She was ordered under subterfuge by France for the American Congress, on a Dutch yard in Amsterdam, but when the British learned of the intended ownership, they put pressure on the neutral Dutch government not to sell her to the American Congress.
She was designed by the French naval architect Louis Boux, and the design was along the lines of the French East Indiamen.
She was laid down in the spring of 1777 supposedly for Louis XVI of France.
By May 1777 the Marine Committee of the Continental Congress had learned that she was for sale, but the plans to buy her were foiled by British pressure.
Launched under the name L’INDIEN.
Tonnage 1430 tons, dim. 198 (overall) x 43.3 x 16.6ft.
Armament: 28 – 36 Swedish pdrs., 12 -12pdrs., 4 – smaller guns on the fore deck. She was capable to deliver a broadside of 600 pounds.
1777 Completed.
She lay for a couple of years idle at Amsterdam.
1780 The ship was ceded to Luxembourg, and Commodore Alexander Gillon of the South Carolina Navy made a deal with the Chevalier of Luxembourg to charter the ship for three years.
At that time Gillon did not have the money but he borrowed the money from Dutch merchants.
30 May 1780 an agreement was signed that the State of South Carolina leased the L’INDIEN for three years that Gillon took the command, and she had to be removed from Holland within six weeks.
When she made any prizes the prizes had to be sent to France, to a French banker, and the proceeds would be divided in fourths; one to the Chevalier, one to the state of South Carolina and two to the ship officers and crew’s.
After the three year charter the vessel had to be delivered in L’Orient in a good state.
Gillon paid 100.000 livres to Chevalier to bind the agreement.
The frigate then was renamed in SOUTH CAROLINA.
After she was crewed and stored she was ready for sea, but bad weather delayed her sailing via the Zuiderzee to Texel. At least after discharging some of her heavy guns and cargo on barges, she left Amsterdam for Texel.
The year 1780 was lost for operations, and the SOUTH CAROLINA anchored in a well protected creek till January 1781
The delay caused additional expenditures and the Dutch would not clear the vessel till all debts were paid by Gillon.
12 March 1781 the SOUTH CAROLINA arrived at Texel Roads.
Chevalier de Luxemburg had hired a private army of 300 men for embarkation on the South Carolina, who arrived in Texel in the middle of June.
To escape the Dutch creditors on 4 August the ship was moved from Texel Roads outside the Dutch territorial waters. There many American passengers joined the vessel.
14 August in the morning the anchor was heaved in during bad weather, and she got underway, she stayed off Texel the next days waiting for some Dutch and American vessels with cargo for the Continental forces.
23 August 1781 the convoy got underway with a north easterly course bound for America.
Via the Danish coast waters where after the convoy set course around the Faroe Islands before heading south again. During this passage she took some prizes.
After resupplying in La Corunna, Spain, she left mid October from this port, leaving behind more as 50 sick crewmembers, the majority of the American passengers, some French deserters and many unpaid bills.
Via Santa Cruz, Canary Islands from where she sailed on 24 November across the Atlantic to Charlestown where she arrived early December, but the port was still in British hands, and the SOUTH CAROLINA stayed out of sight.
For five days she cruised off the port before she headed south to winter in warmer waters.
When sailing south he captured 5 British merchantmen from Jamaica loaded with rum and sugar.
13 January 1782 het entered the port of Havana with his prizes, which they sold there for $91.500.
The SOUTH CAROLINE was overhauled and fitted out there, then Gillon was offered by the Spanish to lead a Spanish invasion in the Bahamas which Gillon accepted.
The SOUTH CAROLINA became the flagship of a squadron of 62 vessels, and on 22 April 1782 this fleet sailed out from Havana, on05 May the fleet arrived off New Providence Island.
The British force surrendered on 8 May without any bloodshed and Spanish troops landed to take over the fort and harbour of Nassau.
After all Spanish ships had entered Nassau, Gillon on board the SOUTH CAROLINA set sail for Philadelphia.
When heading north she encountered an American merchant fleet, and escorted this to Philadelphia, where they arrived end May.
After arrival most of his crew left the SOUTH CAROLINA, and Gillon had to find almost a complete new crew for his ship.
Gillon got also in problems with his prize money with the Chevalier de Luxembourg; Gillon not possible to pay up of could post a bond, resigned his command to Captain Joyner and left Philadelphia.
Before he left he did give orders to Captain Joyner to continue cruising till the charter with the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg ended in June 1783.
After a stay of six weeks in Philadelphia and still 120 men crew short, she put out to sea on 19 December before the coming winter ice could trap her into the river.
Just outside a mutiny broke out under the crew, but with the help of his officers and some Hessians troops he restored order.
Then most of the crew got seasick and they discovered most of the men who had signed on were landlubbers.
When the British got information that the SOUTH CAROLINA had sailed out, three frigates were ordered to sail out of New York. They were the HMS DIOMEDE 44 guns, QUEBEC 32 guns and the ASTREA 32 guns.
The first night at sea she discovered already the SOUTH CAROLINA off the Delaware Capes when she escorted a brig and schooner.
Captain Joyner was caught with an untrained crew, and his only hope was to outrun the three British vessels.
But the British opened almost immediately fire, and the SOUTH CAROLINA with his untrained crew could not fire a full broadside, only her stern chaser were fired regular.
After a chase of 2 hours Joyner struck his flag, with six men killed she was declared a British prize, and she was brought to New York.
After a survey there it was found that the Dutch have been built too lightly, she was due to her weight of armament hogged.
She was bought by the Royal Navy as a transport and during the British evacuation of New York she brought about 600 troops across the Atlantic back to Great Britain.
Then she disappears.
Broken up most probably in India.
Her ships bell was found by an American Naval Lieutenant W.L.Carbine in a jute mill along the River Ganges in India where it was used to call workers to their jobs.
He bought the bell and later presented it to the University of South Carolina, where it can be found in the War Memorial Building.
If the bell did belong to the frigate or an other ship with that name is not sure, I would believe that the ships bell should have the name L’INDIEN engraved on it, instead of SOUTH CAROLINA.
The Marshall Islands stamp is most probably designed after a painting made by the British painter Irwin Bevan, on the painting all four ships are showed, but on the stamp only three, most probably the DIOMEDE and QUEBEC.
Grenada Grenadines 1976 ½c sg176, scott?
Marshall Islands 1997 20c sg 928, scott649an
Source: Charleston’s Maritime Herritage 1670-1865 by P.C.Coker III. Various web-sites.