 1747 - 1793 (46 years)
-
| Name |
David Salisbury Franks [4, 5] |
| Born |
1747 |
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania  [4, 5, 6] |
| Gender |
Male |
| Military Rank |
|
| Reference Number |
4398 |
| Died |
7 Oct 1793 |
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania [4, 5, 6] |
| Cause: Yellow Fever epidemic |
| Buried |
Christ Church Burial Ground, Philadelphia, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Person ID |
I4398 |
aojd |
| Last Modified |
11 Nov 2011 |
-
| Notes |
- INCIDENTS ILLUSTRATIVE OF AMERICAN JEWISH PATRIOTISM. [A paper written for the American Jewish Historical Society by MAX J. KOHLER.]
In the present article, the writer proposes to set forth several incidents in our history not otherwise connected with each other than the above title indicates, but all tending to show that the Jew has ever been ready to battle for the cause of his adopted country, be his domicile where it may. Our subjects herein had differing views as to what patriotism demanded. We shall speak of French Jews battling for France, of English Jewish Colonists championing England s cause, and of American Jews fighting for American liberty and glory, yet all were equally patriots. In selecting the incidents to be set forth herein the writer has confined himself exclusively to matters which he believes are either wholly unknown to the Jewish historian or only partially or imperfectly known ; no treatment of the main subject, other than these incidents may furnish, will be at tempted.
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COLONEL DAVID S. FRANKS. Members have no doubt still fresh in mind the interesting items relating to Col. Franks, set forth by Dr. Herbert Friedenwald and Prof. M. Jastrow in No. i of our "Proceed ings. Since then other data have been collected and published in regard to the Franks family, to which I will merely refer ; (see the very interesting article on the History of the Jews of Montreal, prepared for the Montreal Daily Star, December 30, 1893, and repeated in the American Israelite in January, 1894, which has been attributed to Rev. Dr. Meldola de Sola ; and also an article on Rebecca Franks by the present writer, which appeared in the American Hebrew, November 9, 14, 21, and also in pamphlet reprint). In the present paper, Colonel L>8 THE A MERICAN JE W A8 FrankvS 5 early career in Canada will be chiefly dealt with, the documents herein cited demonstrating the correctness of Dr. Friedenwald s theory (p. 76) that Franks was drawn into the Revolutionary contest through pure patriotism and interest in the struggle which was being carried on south of his earlier domicile. A contemporary periodical furnishes the data I refer to ; it is entitled : The Remembrancer or Impartial Reposi tory of Public Events." Part I, for 1776, London, 1776, pp. ioo-6. (The narrative is somewhat condensed herein, but the documents are set forth in their entirety.) On May 2, 1775, the bust of the king at Montreal was found daubed over and indecently ornamented, the words, This is the pope of Canada and the fool of England, being written upon it in French. A reward of 100 guineas was offered for the discovery of the perpetrator, and much indignation was expressed among the French inhabitants, eager to manifest their loyalty to England, one French gentleman even express ing his opinion that the act ought to be punished by hanging. Upon hearing this severe opinion, a young English merchant of the name of Franks, who had settled at Montreal and who at that time happened to be near the speaker, replied to him in these words : In England men are not hanged for such .small offenses, which he repeated twice or three times. This pro voked M. de B (the former speaker) to such a degree, that, after giving the young man much opprobrious language, he at last proceeded to blows, and struck him in the face and pulled him by the nose ; upon which the other gave him a blow that knocked him down. The next day, May the 3d, upon a com plaint of M. de B to three officers of justice of a new order, called the Conservators of the Peace for the District of Montreal, not of the blow he had received from Franks (for to this he was conscious he had given occasion by striking him first) but of the words pronounced by the latter, . that in England people were not hanged for such small offenses, the Conservators issued the warrant hereunder following for com mitting young Franks to prison. He was accordingly carried thither by a part* of soldiers with bayonets fixed, and ,10,000 bail, that was offered to procure his liberty, and be security for his appearance to take his trial for the offence, was refused. And there he continued for a week, at the end of which time, the same Conservators of the Peace (by the direction, as it is supposed, of Governor Carleton) ordered him to be discharged without any bail at all. PATRIOT, SOLDIER AND CITIZKX. i>9 The following are the official documents, in translation : " District of Montreal. By John Fraser, John Marteilhe and Rene