Haydon, W. The Remembrancer; or Impartial Repository of Public Events - For the Year 1783, (London, England: J. Debrett, 1783.)
Lewis, James A. Neptune's Militia: The Frigate South Carolina during the American Revolution, (Kent, OH: The Kent State University Press, 1999.)
Wiese, O'Levia Neil Wilson. Songs and Ballads of the American Revolution, (Waco, TX: Davis Brothers Publishing Co., Inc., 2000.)
The capture of the rebel frigate South Carolina and her being brought into New York City harbor by the three victorious British men-of-war on December 23-24, 1782 created quite a stir in the Loyalist and Crown communities located there as well. Dr. Lewis's work, Neptune's Militia, page 98 recreates the mood at the time of her appearance in New York City harbor:
"Over the following two days, December 23 and 24, the frigate and the rest of the ships reached New York. The capture of the South Carolina provoked considerable excitement among loyalists and the garrison in New York, a population that had not received much good news lately and expected even worse ahead. Gratifyingly, from the British point of view, news about the capture appeared in the Christmas edition of the Royal Gazette.".
The writer of this blog has located the exact article as it appeared in the December 25,1782 edition of Rivington's Royal Gazette and it is reproduced here in full:
"From the New-York Royal Gazette.
New-York, Dec. 25. Last Thursday night, off the Delaware, his Majesty's ships, Quebec, of thirty-two guns, Christopher Mason, Esq. Diomede, of forty-four guns, ------- Frederick, Esq. and Astrea, of thirty-to guns, Matthew Squires, Esq. fell in with the celebrated and formidable ship South Carolina, commanded by Captain Joiner, carrying forty guns, twenty-eight forty-two pounders mounted on her main-deck, and on her quarter-deck and forecastle, twelve twelve-pounders, and four hundred and fifty men, having under convoy from Philadelphia, a ship, brigantine, and schooner, the latter only escaped. The South Carolina was chased eighteen hours and a half, when she fired a stern-chaser at the Diomede, which was returned by one of the latter's bow guns; the Diomede then gave her six broadsides, and she received one from the Quebec; the running fight continued two hours, when her colours were struck to this superior force. She was bound on a cruise off Charles-Town, and taken the day after she sailed; was built in Holland, about four years ago; her keel about one hundred and sixty feet long, and strong as a castle; the lost about six killed and wounded, the British not a man. Fifty German, and eight British soldiers, of General Burgoyne's army, taken out of the gaol of Philadelphia, and compelled on board the Carolina (rather than submit to be sold by the Americans) were on this occasion happily released from a service ever obnoxious to their principles. The prize brig is coppered, and ladened with tobacco, belonging to Bordeaux; the ship laden with flour and tobacco.".
(Note: A bit of historical information on the publication known during the American Revolution as the Royal Gazette. According to Boatner's Encyclopedia of the American Revolution, pages 936-937, this newspaper holds a conspicuous place in American journalistic efforts in that it "...was virtually the first daily newspaper in America [from] 1778-1783". It was owned and run by James Rivington (1724-1802) who is characterized as being a"...bookseller, journalist, and printer.". It would seem that he was dedicated to unbiased, non-partisan news reporting and wanted to give Americans a better sense of world events than many other contemporary newspapers here in America. Even though he was a loyalist, he chose to remain in New York City after the British evacuation but, his newspaper failed shortly afterwards due to the vindictive efforts of jealous patriot leaders. He attempted to continue the sale of books and stationary but, died poor in 1802.)
This account constitutes a most thorough and journalistically engaging treatment of the capture of the most heavily-gunned ship-of-war employed by the patriots (the rebels) during the American Revolution. The reporter's style and delivery of the news of the capture of the frigate South Carolina would do justice to any newspaper located anywhere in the world of free speech and press. In his work, Neptune's Militia, pages 92-95, Dr. Lewis gives a detailed and excellent account of the final hours of the last cruise of the patriot frigate. It appears from his very excellent bibliography contained within Neptune's Militia, and the associated footnotes, that Dr. Lewis had access to the truly first hand account of the final flight and fight of the frigate South Carolina in that he had at his disposal the captain's logs of each of the British men-of-war - HMS Diomede, HMS Quebec, and HMS Astraea - as well as documents from Edward's work, Journals of the Privy Council, 1783-1789, which contain the testimonies of Captain John Joyner and his other officers at their courts-martial later regarding the loss of the frigate South Carolina. This fascinating article of New York's Royal Gazette dated December 25, 1782 could have been written by James Rivington himself which would lend credit to the reporting excellence of the Royal Gazette.
