(Note: Dr. Lewis's work, Neptune's Militia, pages 92-93, states that the HMS Astrea had been alone on station until joined by the HMS Diomede and the HMS Quebec, fresh from New York City on December 19, 1782. There is no mention of how long the HMS Astrea had been on station there alone. Certainly, if the small convoy had emerged just a day earlier than it did, the frigate South Carolina could have overawed the British warship by its size and firepower or easily brushed aside the efforts of the HMS Astrea to stop her from leaving Delaware Bay with her small, escorted convoy. The closing weeks of the American Revolution, particularly in the area of the Caribbean Sea, could have been much different, possibly with numerous British ships being taken as prize ships by the frigate South Carolina. Such is the irony of history.)
Being that the HMS Diomede was the largest British man-of-war present, "...she took the lion's share of the prize's oficers, crew, and marines (some 174)..." (Neptune's Militia, page 96). Dr. Lewis's work, Neptune's Militia cites the prisoner contingent on board the HMS Diomede as being 174 in number. According the computations of this blog writer, this is the exact number of prisoners-of-war the HMS Diomede did in fact have on board her when she started for New York City. The following roster of the captive Americans is a compilation of Dr. Lewis's work, Neptune's Militia, "Appendix: Crew and Marine of the South Carolina", pages 135-170 and Louis Middlebrook's work, The Frigate South Carolina: A Famous Revolutionary War Ship, pages 18-21. These men are listed alphabetically by their last names, beginning with the officers - naval first, then marines. In a separate listing that follows, the NCOs and enlisted men will be cited, again alphabetically by their last names - naval first, then marines. Any additional information such as "position" on board the frigate South Carolina, ethnicity or country of origin, pension application filed, outside source citations, etc. will be added in a separate column to the side.
Officers:
Naval:
Nathaniel Marston 2nd Lieutenant
John Blair Midshipman
B.S. Henry Midshipman
Greenberry Hughes Midshipman
Marines:
John Henderson Lieutenant of Marines
John Stoy Volunteer, Lieutenant of Marines
NCOs and Enlisted:
Naval:
James Adams
Augustine Arnou Boy
James Betson
Adam Binn
William Binn
Michael Boyer
James Braden
John Braden
Stout Branson
Robert Brislaw
Samuel Brown
Thomas Browster
John Bryan
Jacob Buccanan
James Burney
John Burris
Archibald Campbell
Archibald Campbell
Andrew Canouse
Peter Carbone
South Carolina Black?
John Chapman
Henry Clayton
James Condran
Dennis Conolly
John Conoway
John Coomb
John Corner
John Craft Boy
Matthias Craft
Michael Cremer
Needham Dall
John Deane
Peter Devereux
William Devise
William Dorrington Landsman
Peter Fisher
John Fontaine
James Fraze
John Gallad Boatswain's Mate
Dublin Gillon Black
Michael Gilt
John Glover Volunteer
William Grant
Edward Grimes
William Grimes
William Grims
George Guest
William Guile
David Harman Sailor
Jacob Harman
Lutwick Harman
Michael Harvey Clerk
James Hay
Michael Heifran
Gustavus Henderson 2nd Surgeon
Thomas Henny
John Heyner
George Hindlind
Samuel Hobbs
John Holding
George Holt
John Jeffreys
Isaac Jerrell
John Johnson
Robert Johnson
Robert Jones Landsman
Thomas Karland
Christopher Kave Master-at-Arms
Samuel Key
Francis LaClaire
John Lawler
Patrick Leonard
Henry Leuts
John Lewis
John Love
Lawrence Lowry
John Mahony Landsman
Robert Marshall
William Marshall
John Maxwell
Lawrence McCreay
Bryan McDonald
Timothy McDonald
Daniel McFarlin
William McGowan
John McInhenny
Hector McKenzie Black?
Henry Meyers Sailor?
Conraught Meylor
Hendrik Meylor
John Miller
Robert Mordeaux
Peter Munchieu
George Mushdollars
John Nelson
Thomas Norris Landsman
Dennis O'Connor
Jacob Pashon
James Peacock
Thomas Pedru
John Peter
David Poke
David Porter Purser
John Potter
Anthony Povey Black
Jacob Power
John Randall
Aaron Reastons
George Reel
James Reid
John Richey
Philip Rider Sailor
Peter Riffard
William Riley
Francis Robinson
James Robinson
Jacob Roiner
Ichabod Rose
John Rowan
Patrick Roy Landsman
Michael Sexton Sailor
Daniel Shaddell
John Sharp
Obed Shaw Landsman
Moses Sherrard
George Shindleborough
Charles Shot
Thomas Simonton
Thomas Singer
Henry Slapwaugh
John Slover
John Smith
John Sneyder
Peter Snoyder
Michael Spatz Boy
Michael Spots
John Steele
George Stephens
Robert Stewart
Ambrose Stimmins
James Stoner
Henry Storm
John Story
Jacob Strause
David Taylor
William Taylor Sailor
Francis Tunney
John Twig
Philip Vanson
Henry Waggoner
Robert Warnon
Henry Welks
James White
George Whitman
Henry Wilcox
Robert Willis
Charles Willow
George Wilson
George Wyburn
Marine:
Henry Balty Marine
John Clark Marine
John Fox Boy, Marine
Abraham Hartman Marine
Frederick Kiehl Marine
George Schultz Marine
Peter Smith Marine
Isaac Waggoner Marine
(Note: Of the eight marines listed above, only John Fox would return home to Pennsylvania at the end of the war. The remainder of these marines perished on board the numerous prison hulks moored in Wallabout Bay, NY.)
Among this impressive array of prisoners, there turned up a former British soldier and a former Loyalist soldier. These men, like the Hessian soldier-prisoners, had been recruited from out of prison camps. They must have seen service on board the frigate South Carolina as a means of getting out of their predicament and obtaining, at the very least, better rations and living accommodations. The first soldier listed is the British soldier and the second is the loyalist soldier. Their former regimental affiliations are also listed. These two men were:
Michael Knowles 17th Regiment of Foot
John McGowan Royal North Carolina Regiment of Foot
The four African-American individuals listed above require some further explanation. First, Anthony Povey's name is recorded as "Anthony Porcy" in the post concerning African-Americans on board the frigate South Carolina on "01/22/2015". But, this is definitively the same man. There is no indication as to what is the correct spelling of his last name. Also, Hector McKenzie is only recorded as being an African-American in Dr. Lewis's work, Neptune's Militia, page 197, n. 5 (referring back to information on page 87). Again, the two other African-Americans, Dublin Gillon and South Carolina, are not stated as being such except for the above mentioned note in Dr. Lewis's work, Neptune's Militia. In the post dated "01/22/2015", I provided some explanation as to why these individuals are almost certainly African-American.