Ovide Hertel de Rouville, Esquires, Judges and Conservators of the Peace in the District of Montreal : " WHEREAS, Francis Mary Picote de Bellestre, Esquire, has made oath on the holy gospels that on Tuesday the second day of this present month of May, as he was standing still in the street to hear a proclamation published, concerning those wretches who had insulted his Majesty s bust, he had openly declared that he thought they deserved to be hanged : and that thereupon one Salisbury Franks had answered with surprise, that it was not usual to hang people for such small offences and that it was not worth while to do so, and that he had repeated those words .several times, and with a loud voice. " We, having regard to the said complaint, and considering that every good subject ought to look upon the said insult to his Majesty s bust as an act of the most atrocious nature, and deserving of the utmost abhorrence, and that therefore all declarations made in conversation that tend to affirm it to be a small offence, ought to be esteemed criminal : Do, for these reasons, authorize and command you to convey the said Salisbury Franks to the prison of the town to be there detained, till he shall be thence discharged according to law. And for so doing, this warrant shall be your justification. " Given at Montreal, under our hands and seals, on the third day of May, 1775. John Fraser, (Signed) John Marteilhe, Hertel de Rouville." The warrant to the jailor we omit, but the warrant for his discharge follows : " To the keeper of the jail in Montreal : Whereas David Salisbury Franks is now in your custody, in virtue of our warrant duly sealed and signed ; these are now to command you to forbear detaining any longer the said David Salisbury Franks, but to suffer him to go at large wherever he pleases and that without fees. And for so doing, this will be your sufficient w r arrant. "Given under our hands and seals at Montreal, on the gth day of May, 1775." (Signed as above). 80 THE AMERICAN JE W AS It will be noticed that the warrant of release gives the full name of Franks and leaves it clear that he was the future American patriot. It should also be noticed that he is described as an Englishman, pointing to that country as the common home of the various members of the family of that name in America. (Compare Life of Peter Van Schaack, p. 143, and Kamble Papers, for references to Franks family home, a mansion near London). Also that the amount of bail offered for young Franks, /" 10,000, was extraordinarily large for those days. It is not proposed herein to repeat the interesting incident in the career of Arnold s aide-de-camp which others have set forth so well. Their accounts may, however, be supplemented by the fol lowing. It seems that Franks gave testimony to Mrs. Arnold s innocence of all complicity in her husband s treason. This fact is cited in a note in the present writer s sketch of Rebecca Franks (p. 12), but the original authority, the preface to the privately printed Shipper papers, he has thus far been un able to consult. After the inquiry into Frank s conduct, occasioned by the suspicions aroused against him on account of Arnold s treason had been held in accordance with his de mand, Franks appears to have been sent to Europe with im portant dispatches to Jay and Franklin, with instructions to await their orders. In a letter from Robert Morris to Frank lin, dated Philadelphia, July 13, 1781, we read: "The bearer of the letter, Major Franks, formerly an aide-de-camp to General Arnold, and honorably acquitted of all connection with him after a full and impartial inquiry, will be able to give you our public news more particularly than I could relate them." (Diplomatic Correspondence, edited by Sparks, Vol. XI, p. 382). His conduct in France and Spain appears to have been very creditable; Jay speaks very highly about his discretion and tact and he seems to have won the particular regard of the Count of Florida Blanca, the Spanish Minister, with whom Jay was negotiating. (See " Diplomatic Correspondence of the U. S.," edited by F. Wharton, Vol. IV, 752-754, 756-757, 764-784, V, 121. Thompson Papers (N. Y. Hist. Soc. Collections, 1878), p. 183. Accounts of the U. S. during the Administra tion of the Superintendent of France, 1781-1784). As noted by Dr. Friedenwald, Franks was sent by Congress to Europe /M TRIOTfiOLDIER AND ( IT/Z/<;\\. HI again in 1784, this time to deliver a triplicate of the definitive treaty of peace to our ministers plenipotentiary. Further de tails about this trip are alluded to in " Military Journal of Ma jor K. Denny" (Pa. Hist. Society, Pub. 1860) p. 415, where letters from Frank s associate, Col. Harman, are quoted, and in a letter written by Harman to a Philadelphia merchant, Jona than Williams, in 1790, wherein he sends his regards to Franks, and alludes to the " gay moments we passed together in France, particularly the civilities received from you at St. Germain, where I dined with you in company with Mr. Barclay and Col. Franks" (p. 461). Not less