lotz was possibly recruited by someone else but, more than likely, he, too, was recruited by Edward Scull and simply did not mention this fact in his pension application.
A nagging question that has persisted through both posts concerning Edward Scull has been whether or not Edward Scull, Lieutenant of Marines, was indeed on board the frigate South Carolina for her second, brief voyage that ended with her capture by elements of the Royal Navy on December 20, 1782. There does exist evidence that he was indeed on board the frigate but, even this information is somewhat vague. According to Middlebrook's work, The Frigate South Carolina, page 22, the following information is recorded in the captive list of the HMS Astrea:
Edward Scully Volunteer Discharged December 27, 1782 Prison Ship - New York
It could easily appear from the entry that Edward Scull was consigned to one of the various different prison "hulks" moored in Wallabout Bay, NY. But, his name is included among the other officers of the frigate South Carolina carried on board the HMS Astrea into New York City harbor. Officers were usually spared the difficult and dangerous conditions of the prison "hulks" due to their status as "gentlemen" and were paroled as a result to await their turn to be exchanged back to friendly forces. The arguments have already been made that the true name of this individual is indeed Edward Scull rather than Scully. This appearance of the name "Scully" is the only instance the writer of this blog is aware of this name being associated with Edward Scull. Thus, this writer believes that there was some type of mistake or transcription error in recording his name as he was being entered on the prisoner-of-war lists. It is also the opinion of the writer of this blog that Edward Scull was on board the frigate South Carolina occupying the position of "Lieutenant of Marines" when she was captured just off the Capes of the Delaware on December 20, 1782. After his parole on Long Island, he only had to wait for repatriation back to the patriot forces so that he could return to Pennsylvania.
Now, to conclude the life of Edward Scull of Pennsylvania. There is discrepancy concerning whether or not Edward Scull ever married and raised a family. Only one of the initial sources cited - Robert Drake Scull's article, "Descendants of Nicholas and John Scull in America, 1685-1830", page 19, mentions that Edward Scull married an Abigail Heap in 1738. This is completely conceivable because if the birth date cited above for Edward Scull is correct - October 26, 1716 - he would have been twenty-two years old and of marriageable age. But, this is the one of two sources encountered up to this point by the writer of this blog that even mentions or alludes to a marriage of Edward Scull. This could account for the second allusion to a marriage for Edward Scull. This appears in the form of a very brief abstract of his will as filed in Berks County, Pennsylvania, written on November 15, 1783 and proved on July 5, 1794:
To mother Mary SCULL all estate real and personal
Exr: Mother Mary SCULL
Wits: Abigail SCULL, Ann Morgan and William SCULL
His mother, Mary Scull, was the executor of his will while Abigail Scull, apparently his wife, was only a witness and not benefactor of his will. It could easily be that his wife, Abigail Heap Scull, predeceased him and that this is a daughter, who is witnessing the reading of the will. Since she still bears the surname of Scull, the daughter might not have married herself, while the next individual cited in the abstract may have been a daughter, Ann, who married someone with the surname of "Morgan". It is not clear who William Scull might have been in relation to Edward Scull. According to Scull's article, "Descendants of Nicholas and John Scull...", page 16, there were two William Scull's who both served in the American Revolution. One served as "...a wheelwright for the Commissioner of Military Stores" and the other one was "...Captain William Scull of the 11th Pennsylvania Regiment". Again, we have no way of knowing if this William Scull was a brother or son of Edward Scull or if either of these, for that matter.
Another observation is that if Edward Scull died at some point between the two dates cited above - November 15, 1783 and July 5, 1794, he would have been well-advanced in age indeed. He would have been between sixty-seven and seventy-six years old. This is not inconceivable in the least but, since he left "...all estate real and personal..." to "...mother Mary SCULL...", it would have made his surviving mother even older than that. For instance, if she was only twenty when he was born in 1716, it would make her in her upper eighty's or ninety's at the time of the proving of his will, which would have been after his death. This, too, is not inconceivable but, somewhat unlikely in view of the advanced ages involved.
Thus, the post entitled "'Who was Edward Scull?' - An Enigma on board the Frigate South Carolina, Possibly Solved - " and dated "03/12/2015" has had more hard facts added to what is already known of Edward Scull. He seems to have come from a distinguished family and gained notoriety himself later in life and during the American Revolution. He ultimately seems to have served as Secretary of the Board of War and been known by George Washington enough to be explicitly mentioned by name in an official communication from Washington. Still, questions exist yet concerning his life. Was he ever married? Did he have children? Why did he leave all of his estate - real and personal - to his mother? When, exactly, did he die? Did he have brothers or sisters? It is those nagging questions that if properly and correctly answered would fill out his life a bit more for us who live and ask these questions over two hundred years after he lived and died. Thus, he remains enigmatic to the very end as only Edward Scull could.