(Note: On page 94, of Lewis's work, Neptune's Militia, the following sentence appears:
"By all accounts the inexperienced crew of the South Carolina, including the Hessian marines and a handful of former English soldiers, fought hard and well.".
In the article from the Royal Gazette of December 25, 1782, the journalist reports that these same men - fifty German soldiers and eight British soldiers - "...were on this occasion happily released from a service obnoxious to their principles..." when the frigate South Carolina was captured by the three elements of the Royal Navy. The article points out that these men were members of the "Convention Army" of the troops of General John Burgoyne captured at Saratoga, New York over five years earlier. The article also alludes to these same men being forcibly "...taken out of the gaol of Philadelphia and compelled on board the Carolina (rather than submit to be sold by the Americans)...". This statement "...to be sold..." is a reference to the rebel practice of issuing a prisoner-of-war a type of "indenture" and "selling" them to a local farmer who would use them as a laborer on their farm as the war progressed and local American labor was away at the war. Many of these former soldiers, especially former German auxiliary troops, would form connections with their surroundings, even marrying local girls, and at the end of the war refuse to return home to their respective German principality. These men were not sold into slavery and held against their wills after the cessation of hostilities. Most chose to remain, became American citizens, and made lives for themselves and their families here in America.)
There is another example of Crown/Loyalist rejoicing at the news of the capture of the frigate South Carolina. This account is in the form a "derisive" poem directed at the rebel Americans by one of their fellow "Countrymen". In Lewis's work, Neptune's Militia, page 99, the following paragraph appears:
"After so much publicity in the rebel press about the South Carolina's role in capturing New Providence, the largest warship now rode at anchor off the East River and stimulated one patriotic supporter of the Crown to compose a poem. Published in later edition of the city's newspaper, it was entitled "From a Dejected Johnathan, a Prisoner Taken on the South Carolina, to his brother Ned at Philadelphia". Even in his title, the jubilant writer displayed an eighteenth century version of the famous contempt of New Yorkers for the country bumpkins who inhabited the interior of the continent --- in this case rebels from Philadelphia and the Pennsylvania countryside who made the unfortunate choice of manning the South Carolina. Poking fun at the amateurish fight put up by the frigate and crew, the poet gloated that rebel sea power had been crushed and that the growing American trade with France lay exposed, to be cut at will by the British.".
(Note: According to Lewis's work, Neptune's Militia, page 200, note 9, this "...later edition of the city's newspaper..." was the edition that came out on Saturday, December 28, 1782 and was numbered 653. The edition that cited the initial capture of the frigate South Carolina above was that of Wednesday, December 25, 1782 and was numbered 652.)
(Note: The term "Jonathan" was used by the British to refer to the rebel Americans. This term was much akin to the usage of the two terms "Billy Yank" and "Johnny Reb" by opposing sides during the American Civil War. In times of conflict and warfare, fighting men sometimes develop a strange affinity towards their enemies and can frequently refer to them in rather "endearing" terms. Also used by the British were the terms "Brother Jonathan" and "Cousin Jonathan".)
The writer of this blog finds it interesting that the true identity of the author of this poem is unknown. The two sources that the writer has in his possession that address this issue of possible identity of the author of the poem are Dr. James A. Lewis's work, Neptune's Militia, and O'Levia Neil Wilson Wiese's edited work, Songs and Ballads of the American Revolution. Wiese's work gives no indication at all as to who the author might be. She does use footnotes to refer to certain passages in the poem but, nothing at all concerning who the author might be. Lewis's work, like Wiese's work, cites the entire poem but, concludes the rather long poem with the brief citation -"(Diomede, off New York, 25th Dec., 1782)". This could indicate that the person in question was either a mariner of the Royal Navy or a civilian Loyalist member of the ship's company, such as a clerk or a personal secretary of the ship's captain. Lewis characterizes the unknown writer as a "...patriotic supporter of the Crown..." and as "...the jubilant writer...". The one fact that seems to be clear is that the individual who wrote it was most likely an American Loyalist living in New York City in 1782. This once again seems to be confirmed by the fact that the poem was published in a Loyalist newspaper, The Royal Gazette, and that the writer played upon the age-old tension between New Yorkers and "country folk", especially those from neighboring Pennsylvania.