interesting is the narrative of an encounter with Major Franks in 1787, by Dr. Cutler, on a trip to Philadelphia : l< July i2th. Made our next stay at Bristol. Dined in company with the passengers in the stage, among whom were General Armstrong and Col. Franks. General Armstrong is a member of Congress with whom I had a small acquaintance at New York; Franks was an aide of General Arnold at the time of his desertion to the British. Both of them high bucks, and affected, as I conceived, to hold the New England states in contempt. They had repeatedly touched my Yankee blood, in their conversation at the table; but I was much on the reserve until, after we had dined, some severe re flections on the conduct of Rhode Island, and the Insurgency in Massachusetts placing the two States in the same point of light induced me to observe that I had no doubt but that the conduct of Rhode Island would prove of infinite service to the Union; that the insurgency in Massachusetts would eventually lead to invigorate and establish our government; and that I considered the State of Pennsylvania divided and distracted as she was then in her Councils, the large County of Luzerne on the eve of an insurrection to be in as hazardous a situation as any one 011 the Continent. "This instantly brought on a warm fracas indeed. The cudgels were taken up on both sides: the contest as fierce as if the fate of empires depended on the decision. At length victory declared in our favor. Armstrong began to make con cessions. Franks, with more reluctance, at length gave up the ground. Both acknowledged the New England States were entitled to an equal share of merit with any in the Union, and 32 THE A MER 1C A N JE W A ,S declared the 7 had no intention to reflect. We had the satisfac tion to quit the field with an air of triumph, which my little companion enjoyed with a high relish; nor could he forget it, all the way to Philadelphia. But we parted with our antago nists on terms of perfect good humor and complaisance. My companion frequently afterwards mentioned the pleasure it gave him to see Armstrong and Franks, so completely taken down," as he expressed it, which led me to conclude he was of the party opposed to them in the political quarrels of Philadel phia." (Historical magazine, Third Series, Vol. II, pp. 84-85). But let us pass from Franks to another Canadian.
Vindication of an American Jewish Patriot
David Salisbury Franks was a hero of the American Revolution. Ironically, because he was assigned as aide-de-camp to the traitorous Benedict Arnold, Franks' reputation was tainted. Although cleared on all charges of complicity in Arnold's efforts to surrender West Point to the British in 1780, Franks suffered from charges of disloyalty. Despite formal exoneration, Franks' reputation never fully recovered. Unfortunately, his name is rarely included in pantheon of first-rank Revolutionary heroes.
David S. Franks was born in Philadelphia around 1740 into a large and highly respected Jewish merchant family. As a young man, Franks' father relocated his branch of the family to Quebec. In 1775, on the eve of the Revolution, David S. Franks was living in Montreal, serving in the distinguished position of parnas (president) of the Spanish and Portuguese synagogue in that city, though he was of German Jewish descent. According to the late historian Jacob Rader Marcus, because Franks publicly defended the right of a protester to compare King George III of England to the Pope and call him a fool, Franks was jailed and held for 16 days. The experience converted him to the colonists' cause and, when the Continental Army invaded Quebec to "liberate" it from the British, Franks joined the revolutionaries. He was appointed paymaster of the Continental Army in Quebec and apparently expended his own funds to pay the salaries of the American volunteers.
When the American campaign faltered in Canada, Franks retreated to Philadelphia, reaching it in July 1776. He joined the Continental Army and served actively until October 1777. Because he spoke French, Franks was then assigned as liaison officer to the Comte d'Estaing, commander of the French naval forces fighting on the American side. Franks attained the rank of major and was assigned as aide-de-camp to Benedict Arnold, the military governor of Philadelphia. Arnold alienated several of the city's leading merchants and was given command of the strategic garrison at West Point, which controlled access to the upper reaches of the Hudson River.
When Arnold's treason became known, Franks fell under suspicion of complicity. To make matters worse, David Salisbury Franks was probably confused with his uncle, David Franks of New York City, who remained a notorious Tory. The court martial dropped all charges against David Salisbury Franks on the ground that they were unfounded. Remarkably, Benedict Arnold himself wrote a letter from a British ship exonerating Franks. One can imagine, however, that a letter of support from the traitorous Arnold did little to restore Franks' good name.
