Hendrix, Ge Lee Corley and Morn McKoy Lindsey, compilers. The Jury Lists of South Carolina, 1778-1779, (Baltimore, MD: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc., 1980.)
Lewis, James A. Neptune's Militia: The Frigate South Carolina during the American Revolution, (Kent, OH: The Kent State University Press, 1999.)
Moss, Bobby Gilmer. Roster of 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.)
Salley, A.S., editor. Accounts Audited of Revolutionary Claims against South Carolina, Vol. III, printed for the Historical Commission of South Carolina (Columbia, SC: The State Company, 1943.)
South Carolina Audited Accounts relating to John Baker SC305
Wates, Wylma Anne. Stub Entries to Indents: Issued in Payment of Claims Against South Carolina Growing Out of the Revolution, Book C-F, (Columbia, SC: South Carolina Archives Department, 1957.)
Young, Alfred F., Gary Nash, and Ray Raphael, editors. Revolutionary Founders: Rebels, Radicals, and Reformers in the Making of the Nation, (New York, NY: Alfred A. Knopf, 2011.)
In the six plus years the writer of this blog has been working on the history of the frigate South Carolina, there have been a number of individual men who have had their life stories, or as much of it as can be discerned, recorded and made known to the general public. In the opinion of the writer of this blog, this is the origin of the title of this specific post and has been so for quite some time throughout the overall blog. This recording and putting down "on paper" of these facts of their lives is what makes "...them a bit more real.". Unfortunately, for numerous crewmen and marines who served on board the warship, there is only silence in the historical record regarding their lives. But, occasionally we encounter an individual who we can ascertain some of the vital details of his life and thus gain a bit of a view of this individual who lived so very long ago. This definitely pertains to the life of Midshipman John Baker of the frigate South Carolina.
Lewis's work, Neptune's Militia, section entitled "Appendix: Crew and Marines of the South Carolina" , page 136, contains the following citation for John Baker:
John Baker Sailor, midshipman
This is an intriguing entry. It would appear, based on this entry alone, that John Baker was initially an enlisted man - hence the entry of "sailor" - and was later promoted to midshipman - the lowest ranking officer on board a warship- for some unspecified, undocumented reason. This could indeed be true due to the knowledge that on board the frigate South Carolina it is known that Commodore Alexander Gillon chose to promote from within the ship's company rather than from outside the ship. But, the written sources are silent on this point.
The writer of this blog has been unsuccessful in locating any information on the life of Midshipman John Baker prior to his involvement in the American Revolution. Moss's work, Roster of South Carolina Patriots in the American Revolution, page 38, states that "...he served as a midshipman on the frigate South Carolina under Commodore Gillon. A.A. 248; C532, C.S.". 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, page 385 states that on October 6, 1784, Midshipman John Baker received a stub indent from the state of South Carolina for 97p/12s/7.5d. This is the typical amount paid to men who served as midshipman in the State Navy of South Carolina during the American Revolution.
Not much else is found concerning the life of John Baker, midshipman on board the frigate South Carolina with any certainty. Unfortunately, he possesses a very common name which can lead to confusion concerning which veteran of the American Revolution one is researching. For instance, Moss's work, Roster of South Carolina Patriots in the American Revolution, contains seven individuals by this same name with service during the American Revolution and this is for the state of South Carolina alone. But, what we do know today is the following information which is derived from one of the South Carolina Audited Accounts, No. 248:
"South Carolina -
Pursuant to an Act of the General Assembly passed the 16th of March, 1783, We, the Commissioners of the Treasury, have this day delivered to Mr. John Baker late of the Frigate So. Carolina, Midshipman, this our indented certificate for the Sum of Ninety Seven Pounds Twelve Shillings & Seven pence halfpenny Sterling. Ballance of Wages due him, and for one Years full pay he having been in France with Commodore Gillon and Served on board & returned in said Ship as per Certificate from the Auditor General dated the 6th October 1784. The said John Baker will be entitled to receive from the Office the Sum of Six Pounds fourteen Shillings & Eight Pence on demand for one Year's Interest and the like Interest Annually. The said John Baker will be entitled also to receive, and shall be paid, if demanded, the principal on the Seventh day of October 1786. And the said John Baker may make any Purchases at any Public Sales of Confiscated Property and this indent shall be received in Payment.
