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Letters of Benjamin Franklin Author(s): Benjamin Franklin Source: The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 40, No. 4 (1916), pp. 480- 483 Published by: The Historical Society of Pennsylvania Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/20086288 . Accessed: 19/05/2014 14:54 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at . http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp . JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected]. . The Historical Society of Pennsylvania is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography. http://www.jstor.org This content downloaded from 91.229.248.211 on Mon, 19 May 2014 14:54:24 PM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions

Letters of Benjamin Franklin

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Page 1: Letters of Benjamin Franklin

Letters of Benjamin FranklinAuthor(s): Benjamin FranklinSource: The Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography, Vol. 40, No. 4 (1916), pp. 480-483Published by: The Historical Society of PennsylvaniaStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/20086288 .

Accessed: 19/05/2014 14:54

Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at .http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp

.JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range ofcontent in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new formsof scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected].

.

The Historical Society of Pennsylvania is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access toThe Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography.

http://www.jstor.org

This content downloaded from 91.229.248.211 on Mon, 19 May 2014 14:54:24 PMAll use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions

Page 2: Letters of Benjamin Franklin

480 Letters of Benjamin Franklin.

LETTERS OF BENJAMIN FRANKLIN.

[Manuscript Division, Historical Society of Pennsylvania.!

Benjamin Franklin to Richard Peters, 1754.

Sunday morng

D. Sir, It was late in the Evening when I came home last

Night, or I should have sent you Mr. Smith's Letters, concerning which I shall be glad to talk with you when

you have a little Leisure. If you are at liberty to dine where you please to day, I shall be glad of your Com

pany; my Dame being from home, and I quite Master of the House.

Your humbl Serv1

B. Franklin.

Benjamin Franklin to Thomas Penn, London.

Philada May 30.1754.

Sir, Mr Peters has communicated to me a Paragraph of

your Letter of Feby 1. relating to a Plan desired by Sir Everard Fawkener, for the Extension of Correspon

dence, without any View to present Advantage. Imme

diately after the Treaty at Albany, Mr Hunter and I are to proceed on a Journey thro' all the Northern

Colonies, to visit all the Post Offices, and see every

thing with our own Eyes ; after which we may be able to project some Plan of that kind, less imperfect than the best we can at present offer.

I beg Leave to return you my Thanks for your fa

vourable Character of me to Sir Everard, and for the

Assurances you are pleas'd to give me of your friendly

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Page 3: Letters of Benjamin Franklin

Letters of Benjamin Franklin. 481

Offices. If in any thing I could possibly be serviceable to you, it would give me great Pleasure, as I am, with

the sincerest Respect & Esteem, Sir, Your Honrs most obedient

and most humble Serv1

Honble. Thos Penn, Esqr B. Franklin.

Benjamin Franklin to Gov. Sir Francis Bernard.

Philada Feb. 21.1764. Sir

I ought sooner to have answered yours of the 23d past, but the dangerous Riots and Tumults we have lately had here, took up all our Attention.

I hope Mr Bernard is well with you before this time. As our Navigation was stopt by the Ice, and it was un

certain when our River would be open, and a good Vessel offer for Boston, I thought it might be best for him to proceed by Land, especially as he could have Col. Elliot's Company so great a Part of the Journey. They parted, however, at New York, Mr Bernard meet

ing there with Company going in the Packet to Rhode island.

I have no Receipts for Pickling either Sturgeon or

Salmon, but will endeavour to procure you one for

Sturgeon. In my Opinion a great deal depends on the

kind of Salt to be used. For this I would refer you to

Brownrigg's Book where you may find what Salt the Dutch use for their Herrings. There is an alcaline

corrosive Quality in common coarse Salt, which must

be corrected by some Acid, in the Boiling or Refining of it. The Dutch use Buttermilk, I think, for that pur pose. I am, with great Respect,

Your Excellys most obedient

& most humble Servant B. Franklin.

P. S. I send the Account of my Disbursements,, Vol. XL.?31

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Page 4: Letters of Benjamin Franklin

482 Letters of Benjamin Franklin.

which if you please may be paid to Mr Jonathan Wil

liams, Merch1 Boston, for my Ace1.

Governor Bernard

Benjamin Franklin to General Anthony Wayne.

Philada Aug1 28.1776 Dear Sir,

I have received two of your Favours, which were

immediately communicated to the Board of War, who

are a Committee of Congress appointed to take Care

of every thing in that Department, and who will I make no doubt take the necessary Measures for supplying

Wants. But as America is new in the Business of Pro

viding for Armies, there must be for a time Deficiencies that are very inconvenient to the Troops, & which Ex

perience only can bring us into the Mode of Preventing I am pleas'd to find your People bear them with a Sol

dierly Spirit, and I hope they will soon be remedied. A general Action is every day expected at New York.

If the Enemy is beaten, it will probably be decisive as to them; for they can hardly produce such another

Armament for another Campaign: But our growing

Country can bear considerable Losses, & recover them, so that a Defeat on our part will not by any means

occasion our giving up the Cause. Much depends on

the Bravery of you who are posted at Ticonderoga. If you prevent the Junction of the two Armies, their

Project for the year will be broken, the Credit of the British Arms thro'out Europe and of the Ministry in

England will be demolish'd & the Nation grow sick of

the Contest.

I am much oblig'd by your Draft of the Situation of our Troops & of the Defences. I pray heartily for

your Success, not doubting you will deserve it. The greatest Unanimity continues in the Congress.

The Convention of this Province is sitting, engag'd in

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Page 5: Letters of Benjamin Franklin

Letters of Benjamin Franklin. 483

framing a new Government. The greatest Part of our

Militia are in New Jersey. Arms & Ammunition are

daily arriving, the French Government having resolved to wink at the Supplying of us: So that in another

Year our People throughout the Continent will be both better arm'd & better disciplin'd, as most of them will have some Experience of a Camp Life & actual Service.

Present my best Respects to General Gates, and be lieve me, with sincere Esteem, Dear Sir

Your most obedient humble Servant

Col. Wayne. B. Franklin.

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