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ed two companies yesterday over the mountains, namely, Aston's and Trump's. We wait here only for shoes, arms, and blankets, expected hourly, and then shall move towards Berks County. Our compliments to Mrs. Masters and all inquiring friends. When you write next, direct to Mr. Read's care at Reading. My duty to mother, and love to the children. I hope to find you all well at my return. My love to Mr. Hall. We have no fresh news here of mischief, to be depended on. Send the newspapers and my letters to Reading, and let me have all the little news about the X Y Z proceedings, officers, &c. I am obliged to Goody Smith for kindly remembering me. I am, with great affection, your loving husband,

B. FRANKLIN.

COMMISSION FROM GOVERNOR MORRIS.

The Honorable Robert Hunter Morris, Esquire, LieutenantGovernor, and Commander-in-Chief of the Province of Pennsylvania, and Counties of Newcastle, Kent, and Sussex, on Delaware, to Benjamin Franklin.

I do hereby authorize and empower you to take into your charge the County of Northampton, to dismiss all persons who have been commissioned by me to any military command, and to put others into their places; and to fill up the blank commissions herewith delivered, with the names of such persons as you shall judge fit for his Majesty's service; hereby ratifying all your acts and proceedings, done in virtue of this power; and approving the expenses accruing thereupon. And I do further order and enjoin all officers and soldiers to yield obedience to you in the execu tion of this power, and all magistrates, sheriffs, and

others, in any kind of civil authority, and all his Majesty's liege subjects, to be aiding and assisting you in the premises. Given under my hand and seal, at Reading, this 5th day of January, 1756.*

ROBERT H. MORRIS.

TO MRS. DEBORAH FRANKLIN.

MY DEAR CHILD,

Bethlehem, 15 January, 1756.

We move this day for Gnadenhutten. If you have not cash sufficient, call upon Mr. Moore, the treasurer, with that order of the Assembly, and desire him to pay you one hundred pounds of it. If he has not cash on hand, Mr. Norris (to whom my respects) will advance it for him. We shall have with us about one hundred and thirty men, and shall endeavour to act cautiously, so as to give the enemy no advantage through our negligence. Make yourself therefore easy. Give my hearty love to all friends. I hope in a fortnight or three weeks, God willing, to see the intended line of forts finished, and then I shall make a trip to Philadelphia, and send away the lottery tickets, and pay off the prizes, though you may pay such as come to hand of those sold in Philadelphia of my signing. They were but few, the most being sold abroad; and those that sold them and received the money will pay off the prizes. I hope you have paid Mrs. Stephens for the bills. I am, my dear child, your loving husband, B. FRANKLIN.

• This was a special and temporary commission; but, after Franklin's return, in February, he was chosen and commissioned colonel of the Philadelphia regiment.

TO MRS. DEBORAH FRANKLIN.

Humorous Account of his Situation at Gnadenhutten. Gnadenhutten, 25 January, 1756.

MY DEAR CHILD,

This day week we arrived here. I wrote to you the same day, and once since. We all continue well, thanks be to God. We have been hindered with bad weather, yet our fort is in a good defensible condition, and we have every day more convenient living. Two more are to be built, one on each side of this, at about fifteen miles' distance. I hope both will be done in a week or ten days, and then I purpose to bend my course homewards.

We have enjoyed your roast beef, and this day began on the roast veal. All agree that they are both the best that ever were of the kind. Your citizens, that have their dinners hot and hot, know nothing of good eating. We find it in much greater perfection when the kitchen is four score miles from the dining

room.

The apples are extremely welcome, and do bravely to eat after our salt pork; the minced pies are not yet come to hand, but I suppose we shall find them among the things expected up from Bethlehem on Tuesday; the capillaire is excellent, but, none of us having taken cold as yet, we have only tasted it.

As to our lodging, it is on deal featherbeds, in warm blankets, and much more comfortable than when we lodged at our inn, the first night after we left home; for, the woman being about to put very damp sheets on the bed, we desired her to air them first; half an hour afterwards, she told us the bed was ready, and the sheets well aired. I got into bed, but jumped

out immediately, finding them as cold as death, and partly frozen. She had aired them indeed, but it was out upon the hedge. I was forced to wrap myself up in my great coat and woollen trowsers. Every thing else about the bed was shockingly dirty.

As I hope in a little time to be with you and my family, and chat things over, I now only add, that I am, dear Debby, your affectionate husband,

B. FRANKLIN.

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March of the Troops to Gnadenhutten, and the
Building of a Fort at that Place.

DEAR SIR,

Gnadenhutten, 25 January, 1756.

We got to Hays's the same evening we left you, and reviewed Craig's company by the way. Much of the next morning was spent in exchanging the bad arms for the good. Wayne's company having joined us, we that night reached Uplinger's, where we got into good quarters, and Saturday morning we began to march towards Gnadenhutten, and proceeded nearly two miles; but, it seeming to set in for a rainy day, the men unprovided with great coats, and many unable to secure effectually their arms from the wet, we thought it advisable to face about, and return to our former quarters, where the men might dry themselves and lie warm; whereas, had they proceeded, they would have come in wet to Gnadenhutten, where shelter and opportunity of drying themselves that night were uncertain. In fact, it rained all day, and we were all pleased that we had not proceeded.

This letter was probably directed to one of the commissioners, but the name of the individual is not known.

The next day, being Sunday, we marched hither, where we arrived about two o'clock in the afternoon, and before five had enclosed our camp with a strong breast work musket-proof; and, with the boards brought here before by my order from Dunker's Mill, we got ourselves under some shelter from the weather. Monday was so dark, with a thick fog all day, that we could neither look out for a place to build, nor see where materials were to be had. Tuesday morning we looked round us, pitched on a place, and marked out our fort on the ground. By three in the afternoon the logs were all cut, and many of them hauled to the spot, the ditch dug to set them in three feet deep, and many were pointed and set up. The next day we were hindered by rain most of the day. Thursday we resumed our work, and before night were perfectly well enclosed; and on Friday morning the stockade was finished, and part of the platform within erected, which was completed next morning, when we dismissed Foulke's and Wetherhold's companies, and sent Hays down for a convoy of provisions. This day we hoisted the flag, made a general discharge of our pieces, which had been long loaded, and of our two swivels, and named the place Fort Allen in honor of our old friend. It is one hundred and twenty-five feet long, and fifty wide; the stockades most of them a foot thick, three feet in the ground and twelve feet out, pointed at the top.

This is an account of our week's work, which I thought might give you some satisfaction. Foulke is gone to build another fort between this and Schuylkill fort, which I hope will be finished (as Trexler is to join him) in a week or ten days, as soon as Hays returns. I shall detach another party to erect another at Surfass's, which I hope may be finished in the same time, and then I suppose end my campaign, God will

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