Captain Thomas Simpson and the ship-of-war Ranger departed Portsmouth for the last time on 23 November 1779 and sailed to Boston where a number of the crew left service, their enlistment being expired. The Ranger, in company with frigates Queen of France, Providence and Boston, departed Boston again on 23 November 1779 intending a cruise east of Bermuda. Under the command of Commodore Abraham Whipple, the squadron arrived at Charleston, SC on 23 December 1779 to assist in the defense of the city besieged by the British. During a short cruise down the coast on 24 January 1780, Ranger and Providence captured three transports loaded with supplies near Tybee, GA. In addition to the transports, Simpson brought news of sighting the approaching British assault force. The vessel stood station in the Cooper River, however Ranger’s crew and indeed the officers and men of the entire Continental Navy fleet defending the city, were surrendered at the fall of Charleston on 12 May 1780. All the men of the Ranger were kept about one month on a prison ship in Charleston and then sent to Philadelphia on a cartel. Most got home in July or August in 1780, some with a passport from the Continental Congress in hand. Ranger was afterward taken into the British Royal Navy and commissioned under the name HMS Halifax.
No muster roll of the Ranger’s last crew has yet been located although from the pension records, clearly at least one survived the War for Independence. According to the testimony of 1st Lieutenant Elijah Hall found in pension applications, the rolls of Ranger’s first cruise “are lost or mislaid”. However, a number of the pensioners refer to a roll of the Ranger in the possession of 1st Lieutenant Elijah Hall between 1818 and 1820 when they filed their applications for a pension. The pension application #S23909 of Benjamin Shute includes a sworn statement by Hall referring to the “original roll now in my possession.” Another statement by Hall refers to the list in his possession of the “Officers & People” of that vessel “made at Charleston”. In addition, the pension application #W-750 of William Hilton includes an 11 March 1835 letter signed by the first Commissioner of Pensions James L. Edwards which indicates the War Department Pension Office confirmed the seaman’s service on the Ranger based “on the roll of that ship in this office”. It is possible the roll earlier in Lieutenant Hall’s possession made its way to the Pension Office. This alphabetized list includes alternate spellings in parentheses, followed by pension application number, state pension was processed through, their rate or quality on the ship, hometown if identified, dates of service and assorted comments found in the pension records.
Simeon Applebee, S16608, MA, Marine, Berwick, 10/79-5/12/80
William Blunt, W23633, NH, Seaman, Portsmouth, 10/11/77-5/12/80, married to Polly Fernald sister of Amos Fernald
James Boyce (Boice), S36920, NH, Marine, 10/79-5/12/80
Abram Cook, W23840, MA, Marine Drummer, Lebanon, Fall 79- 5/12/80, also served in war of 1812
John Davis, S45718, NH, Seaman, Kittery, 10/16/79-5/12/80
John Fifield, W17500, NH, Sergeant of Marines, Milton, 10/79-5/12/80, formerly on Hancock when captured
James Gooch, S22268, NH, Captain’s Clerk, Portsmouth, 9/77-5/12/80, made Purser 6/79 at Boston, formerly Captain’s Clerk on frigate Raleigh under Thompson
Elijah Hall, 1st Lieutenant
Isaac Hanson, W2616, NH, Marine/Seaman, Dover, 6/5/79-5/12/80, enlisted 1st as Marine, Seaman on 2nd Cruise, on Saratoga under John Young afterward
Samuel Hill, W21317, MA, Seaman, Eliot, 10/20/79-5/12/80
William Hilton, W7750, MA, Seaman, Cornville, 10/9/1779-5/12/80, “Master of the Main Top”
Samuel Holbrook, W16605, NH, Seaman
John Hooper, according to Andrew Sherburne
Solomon Hopkins, S35422, ME, Seaman/Quartermaster, Saco, 7/78-5/12/80, entered at Brest, escaped to NC from Charleston
Solomon Hutchins, S10891, MA, Marine/Coxswain, Kittery, 10/77-10/78 & 10/27/78-5/12/80, put on prize, captured, taken to Halifax, rejoined vessel
John Junkins (Jenkins), W1616, NH, Mariner, York, 10/79-5/12/80
Stephen Jones, W766, MA, Seaman, Berwick, 10/79-5/12/80, later entered on ship Alexander under Thomas Simpson
Benjamin Libbey, W22967, MA, Seaman, Berwick
Samuel Libbey, S37178, NH, Marine, Berwick, 6/18/79-5/12/80
Elias Lord, W21582, MA, Marine, 1779-5/12/80
Thomas Lord, Cooper, according to Andrew Sherburne
William Morris, S37261 & W21824, MA, Lieutenant of Marines, Scituate, 7/78-5/12/80, ordered on Alliance from 11/81 to 5/82, killed at St. Claire 1793
Samuel Odiorn, S36710, ME, Kittery
Pierce Powers, W24264, NH, Midshipman/Masters Mate, Dover, 10/77-5/12/80, right arm shot off, amputated above elbow, died 6/29/80 of Yellow Fever on way home
Benjamin Quint, S45091, NH, Mariner
John Raynes, S45094, NH, Captain’s Clerk, Portsmouth, 10/20/79-5/12/80
John Ricker, S11290, NH, Sergeant of Marines, 10/77-4/28/79 & 8/79-5/12/80, 1st Orderly Sergeant of Marines then Midshipman, in charge of Marines after Wallingford’s death, discharge from Simpson in file
Maturen Ricker, S19052, MA, Seaman, Berwick, 8/79-5/12/80
Noah Ricker, R-8791, NH, Marine, Berwick, 9/1/79-5/80, put on prize Dolphin 1/80
Charles Roberts, Boatswain (Bosun), in 1779, according to Barsham Allen & Andrew Sherburne
Joseph Roberts, S16519, NH, Marine, Rochester, 9/1/79-5/12/80
Andrew Sherburne, S42225, NH, Boy/Seaman, 4/79-5/12/80, entered as “a lad” “waiter to an officer” 1st to Mr. Charles Roberts, Boatswain, later Mr. Pierce Powers, Master’s Mate
Benjamin Shute, S23909, NH, Corporal of Marines, 9/28/79-5/12/80
Thomas Simpson, Captain
Mark Staples, W22297, MA, Kittery
Richard Tyney, S41277, NH, Seaman, 10/19/79-5/12/80
Joseph Wardwell, W22496, ME, Volunteer Seaman, Frankfurt, 9/28/79-5/12/80
James Weymouth, S29540, NH, Seaman, Portsmouth, 5/29/79-5/12/80, half uncle of Andrew Sherburne, captured at Charleston
Timothy Weymouth, half uncle of (but like a brother to) Andrew Sherburne, captured at Charleston
Daniel Wise, W22635, MA, Seaman, Kennebunk, 3/1/79-1/80, Captain of Fore Top, Captured on Prize brig Dolphin
David Woodsum, W26088, MA, Marine, Berwick, Noah Ricker “in my mess”,“Mr. Morris Capt of Marines”