Page:History of the University of Pennsylvania - Montgomery (1900).djvu/226

impression that Pennsylvania was averse to aiding the King in this expedition. The Assembly deputed Franklin to visit the British General and under guise of arranging a postal service during his campaign to disabuse his mind of any wrong impressions held of the Pennsylvanians. The Minutes of 8 April simply state, " The Trustees should have met this Day, but most of them being engaged in Publick Business, no meeting was held;" Franklin was at the time with Braddock, and in his Autobiography says, 1 We found the General at Frederictown, waiting impatiently for the return of those he had sent through the back parts of Maryland and Virginia to collect waggons. I stayed with him several days, dined with him daily, and had full opportunity of removing all his prejudices, by the information of what the Assembly had before his arrival actually done, and were still willing to do, to facilitate his operations. When I was about to depart, the returns of waggons to be obtained were brought in, by which it appeared, that they amounted only to twenty-five, and not all of those were in serviceable condition. The General and all the officers were surprised, declared the expedition was then at an end, being impossible; and exclaimed against the ministers for ignorantly landing them into a country destitute of the means of conveying their stores, baggage, &c not less than one hundred and fifty waggons being necessary. I happened to say, I thought it was a pity they had not been landed rather in Pennsylvania, as in that country almost every farmer had his waggon. The General eagerly laid hold of my words, and said, Then you, sir, who are a man of interest there, can probably procure them for us; and I beg you will undertake it. On his way North Franklin issued an Advertisement from Lancaster on 26 April, where he would attend " from this day to next Wednesday evening, and at York from next Thursday morning till Friday evening," calling for the needed wagons and horses, and offering to contract for the same; and at the same time issued an Appeal to the Inhabitants of the Counties of Lancaster, and York, concluding, the King's business must be done; so many brave troops, come so far for your defence, must not stand idle through your backwardness to do what may be reasonably expected from you; wagons and horses must be had; violent measures will probably be used, and you will be left to seek for a recompense where you can find it, and your case perhaps be little pitied or regarded. 1 Bigelow, i. 250.