Items

• Franklin Family of Orange County (VA) and Surry County (N.C.)

  Franklin Family of Orange County (VA) and Surry County (N.C.) including Lawrence Franklin (before 1696-1764), Bernard Franklin (1731-1828), Jesse Franklin (1760-1823), Matilda Caroline Franklin (1805-1835)
  

• Newspaper article called "Jesse Franklin Was a Self-Contained But Great Individual" by Ruth Minick in the Mount Airy News

  Newspaper article called "Jesse Franklin Was a Self-Contained But Great Individual" by Ruth Minick in the Mount Airy News on February 6, 2000
  

• Letter from Benjamin Smith to Jesse Franklin

  Letter from Benjamin Smith to Jesse Franklin recounting his military career. letter, 1 sheet folded in half to make 4 writing sides, Belvedere, 5th February 1812, Dear Sir, Your much esteemed favor of the 10th Dec. was only received yesterday. I can account for the delay by supposidly it has lain at the Post Office in Smithville as it was sent up from thence. My winter & spring residence is here & in the summer only we live there. After returning you my warmest thanks for the interest you appear to readily to take in my news, I may alow myself to acknowledge that I felt surprize & concern at your supposed silence for as it was reckoned patriotic & praise worthy in our revolutionary war to step forward with offers to serve our country in a military capicity & as it was the policy to engage much of fortune & influence to their sons to attack the father there; So I could not believe I had acted improperly. I know that the last administration was pleased with such a man of fortune as General Hampton offering his service & altho I do not compare with him or think it of consequence to be equal in that respect & yet I know I have been considered for N Carolina amongst the first. I will venture to declare my zeal & desire to serve my country when in a ????? equal to any man of my talent. I have a very humble opinion. I know that the fate of a battle frequently depends on circumstances, sometimes the most ?????; that the best of Generals may commit error & that more of those except allowing a surprise may be palliated or excused. It is therefore with confidence. I offer myself to the consideration of government a beardless youth I commenced the revolution in Charleston by participating in the very first act of what was then called Rebellion, then only nineteen I was permitted by my Father in 76 to make a Tour to the North and with a positive promise that I would return in the Winter. When at Philadelphia I heard of the arrival of the British troops in the Lord Howe's fleet at Sandy Hook. Immediately I hastened to General Washington who held Quartered was in the ????? of New York. On delivery of a ???? ????? inparticular ?????, & my near connection Gov Edward Rutledge. I was invited by that great & illustrious man into his family as a volunteer aid, In which capicity I served him on York and Long Island accompanying him amongst the ???? in the ????? remained with him, receiving in the meantime invitations into the military families of General Mifflin the Lord ????? then very popular officers & had the offer of going with Gates to Canada but being solemly pledged to obey one of the holy fathers with much chagrin. I returned from these great & glorious prospects & the certainty of being a permanent aid to Gen Washington the ? Winter when his old aides Webb, Carcy & Taylor were promoted to Regiments, With the ???? I slept & took the tour of the lines on Long Island each night while we remained. Hard was the duty of returning & service the mortifications. Did I not receive my Father I could not have forgiven their blight to a glorious prospect as ever a youth had. On my return to Charleston I served with a distinguished corp of artillery which is mentioned with great Respect by Judge Marshall & in the highest terms by Gen Moultrie an aid to which I finished the last military service of the Revolution by entering Charleston ? the British evacuated it. I believe the???? of the Navy might know of my military Service at ???? for our Corp was certainly the cause of a brillant Victory ???? ???? ???? I have thought it proper to give this hasty sketch to enable you to exercise the good disposition you have been pleased to express with some information I may write further soon in the mean time receive my grateful acknowledgement for the encouragement to write to you confidentally or otherwise. Present my ? the ???? & believe me with much esteem, Yours very ???? ??????? ?????? (possibly ?Benj Smith?), on the front of the folded letter it says - The Honorable Jesse Franklin, Senator in Congress, Washington