According to an entry in Captain Robert Parker Saunders’ “Order Book of the 1st SC Regiment” dated at ‘Charles Town’ on 23 January 1778; one Captain, one Subaltern (Lieutenant), two Sergeants and forty-eight “Rank & file” from the regiment were to “go on Board the Randolph tomorrow morning as was ordered before”. Based on a letter from Charleston newspaper publisher John Wells, Jr. to Henry Laurens dated 17 February 1778 found in the “Papers of Henry Laurens” (1990), it is known that two Lieutenants from South Carolina entered as Subalterns on the Randolph. Wells writes, “Capt Biddle sailed with his squadron on the 12th, with a fine N. Wester, _ I saw the whole squadron stand out to the S.E. He has with him the Randolph 36 guns & 274 men, _ 50 of whom a[re] soldiers from the first Regiment; Capt Ioor, & Lieut. Ebenezer Simmons, with another Subaltern are on board…” William Bell Clark in Appendix B of “Captain Dauntless” suggests that Simmons or Simons entered on 24 January 1778 with the other officers of the 1st South Carolina Regiment as a volunteer. As a trusted subordinate, Lieutenant Ebenezer Simmons had recently been witness to Captain Ioor’s execution of his will. Little did the two know that they would sail into eternity together. Little is also known of Lieutenant Simmons’ personal background except the mundane routine of his army life in the months preceding his death as recorded in Saunders’ Order Book of the 1st SC Regiment published in “The South Carolina Historical and Genealogical Magazine” (1906) and available at: http://genealogytrails.com/scar/rev_continental.htm .
The company’s order book outlines Simmons’ orders beginning on 6 December 1777 when he served as a member of the daily Court Martial for the “trial of all such prisoners as may be Brought Before them” under the presiding officer of the court fellow Lieutenant George Grey. The following day had him superintending Guard duty with a captain and another lieutenant. 10 December 1777 found Simmons again on duty as a member of the Court Martial under Captain Drayton. Lieutenants Simmons and Grey shared Guard duty together on 19 December. Simmons again sat as a member on Court Martial duty on 20 December 1777 under Captain Saunders. 22 December found the whole regiment being issued new clothing accompanied with orders for all lieutenants to enforce, “The new Clothes are to be given out to the men to Day The men are to take the Greatest care of them, A Dirty Sluvingly appearance in any of the men will in filter be Severely Punished, In order ye Better to preserve the Cloths clean, the men are hereby forbid to Sleep in them, The Serjeants will take care to see this order Complied with & ye Subalterns will frequently visit ye Rooms of Their Respective Companies, to see that it is by no means Evaded”. Orders issued the following day required all “men for guard to appear in their New Cloths”. Simmons was to sit again on the Court Martial that day but would have to enforce the order to wear new clothing on 24 December 1777 when he was again assigned Guard duty oversight. Orders for Guard duty were issued to Simmons for 28 December. Lieutenants Grey and Simmons would sit at least a second time together on Court Martial duty on 30 December 1777 under presiding Captain Saunders.
On that date another order anticipated the impending manning of Biddle’s squadron, “all Tradesmen belonging to the 1st Reg. Imploy’d on the Publick are Emediately to Join their Respective Companies, & officers Commanding Companies are Desired to attend very perticularly to the Training & Instructing those men as it’s Suppos’d their Long absence from Exercise must have Rendr’d Them very Awkward”. The next and last day of 1777 brings regimental orders from Lieut. Col. Cattell, “The Regt. Being ordered to Charles Town the Lt. Col., expects the men will pay the utmost attention to their Duty & appearance, he flatters himself that every Soldier priding himself That he belongs to the 1st Regt, in keeping up the Charecter of The Corps, he therefore gives this Notice that they may have their Cloths & arms Clean, & in Good order by Tuesday Next the Day they are ordered to Town that no Excuse May be made, for a neglect, as offenders will undoubtedly be punished this Order to be read to the men for three days”. Simmons once again spent the day sharing charge of Guard duty. The new year on 8 January 1778 brought main Guard once again with Lieutenant Jackson and Captain Cattell, however Simmons proved absent for duty. Perhaps it was for that reason that Lieutenant Simmons pulled Barrack Guard four days later. That same day 12 January 1778, Headquarters in Charles Town issued orders “that 1 