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"Ben Franklin"
Benjamin Franklin, Autobiography: Page 96
of 154
To promote this, I first wrote and published a pamphlet, entitled Plain Truth,
in which I stated our defenceless situation in strong lights, with the necessity
of union and discipline for our defense, and promis'd to propose in a few days
an association, to be generally signed for that purpose. The pamphlet had a
sudden and surprising effect. I was call'd upon for the instrument of
association, and having settled the draft of it with a few friends, I appointed
a meeting of the citizens in the large building before mentioned. The house was
pretty full; I had prepared a number of printed copies, and provided pens and
ink dispers'd all over the room. I harangued them a little on the subject, read
the paper, and explained it, and then distributed the copies, which were eagerly
signed, not the least objection being made.
When the company separated, and the papers were collected, we found above twelve
hundred hands; and, other copies being dispersed in the country, the subscribers
amounted at length to upward of ten thousand. These all furnished themselves as
soon as they could with arms, formed themselves into companies and regiments,
chose their own officers, and met every week to be instructed in the manual
exercise, and other parts of military discipline. The women, by subscriptions
among themselves, provided silk colors, which they presented to the companies,
painted with different devices and mottos, which I supplied.
The officers of the companies composing the Philadelphia regiment, being met,
chose me for their colonel; but, conceiving myself unfit, I declin'd that
station, and recommended Mr. Lawrence, a fine person, and man of influence, who
was accordingly appointed. I then propos'd a lottery to defray the expense of
building a battery below the town, and furnishing it with cannon. It filled
expeditiously, and the battery was soon erected, the merlons being fram'd of
logs and fill'd with earth. We bought some old cannon from Boston, but, these
not being sufficient, we wrote to England for more, soliciting, at the same
time, our proprietaries for some assistance, tho' without much expectation of
obtaining it.
Meanwhile, Colonel Lawrence, William Allen, Abram Taylor, Esqr., and myself were
sent to New York by the associators, commission'd to borrow some cannon of
Governor Clinton. He at first refus'd us peremptorily; but at dinner with his
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