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 Rowland Sandifort SC1935
There is a reason for only two sources being cited above in the bibliography of this specific post. As far as the writer of this blog knows, these two sources literally contain all we know about Rowland Sandifort, purportedly a "legionnaire" on board the frigate South Carolina. He is the individual to date concerning whom the writer of this blog knows the least. This not only because of the scarcity of published contemporary materials addressing him but, also the lack of book-length secondary sources that directly reference this man. He is not cited in either Moss's work, Roster of South Carolina Patriots in the American Revolution or in Revill's work, Copy of the Original Index Book: Showing the Revolutionary Claims Filed in South Carolina Between August 20, 1783 and August 31, 1786. Also, he is not cited in Ervin's work, South Carolinians in the Revolution: With Service Records and Miscellaneous Data nor is he cited in Kaminkow's work, Mariners of the American Revolution. The only documents existing today that addresses Rowland Sandifort are the two sources cited above in the brief bibliography.
Lewis's work, Neptune's Militia: The Frigate South Carolina during the American Revolution, section entitled "Appendix: Crew and Marines of the South Carolina", pages 135-170, cites the following information concerning Rowland Sandifort on page 164:
Name: Position:
Sandiford, Roland (Rowland) no position given
A reference to the "South Carolina Audited Accounts relating to Rowland Sandifort SC 1935" document clears up the issue of the correct spelling of his proper name. On page 4 of the attached documents, the name "Rowland Sandifort" is clearly spelled out. Yet, he is cited as "no position given" in Lewis's work, Neptune's Militia. If it were not for the "South Carolina Audited Accounts" document cited above, there would exist no knowledge of his man's potential occupation or "position" on board the frigate South Carolina.
The majority of the information we have concerning Rowland Sandifort comes from the document, "South Carolina Audited Accounts relating to Rowland Sandifort SC1935". This a a brief document and is cited here in full as follows:
"[page 1]
6734-A
Sandifort, Rowland
[page 2]
Number 4 123 33/100 Dollars
June 7, 1808
Legionaries who served on board So. C Frigate [South Carolina Frigate]
[page 3]
Received June 7, 1808 of the Treasurer of the Lower Division the within amount in full.
S/ Asa Delozeair
[page 4]
State of South Carolina,
Office of the Comptroller-General
June 7, 1808
Number 2718 123 Dollars. 33
Sir,
Pay to Mr. Delozier, Attorney for Rowland Sandifort One Hundred and twenty three dollars being the balance due the R. S. [Rowland Sandifort] on the Portage bill book of the Frigate South Carolina including Interest
for which this shall be your legal warrant.
Thomas Lee Comptroller-General
To C. B. Cochran Esquire
Commissioner of the Treasury"
Until further information is uncovered, this is the sum total of the facts we currently know concerning Rowland Sandifort. The majority of the reputable known sources are strangely silent concerning this "legionnaire" on board the frigate South Carolina. A brief examination of the "Find a Grave Memorial.com" site reveals nothing as to where he may have been buried.
It has been the experience of the writer of this blog that the more information located concerning a specific named individual who served on board the frigate South Carolina, the fewer questions remain about his life and services. It would seem that the obverse of that is true for those about whom we know so little information. The lack of solid information concerning Rowland Sandifort raises almost more questions about his life than are answered. But, the writer of this blog will do what he can to answer the few questions that are clearly raised by these brief bits on information we have on Rowland Sandifort.
First, Rowland Sandifort received $123.33 for his services on board the frigate South Carolina. The fourth and final page of the South Carolina Audited Accounts document states clearly that this amount is due Rowland Sandifort "...being the balance due the R. S. [Rowland Sandifort] on the Portage bill book of the Frigate South Carolina including Interest.". This is a considerable amount of money to be paid to an enlisted man, if indeed Rowland Sandifort was an enlisted man. We must assume that he was an enlisted man due to the silence of the South Carolina Audited Accounts document concerning otherwise. If he had been an officer, even a low ranking officer, it should have been mentioned in the document. An examination of the document entitled " A List of the Officers & Men of the Frigate South Carolina to Whom Certificates Have Been Issued" and found on pages 385-386 of Revill's work, Copy of the Original Index Book indicates that there were other enlisted men who received larger than normal amounts of money for their services but, these individuals had specialties like a surgeon's mate, carpenter's mate, coxswain, etc. Rowland Sandifort could easily have been one of these more experienced sailors and thus garnered more pay as a result.
Second, his name does not appear on any of the three captive Americans lists of the three British Royal Navy men-of-war that captured the frigate South Carolina on December 21, 1782. Thus, he was probably a member of the first, longer cruise of the patriot frigate as she made her way across the Atlantic Ocean towards her namesake state. But, in the action that preceded the capture of the frigate South Carolina, reference has been made to the deaths of around six to ten of the crewmen of the patriot frigate. There were between three to four hundred men on board the frigate South Carolina for this final action of her patriot career, so the likelihood of Rowland Sandifort being among the killed in action is very small. But, the potentiality does exist and must be considered.
Third, and finally, he must have owed money to the attorney Asa DeLozier. As has been pointed out in earlier posts concerning the South Carolina Audited Accounts documents, these are documents of indebtedness and are collected by the individual to whom they are owed. Page 4 of the document indicates that Asa DeLozier has acted as attorney for Rowland Sandifort and had legal warrant to collect the exact amount indicated - $123.33 - from the State of South Carolina. This document is dated June 7, 1808 and is signed by Asa DeLozier acknowledging that he did receive the amount in full.
This is all we know of Rowland Sandifort, legionnaire on board the frigate South Carolina. Any further information located by the writer of this blog will be immediately recorded here, especially why this individual and so many others whose lives are recorded prior to Rowland Sandifort are also referred to as being "legionnaires" on board the frigate South Carolina.