Lewis, James A. Neptune's Militia: The Frigate South Carolina during the American Revolution, (Kent, OH: The Kent State University Press, 1999.)
Moss, Bobby Gilmore. South Carolina Patriots in the American Revolution, (Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1983.)
Revill, Janie, copier. Copy of the Original Index Book: Showing the Revolutionary Claims Filed in South Carolina Between August 20, 1783 and August 31, 1786, (Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1969.)
Wates, Wylma Anne, editor. Stub Entries to Indents: Issued in Payment of Claims Against South Carolina Growing Out of the Revolution, Books C-F, (Columbia, SC: South Carolina Archives Department, 1957.)
South Carolina Audited Accounts relating to John Duttille SC2532
South Carolina Audited Accounts relating to George Rodenwalt SC2533
Several of the preceding posts have examined a pair of men who served on board the frigate South Carolina. This has been done for a couple of reasons but, usually it is due to similarities that were acknowledged between the two men. These similarities were again usually that they occupied the same type of position on board the patriot frigate and thus received the same general amount of recompense for their individual services. But, now the record contains two men who did indeed serve on board the frigate South Carolina but, in very different positions, and, yet received recompenses that only slightly varied in the amount received. But, the real reason for examining these two men together is that they filed a petition for recompense that named both men - John Duttille and George F. Rodenwalt - in the same document.
According to Lewis's work, Neptune's Militia, section entitled "Appendix: Crew and Marines of the South Carolina", pages 135-170, these two men are listed as cited below:
Name: Page Number: Position:
John Duttille page 146 Master at Arms, Petty Officer, Subordinate Officer
George F. Rodenwalt page 164 Sailor, Mariner
(Note: the above two spelled names are taken, as spelled by the above signers, from the South Carolina Audited Accounts SC2532 and 2533 respectively and will be the form of spelling their names throughout this post. There are numerous different spellings given for both of their last names. But, the forms used above and again through out this post are the manner in which their names were signed by them on the document cited in this post. John Duttille's last name is variously spelled Duteille, Dutoutle, Duteile, and Dukil. George F. Rodenwalt's last name is variously spelled Rodeswald, Rodiswald, and Rodenwaldt. His first name is never given as "George" but, rather as "Frederick". But, he signed it as "Ge: Fr: Rodenwalt" in the South Carolina Audited Accounts document. This would transliterate as "George Frederick" if fully spelled out. Thus, there is almost solid evidence that George F. Rodenwalt is indeed Frederick Rodenwalt.)
Moss's work, South Carolina Patriots in the American Revolution, pages 277 and 826, respectively, have entries for both John Duttille and George Frederick Rodenwalt but, cite them as John Duteil and Frederick Rodeswald. Their individual entries are as follows:
"John Duteil - he served aboard the frigate South Carolina as master of arms. A.A 2112A; X411.
Frederick Rodeswald - he served aboard the frigate South Carolina. A.A. 6542B; C525."
Revill's work, Copy of the Original Index Book, page 385, contains further information regarding Frederick Rodeswald stating that on October 6, 1784 he received 8p/18s/6d from the government of the State of South Carolina in the form of a certificate C525. The text of this certificate is as follows:
"No. 525
Book C
Issued to Mr. Frederick Rodeswald late of the Frigate South Carolina mariner, the 7th day of October 1784, for Eight Pounds 18/6 Sterling Ballance of wages due him on board said Ship as per Certificate from the Auditor General dated 6th October 1784.
Principal: 8p/18s/6d
Interest: 0p/12s/6d"
(Note: there is also a certificate issued to John Duteil (or Duttille) but, it is cited as "X411" and the writer of this blog does not have current access to that specific book of Stub Entries to Indents. But, the "South Carolina Audited Accounts relating to John Dutoutle [Duteille, Duteil] SC2532 document does contain the text of this certificate. The text contained therein is as follows:
"No. 411
Book X
August 22, 1785
Delivered to Mr. John Dutoutle this our Indented Certificate, for the Sum of Six Pounds Seventeen Shillings and three pence Sterling for Services in the Naval Department of this State on Board the Frigate Carolina [South Carolina] per account from the Comts. [Comptrollers General].")
The document in which the names of both of these men appear is indexed under the name "John Dutoutle, etc." in the South Carolina Audited Accounts and is as follows:
"South Carolina
To the Honorable Samuel Warren President and the other members of the Honorable the Senate
The Petition of John Duteille and George F. Redevault respectfully Sheweth
That they served in the capacity of Subordinate Officers on board the South Carolina Frigate commanded by the late Commodore Gillon [Alexander Gillon] and were regularly enrolled on the Books of said Ship. That under the Act of the Legislature passed in December 1805 - they made application to the Comptroller General for the several Sums due them for their Services, and received from that Officer a Warrant on the Treasury for the amount of the Principal only, he stating to them that he was not authorized by Law to allow them any interest on their several claims. That your petitioners conceived that they have as just a claim to the interest on the respective balances due them as to the principal -
They therefore humbly pray your Honorable House to direct your Officers to calculate the Interest on the balances which they have received, and to pay the same over to them and as in duty bound they will ever pray.