at the Treasury Office, in Charleston, the Seventh Day of October one thousand seven hundred and eighty four
Edward Blake
Peter Bocquett
Commissioners of the Treasury
97p/12s/7.5d Principal
6p/14s/8d Annual Interest
No. 532
Book C
(Endorsements on the back)
Received October 8th.1784 from the Commissioners of the Treasury of So. Carolina One Years Interest on the Within
Robert Coram Attorney for John Baker
These are to Certify that I do Hereby Assign over to Mr. Thomas Cochran The Right & Title to this Indent & the Interest that may Hereafter be due as agent for
John Baker
Robert Coram
Received 21st February 1786, one Years Interest on the Within
6p/14s/8d
Received 26 March 1787 - a third year's Interest
6p/14s/8d
Received 24th of July 1787 of the Commissioners of the Treasury full Satisfaction for the within in Both principal and Interest By Discount on my Bond
Thomas Cochran"
Today, we are also inn possession of his stub indent, No. 532, Book C as found in Wates's work, Stub Entries to Indents, Books C-F. It is brief and the information contained therein is as follows:
"No. 532
Book C
Issued to Mr. John Baker late of the Frigate South Carolina Midshipman, the 7th of October 1784 for Ninety Seven pounds 12/7 1/2d Sterling Ballance of his Wages and One Years full pay, he having been in France with Commodore Gillon and Served on board & returned in Said Ship as per Certificate from the Auditor General dated the 6th October 1784.
Principal 97p...12s...7 1/2d Interest 6p...14s...8d"
As far as the writer of this blog knows, this is all the recorded information we have available concerning the life of Midshipman John Baker of the frigate South Carolina. It could, at first glance, appear to be quite a bit of information and, yet, it tells us relatively little of the life of this naval midshipman. One must make inferences about other aspects of his life and these inferences must be based upon sound information provided in written documentation.
The initial piece of information that confronts any thread based on speculation and inference is the lack of solid information concerning Midshipman John Baker as well as the extreme commonality of his name - John Baker. As stated in the above brief paragraph, all the written information we have on John Baker is presented in the above few lines. Also, there are an overly large number of individuals by this name but, which one is being properly addressed as the true "John Baker" in question is another matter altogether. So, again, it is to be by inference and sheer speculation that we might be able to add to the "story" of Midshipman John Baker. Thus, we can "...make him a bit more real..." to those of us who have come so very long after he left the human scene.
The first issue is one of the locale from which Midshipman John Baker came. The writer of this blog senses that Midshipman John Baker of the frigate South Carolina was a South Carolinian by birth or naturalization. Both his Audited Account No, 248 as well as his Stub Entry C532 make use of the phrase "...he having been in France with Commodore Gillon and served on board and returned in said ship [frigate South Carolina]...". This implies that he was a member of the initial delegation of American naval personnel that accompanied Commodore Alexander Gillon to France in order to acquire naval vessels-of-war to protect the coast of South Carolina. Commodore Gillon was dispatched by the legislature of South Carolina to seek out a naval means of protecting the coastline of the patriot colony. When he departed South Carolina, he almost certainly would have had exclusively South Carolinians as a part of the delegation accompanying him. Lewis's work, Neptune's Militia, page 15, after describing the higher ranking naval personnel who accompanied Commodore Gillon to France, mentions that:
"...there was also a cadre of lesser officers, midshipmen, and aides - just how many is unclear, but Gillon mentioned an entourage of thirteen men shortly after arrival in France.".
The footnote associated with this statement names several of these men who travelled with Commodore Gillon but, John Baker's name does not appear on this list. But, then again, John Baker was only a midshipman, the lowest ranking commissioned officer on board a naval ship-of-war, and not on ranking par with the likes of Captain John Joyner, Captain of Marines Michael Kalteissen, Lieutenant John Mayrant, and Lieutenant Robert Coram, all of whom are named as being with Commodore Gillon in France and all of whom returned to America as members of the crew and marines on board the frigate South Carolina. But, according to Hendrix and Lindsey's work, The Jury Lists of South Carolina, 1778-1779, pages 3-4, 10-11, both the names of Alexander Gillon and John Baker appear as having served on both grand juries and as petit jurors for Charleston District in those years. A midshipman was usually, but not always, a much younger man whose family was socially prominent back at home and who sought advancement for their children through patronage of their social superiors or fellow equals. This reference to a juror of South Carolina by the name of "John Baker" may well have been Midshipman John Baker's father who would almost have certainly have been acquainted with Alexander Gillon, a plantation owner in the Charleston District. But, in the same manner, it may have been Midshipman John Baker himself. But, once again, the written documentation is silent on this point.
Also, the Accounts Audited No. 248 document states nothing about Midshipman John Baker living somewhere else other than the state of South Carolina when the document was issued by their office to Midshipman John Baker on October 6, 1784. We know from experience that the stub entries frequently were issued to individuals who performed services for the state of South Carolina but, were living elsewhere at the time of their filing. But, the text of the Accounts Audited No. 248 document is so much more thorough and detailed that it seems the fact of that individual living outside of the state of South Carolina in some other state or territory of the United States would have been made by the writer of that document and would have thus been referenced, even in passing.