After Franks was returned to active duty, General George Washington had him assigned to his command. However, the other officers of Franks' own regiment started a whispering campaign against him. Seeking to clear his name definitively, Franks asked General Washington to initiate another court-martial, one that would investigate— rather than simply drop— the scurrilous charges against him.
After a month-long investigation, the court issued a thorough report completely exonerating Franks. A promotion in rank immediately followed. Franks was entrusted by the State Department to carry highly secret documents to diplomats Benjamin Franklin in Paris and John Jay in Madrid. In 1783, Franks returned to Philadelphia, but soon left for Paris to deliver to Franklin the official copy of the peace treaty that ended the war and granted American independence. According to his accounts, Franks often paid more of his expenses than his beloved young nation could afford to reimburse.
At war's end, Franks was made American vice-consul at Marseilles. In 1786, he was appointed to the American diplomatic team that negotiated a trade treaty between the United States and the potentates of Morocco. Yet, political opponents pursued David S. Franks. To a degree not comprehensible today, politics in the 1780s was a "blood sport" in which it was commonplace to attack opponents with accusation of vile moral corruption. Despite his exoneration, Jeffersonian Republicans continued to attack Franks for his association with Benedict Arnold. In 1786, the attacks succeeded and Franks was dismissed from the diplomatic corps. He returned to the United States discredited and bankrupt.
Undaunted, Franks fought to restore his reputation. Several times, he petitioned President Washington for reappointment to the diplomatic service. Finally, in 1789, Congress granted Franks 400 acres of land in recognition of his service during the Revolutionary war. His last position was that of assistant cashier at the Bank of the United States in Philadelphia.
David Salisbury Franks died of yellow fever in October of 1793 at the age of 53. His fortune gone, a Christian neighbor rescued his corpse from the coroner's wagon before it went to potter's field. Franks today lies buried today in Philadelphia's Christ Church Burial Yard, saved from the pauper's fate but not among his fellow Jews.
Like so may other "minor" patriots, Franks' name is not well known today. His courage, loyalty and willingness to expend his personal fortune for the cause of independence, plus his dogged determination to clear his name, deserve remembrance. Had he not had the bad fortune to be assigned to serve under the infamous Benedict Arnold, that name might rank with that of Haym Salomon, Mordecai Sheftall and Francis Salvador among the best-known Jewish patriots of the American Revolution.
PORTRAIT IN SCRAPBOOK ------------------------ The miniature of Colonel David Salesby Franks is reported upon by Hannah London in her 1926 book Portraits of Jews as well as her 1953 book Miniatures of Early American Jews. At that time, the miniature was owned by Mrs. Clarence I. deSola of Montreal. ------------------------ According to Malcolm Stern, David Salesby Franks (also known as David Salisbury Franks) was born in Philadelphia in 1742. He is described by Jacob Raider Marcus as a native of Philadelphia who moved to Montreal with his parents, settling there in 1774. David did not stay long - ?how long - but did made his mark on the city during this stay, and maintained contact with his family thereafter, particularly his sister Rebecca, who had married Levy Solomons.
There are many pitfalls to be faced in the task of researching this man. There was another David Franks, with whom he may have been confused from time to time. Stern (1988) states that David Salesby Franks was born in Philadelphia in 1742, died of yellow fever in Philadelphia on 7 October 1793, and was buried in Christ Episcopalian Churchyard to prevent a pauper's burial.
Before his death in 1995, John Mosely (3rd great grand-nephew of David Salesby Franks) had decided that he would get his own DNA testing done, and then compare the result with DNA testing he also intended to get done of David Salesby Franks' hair. John then owned a portrait of David, and encased in glass at the back was a lock of David's hair.
The portrait John was referring to was the miniature painted in 1778 by Charles Willson Peale. In 1953, Hannah R. London states in her book Miniatures of Early American Jews that this miniature of Colonel Franks was painted by Peale at Valley Forge for $75. This is authenticated by Horace W. Seller's list of Peale portraits from the artist's own Memorandum Book, 1778-1798, of which there is a transcription in the Pensylvania Magazine of History and Biography, published in April 1904. Colonel Franks presented his miniature to his sister Rebecca Solomons. From Rebecca it was handed down through the generations to her great-grandson Clarence deSola, and in 1953 was owned by Belle Goldsmith deSola, Clarence's widow. The miniature was at that time (and may still be) in its original frame, encased in glass on both sides, with his coat of military blue in bright contract to his powdered hair.
