Identifier: lifeofbenjaminfr00holl (find matches)
Title: The life of Benjamin Franklin
Year: 1848 (1840s)
Authors: Holley, O. L. (Orville Luther), 1791-1861 Anderson, Alexander, 1775-1870 Benjamin Franklin Collection (Library of Congress) DLC
Subjects: Franklin, Benjamin, 1706-1790 Statesmen
Publisher: New York : G.F. Cooledge & Brother
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: Sloan Foundation

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st-rnent; and had written and published a pamphlet, an-swering current objections to the measure, and commend-ing it to the public approbation. On his return to Phila-delphia he found the people, excepting the Quakers, verygenerally in favor of the new law, and companies enoughenrolled and officered to form a large regiment. At ameeting of the officers of these companies, shortly afterhis return, they chose him for their colonel, and he ac-cepted the station. The regiment muster^ at its firstreview upward of a thousand men, rank and file, besidesan artillery company over a hundred strong, with fourbrass field-pieces, which they soon learned to handle withdexterity and effect. At the close of the review theyescorted their colonel home, and, in firing their salute,the field-pieces made such a concussion as to break sev-eral articles of glass belonging to his electrical appara-tus. In relating these incidents, Franklin adds that hisnew honors proved not much less brittle, inasmuch as all
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MILITARY HONORS. 307 their commissions were soon after vacated by the repeal,in England, of the law under which they were held. The personal qualities and public services of Frank-lin, however, had won for him better and less brittlehonors than any commission, even from his majesty ofEngland, could confer. As a token of the esteem withwhich he was regarded, it may be mentioned that, whileholding his colonelcy, having occasion to visit Virginia,his officers, to use his own words, took it into their headsthat it would be proper for them to escort him out of townas far as the lower ferry. For this purpose, just as hewas about to mount his horse, they rode up to his doorin full uniform, alike to his surprise and regret; for hehad a strong repugnance to display, and if he had re-ceived beforehand the least intimation of what was in-tended, he would have avoided it. But it was now toolate, and he was constrained to submit to the well-meantbut annoying honor. Some envious personal enemy of h

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