There is a second piece of information concerning the services of Midshipman John Baker that may well indicate that he was indeed a native of South Carolina at the time of the outbreak of the American Revolution. When his pension application was filed, resulting in the Accounts Audited No, 248 document being initiated by the Commissioners of the Treasury, the attorney on his behalf was Robert Coram. This later individual was indeed a native of South Carolina and served on board the frigate South Carolina as 3rd Lieutenant of the frigate South Carolina, a rank on board the patriot frigate that was much senior to that of Midshipman John Baker. These two men both being officers together and spending a considerable amount of time in close quarters would have had the opportunity to become acquainted with one another. Almost immediately after the cessation of hostilities with Great Britain, Midshipman John Baker filed his application for a pension paid by the state of South Carolina. Robert Coram could easily have come to the assistance of his younger friend and fellow shipmate from the frigate South Carolina by acting as his "attorney". Later in the same document, Robert Coram refers to himself as "agent" for John Baker. Yet, there is no notation of Robert Coram having been trained as an attorney or lawyer. Young, Nash, and Raphael's work, Revolutionary Founders, page 341, states concerning the education of Robert Coram that "...he was a teacher, author, and eventually a newspaper editor.". Again, at an earlier point in the Accounts Audited No. 248 document, Robert Coram is referred to as "Robert Coram, Attorney for John Baker". But, Coram refers to himself as the "agent" of John Baker towards the conclusion of the document. Thus, he may not have been educated as a lawyer per se, but as an educated and articulate man could have "represented" Midshipman John Baker before the daunting presence of the Commissioners of the Treasury of South Carolina or their representatives. All the existing literature concerning the life of Robert Coram corroborates that this was the quality of Robert Coram's character to help others in need of assistance.
We have one, last piece of information concerning the life of Midshipman John Baker that is pertinent to this post - he was not on board the frigate South Carolina when she was captured by the three Royal Navy men-of-war on December 21, 1782. A search of the following posts does not reveal the name of Midshipman John Baker on any of the three British Royal Navy men-of-war as an American prisoner:
"Bound for New York City, Pt. III: Roster of Captive Americans on board the HMS Astraea, December 20, 1782" and posted on "03/26/2015".
"Bound for New York City, Pt. II: Roster of Captive Americans on board the HMS Quebec, December 20, 1782" and posted on "03/25/2015".
"Bound for New York City, Pt. I: Roster of Captive Americans on board the HMS Diomede, December 20, 1782" and posted on "03/24/2015".
The name of Midshipman John Baker simply does not appear on any of these three rosters as a prisoner-of-war of the British Royal Navy. There are two situations that are possible here. Midshipman John Baker could have left the service of the frigate South Carolina at one of the ports-of-call while crossing the Atlantic Ocean towards America, such as at Corunna, Spain or Havana, Cuba, where others left the patriot frigate, or he could have endured on until the frigate moored in Philadelphia, PA on May 25, 1782. A reference to the Accounts Audited No. 248 seems to indicate that he did the later of these two options because the document states that he "...Served on board & returned in said Ship as per certificate from the Auditor General dated the 6th of October 1784...". This seems to conclusively indicate that he returned on board the frigate South Carolina until she moored in the "City of Brotherly Love" on May 25, 1782. At some point after this conclusion of the trans-Atlantic voyage, Midshipman John Baker of South Carolina must have left the service of the frigate South Carolina. The remainder is silence. Where he went and what he did afterwards are complete conjecture.
(Note: the interesting note here is that the name of Robert Coram does indeed appear on the prisoner-of-war roster of the HMS Diomede. He was captured on board the patriot frigate on December 21, 1782 and transported to New York City where he was paroled into the New York countryside due to his officer status. Most likely, he was dispatched to the Dutch settlement of Flatbush, NY, as were the remainder of the officers of the frigate South Carolina. After the war and back in South Carolina, he would act as "agent" (in his own words) before the Commissioners of the Treasury on behalf of Midshipman John Baker in the autumn of 1784.)
This forms what we know of the life of Midshipman John Baker of the frigate South Carolina. All we know of his life in print is found in Accounts Audited No, 248 and Stub Entry C532. What we inferred of his life is that he was a native or naturalized citizen of South Carolina. He served on board the frigate South Carolina from the time he arrived in France with Commodore Alexander Gillon and his entourage until she moored in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on May 25, 1782. Finally, that he most likely left the service of the frigate South Carolina after that date but before she sailed on her final, brief voyage at some point after mid-December 1782 and was thus not captured by the Royal Navy as so many of his shipmates were on December 21, 1782. This is all we know for sure, either in print or through inference. But, the writer of this blog does hope that Midshipman John Baker lived his life well after the conclusion of the great cataclysm of the American Revolution.