None of Clarence and Belle's four children had children of their own, and so after the death in 1994 of their last surviving child, Jessica Mellor, the miniature found its way to John Mosely, who was a grandson of Clarence's elder brother, Meldola. John wrote to me (Anne Joseph) in April 1993 saying that Jessica had the miniature.
While in Montreal, David Salesby Franks took an active part in the affairs of Shearith Israel and is said to have been President/Parnass in 1775-1777. David and his father carried on an extensive trade with the French-Canadian colonists.
One well-documented and charming story concerned an incident in 1775. Edgar Andrew Collard wrote of this in the Montreal Gazette on at least three occasions, from which the following is extracted:-
"... David Salesby Franks, prominent in Montreal's business and society. Franks was a revolutionary at heart. His sympathies were with the American colonists who were about to begin the War of Independence, repudiate the Crown and ultimately establish the United States.
"Franks was heartily amused one morning in 1775 when the marble bust of King George III, which stood under a canopy in Place d'Armes, was found to have been vandalized during the night. His amusement and some of this light-hearted, disrespectful remarks, made him appear, to some present, to be disloyal. He was arrested (3 May) in a melodramatic way. He was taken to jail in a procession, surrounded by soldiers with bayonets drawn. Franks made the most of his situation for his own ends. His few humorous remarks on Place d'Armes scarcely amounted to treason. He pictured himself as a victim of oppressive royal tyranny. The longer he could stay in jail, the worse the tyranny would seem.
"The authorities were prepared to release him on bail. Franks refused to put up the bail and deliberately remained behind bars. The authorities now realized they had made a mistake in arresting him in the first place. They no longer wished to bring him to trial. They might lose the case and be further embarrassed. The last word came from the top, probably from the governor, Sir Guy Carleton. So far from escaping, Franks was seized and dragged out (on 9 May) - one of the few Montreal prisoners who has ever had to be forcibly evicted from a jail." ------------------------ Business affairs first attracted David Salesby Franks to the New England colonies and to Philadelphia, where he eventually settled. Malcolm Stern records that he is believed to have married a lady whose name is not known, and had a son and a daughter. ------------------------ An important account of David Franks' military and diplomatic career was written by David himself, and was included in Jacob Rader Marcus' 1955 book Memoirs of American Jews 1775-1865. The notes in brackets are by Jacob Rader Marcus. It reads:-
"MY MILITARY CAREER - Early in the year 1774, I settled in Montreal, with a small capital and a considerable credit as a merchant, and was successful in business. In the spring of 1775, I suffered a short tho' rigorous imprisonment on account of my attachment to the cause of America.
"As soon as the troops under General (Richard) Montgomery took possession of Montreal (November 13, 1771), I did everything in my power to promote their success, and at one time advanced nearly to the amount of 500 half johanes (a Portuguese coin) in goods and money, which was afterwards paid to me in depreciated paper. In 1776, soon after the unfortunate attack on Quebec, General (David) Wooster appointed me to the office of clerk of the cheque, or paymaster to the artificers of the garrison of Montreal, in which capacity I was indefatigable in forwarding the public works , and again advanced considerable sums of money at times when there was not a farthing in the military chest to satisfy the demands of the workmen.
"When the Northern Army retreated from Canada, I joined it as a volunteer and continued attached to that army with some little intermission until the reduction of General (John) Bourgoyne (in 1777). In 1778, after the evacuation of Philadelphia by the British Army, and on the arrival of Count D'Estaing, I procured letters of recommendation from the Board of War, from Mr. (C.A.) Gérard (the French minister) and Mr. (Silas) Deane, who came with the Count and joined him off Sandy Hook (in New York Bay). I continued with that admiral until he arrived at Rhode Island, when, on the failure of that expedition, I returned to Philadelphia, where my military duty called me.
"In 1779 I went, a volunteer, to Charlestown (South Carolina) and was an aide-de-camp in General (Benjamin) Lincoln's family till I was recalled to attend the tryal of General (Benedict) Arnold. In 1780, I was in Arnold's military family at West Point until his desertion to the enemy, when a court of enquiry, which I had solicited of the commander in chief, made the report, which his Excellency (General Washington) was pleased to accept and approve. (Franks was exonerated from any complicity in Arnold's treason.)