Columbia December 1, 1810
S/ John Duttille
S/ Ge: (George) Fr: (Frederick) Rodenwalt"
(Note: the mark "S/" indicates that both men affixed their signatures to the document. It is from these actual signatures that the writer of this blog has formulated the "correct' spellings of their names. These men could at least sign their names but, we know nothing of their competency of English beyond that simple fact.)
Closely following this petition by John Duttille and George Frederick Rodenwalt in the South Carolina Audited Accounts document of each man appears this brief statement:
"The Committee to whom was referred the petition of John Duteille and George F. Redevault
Respectfully Report
That they have had the same under their consideration, and recommend that the prayer thereof be granted and that provision be made for the same in the appropriation act."
Again, this brief statement is quickly followed by receipts stating the following information:
"State of South Carolina
Office of the Comptroller General
October 19, 1810
No. 2896 38 Dollars 28
Sir,
Pay to Frederick Rodenwalt late a Mariner on board the South Carolina Frigate Thirty eight dollars 28/ being the balance due him on the Portage bill book.
for which this shall be your legal warrant
S/ Thomas Lee, Comptroller General
To S/ J.B. Cochran Esq., Commissioner of the Treasury"
The same type of document would have been issued to John Duttille (Dutoutle) also but, does not appear in the printed documents of his petition to the South Carolina authorities. Thus, the writer of this blog has taken the liberty of reconstructing this document with the appropriate number of the document omitted. This reconstructed document is as follows:
"State of South Carolina
Office of the Comptroller General
October 19, 1810
No. ------- 44 Dollars 99
Sir,
Pay to John Duteil (Duttille, Dutoutle) late Master of Arms on board the South Carolina Frigate Forty four dollars 99/ being the balance due him on the Portage bill book.
for which this shall be your legal warrant
S/ Thomas Lee, Comptroller General
To S/ J.B. Cochran, Commissioner of the Treasury"
A casual examination of their initial claims of John Duttille and George Rodeswalt against the State of South Carolina shows a marked discrepancy in the amounts received when the initial amount was awarded to each man and when the later calculated interest are compared. The initial amount for George Rodeswalt on October 7, 1784 and for John Duttille on August 22, 1785 were less than 10 pounds apiece. Yet, once the interest was calculated, this triples of quadruples the amounts each man received. A hand-written letter attached to the file of John Duttille and transcribed below explains this discrepancy. The text of this letter is as follows:
"South Carolina
To the honorable S. Warren President and the other - Members of the honorable the Senate -
The Comptroller General to whom was referred the Petition of John Duteille and George Redevaldt and the report thereon of a Committee of your honorable House requiring him to state the Accumulation of Interest due the Said Petitioners on their Claims respectfully reports That he ahs calculated an Interest of 3 per Cent from October 1, 1784 the period from which Interest is usually allowed and finds that there is due to the Petitioners the Sum of Sixty four dollars 15/100.
Respectfully Submitted
S/ Thomas Lee
Comptroller General"
To sum up all of the information presented in this post, these two men - John Duttille and George Frederick Rodenwalt - were common mariners/seamen/NCOs on board the frigate South Carolina. They must have had certain abilities above and beyond that of the common mariners on board the frigate because they seem to have been called upon to perform duties above their respective maritime stations and thus described themselves as "subordinate officers" or possibly petty officers. The writer of this blog finds it interesting that Lewis's work, Neptune's Militia, section entitled "Appendix: Crew and Marines of the South Carolina", pages 135-170 only described John Duttille's position on board the frigate as "subordinate officer, petty officer" while George Frederick Rodenwalt is simply labelled as a "mariner, seaman". Each of these men received the amounts due their respective services right after the conclusion of the American Revolution. But, after the passage of over two decades, both these men must have learned that they were only paid their principal amounts and not any interest accrued. A second petition was submitted and won them even more money than they had initially received from the State of South Carolina. As Dr. Lewis has pointed out in his work, Neptune's Militia, the rather brief service of this important warship in the interests of the United States would generate claims, pension applications of survivors, widows and orphans, and legal debates for decades after the war had been won. The "Petition" of John Duttille and George Frederick Rodenwalt to the State of South Carolina was only one of these numerous documents produced as a result of the service of the frigate South Carolina.