During the American Revolution, it was not at all uncommon for opposing sides to castigate each other through the means of dismissive or derogatory poetry. As a matter of fact, the musical piece, "Yankee Doodle", was originally written by a British military doctor to make fun of the colonial provincial troops and militia men who fought alongside the British regulars during the earlier French and Indian War. Later, during the American Revolution, the British would continue their efforts at making the rebels appear to be buffoons and country bumpkins by means of caricatures and cartoons. The following piece of lyric poetry is full of these images and comical intentions on the part of the supporters of the Crown.
(Note: The following piece of lyric poetry is found in Lewis's work, Neptune's Militia, pages 200-201 and in Wiese's work, Songs and abllads of the American Revolution, pages 272-275.)
"From dejected Jonathan, a Prisoner taken in the South Carolina, to his Brother Ned at Philadelphia -
My dear Brother Ned, We are knock'd o'the [on the] head,
No more let America boast;
We may all go to bed, and that's enough said,
For the South Carolina we've lost.
The pride of our eyes, I sware [swear] is a prize,
You never will see her again;
Unless through surprise, you're brought where she lies,
A prisoner from the false main.
O Lord! what a sight! -- I was struck with affright,
When the Diomede's shot round us fell;
I fear'd that in spight [spite], they'd have slain us outright,
And send us directly to Hell.
The Quebec did fire, or I'm a curs'd [cursed] liar,
And the Astrea came up apace;
We cou'd [could] not retire from the confounded fire,
They were all so eager in chase.
The Diomede's shot was damnation hot,
She was several times in a blaze;
It was not my lot to go then to pot,
But I veaw [vow] I was struck with amaze.
And Ned may I die, or be pok'd [poked] in a Stye,
If ever I venture again;
Where bullets do fly, and the wounded do cry,
Tormented with anguish and pain.
The Hope I can tell, and the Brig Constance fell,
I sware [swear] and veaw [vow] in our sight;
The first I can say was taken by day,
but the latter was taken at night.
I die to relate what has been our fate,
How sadly our navies are shrunk;
The pride of our State begins to abate,
For the branches are lopp'd [lopped] from the trunk.
The Congress must bend, we shall fall in the end,
For the curs'd [cursed] [British Sarpants [serpents?] are tough;
But I think as your friend, I have enough penn'd [penned],
Of such cursed, such vexatious stuff.
Yet how vexing to find, we are left behind,
That by sad disappointment we're crossed;
Ah Fortune unkind! thou afflictedst [afflicted] my mind,
When the South Carolina we lost.
Our enemy vile, cunning Digby does smile,
Is pleased at our mischance;
He useth [uses] each wile, our fleets to beguile,
And to check our commerce with France.
No more as a friend, our ships to defend,
Of the South Carolina we boast;
As a foe in the end, she will us attend,
For the South Carolina we've lost.
(Diomede, off New York, 25th Dec., 1782)"
(Note: The text as cited here is taken from Lewis's work, Neptune's Militia. Th text as it appears in Wiese's work, Songs and Ballads of the American Revolution, has had the more quaint 18th century forms of language "corrected" to reflect 21st century spellings and usage.)
Once again, we have no idea of the true identity of the writer of this poem extolling the capture of the frigate South Carolina by elements of the Royal Navy. In the same manner, we can only conjecture at the identity of the journalist who drafted the December 25, 1782 article as seen in the Royal Gazette issue of the same date. We can assume it was james Rivington himself, but, the fact is, we do not know beyond reasonable doubt. Yet, there may be "method in this madness". Possibly, both of these men were loyalists but, planned on remaining here in America after the British government and military forces withdrew from these shores. We know that James Rivington decided to remain in New York City after the British evacuated it and that this decision ultimately cost him his newspaper. This settling of scores was exacted by vindictive patriot leaders in New York who begrudged James Rivington his standing as a loyalist during the recent hostilities and wanted to make him pay for it. The same could be possible for the writer of the poem concerning the capture of the patriot frigate. Maybe, he (or she) too wanted to remain in America and, while it lasted, revelled in their loyalty to the Crown. But, as the historical handwriting on the wall became more evident and clear in it's meaning and certainty, this individual would have made their peace with the coming inevitable situation. This person, male or female, would not have wanted to bring themselves the enmity of the patriots after British departure. Would it have taken any more reasoning than this for the individual to not affix their name to the poem and thus become identified as a committed loyalist to the growing wave of patriot sentiments within New York City? But, with the passage of so much time the truth may have eluded us forever.