Capt. 2 Subalterns 2 Serjeants & 48 Rank & file from ye 1st Regt. 1 Capt. 2 Subalterns 2 Serjt. & 48 Rank & file from ye 2nd Regt. 1 Capt. 1 Subaltern 1 Serjt. & 30 Rank & file from ye 4th Regt. 1 Subaltern 1 Serjt. & 19 Rank & file from ye 5th Regt. be in Readiness tomorrow Morning to go on Board the Vessels Drawn for-Each Regt. to provide their men with 18 Rounds each & 50 Rounds per man to be put into a Military Chest on board the Vessels they go in The Capt. & Subalterns who are to Command the different parties, are to meet tomorrow morning at the New Barracks to draw for the Vessels they are to go on board The officers Commanding parties are to take Care to keep Good order and Discipline amongst their men And prevent them from giting into any Disputes with the Sailors, & assist the Capt. of the Vessels to the utmost of their power, in attacting the Enemy, Any officer who Chuses to Change his Tower of Duty may have Leave by acquainting First the Commanding officer of their Respective Regt…”
It is clear from these orders that it was always the intention for two lieutenants to accompany the captain and 1st Regiment on board their assigned vessel. 15 January 1778 again saw Simmons assigned to Barrack Guard. The orders of that day recommended that “all officers to be Pellicular attentive in futer [future] to the Order of the 9th Instant Respecting their Conduct in time of alarm-The Centinals posted at Head Quarters are in Case of any Alarm by night Emediately to knock at the Door and continue knocking till they answer within.” This particular order arose out of a concern for the officers and men from an incident involving the frigate Randolph’s crew on 9 January 1778 best described in Patrick O’Kelley’s “Unwaried Patience and Fortitude: Francis Marion’s Orderly Book” (2006). On 4 September 1777, the frigate Randolph took two prizes, Royal Navy transports True Briton and Charming Peggy with cargos of Jamaican rum bound for British troops in New York. When the vessel and her prizes returned to port at Charleston on 7 September the celebration grew out of hand. The orderly book records that at 9 o’clock at night, an alarm was beat on the drum by the main Guard. Two Captains and thirty soldiers from the 2nd and 5th South Carolina Regiments were called “under arms with 6 rounds [of ammunition issued] p[er] man”. The orderly book continues, “This Alarm was Occasion[ed] by riotous sailors of the randolph in Union Street. 1 man was Dangerously wounded.” Clearly there was not to be a repeat of the dangerous tension between soldiers and sailors of the Continental forces.
Another unwelcome event occurred shortly thereafter on 15 January 1778, when British sailors with Tory assistance set afire the Charleston waterfront as told by Tim McGrath in “Give Me a Fast Ship” (2014). Frigid temperatures and biting winds spread the blaze unmercifully until it consumed more than two hundred fifty residences and places of business. The inferno was battled by civilians, soldiers and sailors alike for almost a day before it was brought under control. On 17 January, Colonel Pinckney issued unusual orders, “The Col. has the Pleasure to acquaint the officers & Soldiers of the first Regt, that the Gen. assembly of this State has Voted them the Publick thanks for their Spirited active Conduct During the dreadfull fire on Thursday last, Both in preventing ye further Spreading of the Conflagration & in presenting the property of the inhabitance-this applause the Col. Doubts not, will actuate the men to Exert themselves on Every futer [future] Occasion that their Country may Require their Service–The Assembly has Likewise Voted that such Clothes of the Soldiers as were Burnt in their Endeavours to Extinguish the fire shall be repaired at the Publick expence-the Capt. & Commanders of Companies will therefore make a Return to morrow of what Clothes were Injured in their Respective Companies, The order Relating to the Thanks of the assembly, to be Read to the men the two Insuing Mornings at Roll Call”. On 20 January 1778, Lieutenant Simmons along with all the officers were “perticularly Requested not to go to town In the mornings before the Detaild orders are Essued that they may know whether they are for Duty or not”. His duty on that day was the Barrack Guard. Lieutenant Ebenezer Simmons orders at Charleston conclude on 23 January 1778 with Captain Robert Parker Saunders’ entry in the “Order Book of the 1st SC Regiment” directing one Captain, one Subaltern (Lieutenant), two Sergeants and forty-eight “Rank & file” from the regiment to “go on Board the Randolph tomorrow morning as was ordered before, the Boats will be ready at the market wharf for them”.