"MY DIPLOMATIC CAREER - In 1781, the Superintendent of Finance (Robert Morris) sent me with dispatches to Mr. (John) Jay, at Madrid, and to Mr. (Benjamin) Franklin, at Paris. I continued employed in Europe until the next year, when I returned home with the approbation of our ministers, as well as of Mr. Morris, for my conduct while abroad. At my return, I found myself deranged from the line of the army, but on application to Congress, I was reinstated for one year only. When Mr. (Thomas) Jefferson was going to Paris (as) one of the commissioners for making a treaty of peace, he took me into his (official) family. We waited a considerable time in Baltimore for an opportunity to go to sea, a British squadron then guarding the Bay of Chesapeak(e). Congress, in the meanwhile, received information that a treaty was already signed, and this precluded the necessity of Mr. Jefferson's embarking. I then solicited the Secretary for Foreign Affairs (Robert R. Livingston) for an appointment in the consular line and procured a recommendation from some of the most eminent merchants of my native place (Philadelphia). Mr. Livingston mentioned me in a particular matter to Congress.....
"In the winter of the year 1784, Congress dispatched me to Europe with a copy of the ratification of the definitive treaty (of peace) which I had the honor of delivering to our ministers in Paris, where I remained ill of a fever, which prevented me going to Holland in consequence of orders received from the Superintendent of Finance. In 1785, I went at a considerable expense to Marseilles, to which place Mr. (Thomas) Barclay (an American special agent) had named me vice consul. I resided there till my little stock of money was nearly exhausted, and in the spring of 1786, I returned to Paris. For my first voyage to Europe, as well as the second with the ratification of the definitive treaty, and for my residence at Marseilles as vice consul, I never received any emolument whatever.
"In the fall, 1786, Mr. Barclay was commissioned by our ministers for making a treaty of peace and commerce with the Emperor of Morocco, and I was appointed his secretary. Previous to our departure for Africa, it was judged necessary to send a confidential person to London to get the proper instruments signed by Mr. (John) Adams (United States minister to Great Britain) and to fix the mode of drawing bills of exchange, etc., with that gentleman. I offered myself and executed what depended on me, in the two journeys I made to London, with zeal and dispatch. After Mr. Barclay's return to Spain from Morocco, where he had completed a treaty with the Emperor, I was sent by him with it from Madrid to Paris, and from thence by Mr. Jefferson to London to get Mr. Adams' signature to it. In the month of March following, I embarked by order of our ministers for America, bearer of the Treaty of Morocco, and had the honor of delivering it to Mr. Jay (who had succeeded Mr. Livingston as Secretary for Foreign Affairs) at New York in the month of May. With me I also brought testimonials of the approbation of our ministers abroad as appears by their public dispatches.
"Thus I have devoted eleven years of the best part of my life to the service of my country, in all which time, I am bold to say, that I have ever been actuated by a disenterested zeal for the honor and prosperity." ------------------------ From "Biographical Sketches of Loyalists of the American Revolution with a Historical Essay", (Published in 1864 in Boston and reprinted in 1979 by Genealogical Publishing Co), Lorenzo Sabine wrote:
FRANKS, David. Of Pennsylvania. Commissary of British prisoners. In 1778, detected in endeavoring to transmit within the enemy's lines a letter which was deemed to contain sentiments inimical to the Whig cause, General Arnold, who was then in command at Philadelphia, was directed by Congress to cause his immediate arrest and confinement in jail. It was resolved, also, that he should no longer perform the duties of Commissary; and that Washington give information of these proceedings to Sir Henry Clinton, with a view to the appointment of a successor. In January, 1779, he applied for leave to send his clerk, Patrick Rice, to New York, to settle his public accounts, which was granted. In 1780 he was ordered to depart the State; but, as he delayed, on the 18th of November a pass for himself and daughter to New York was sent from the Council, with the suggestion that compulsory measures would be adopted, on further disobedience to the mandate of banishment. He replied on the 21st, giving his reasons for remaining in Philadelphia so long; and asked that his pass might be amended to include a servant-woman and his necessary baggage. He wrote again on the 22d, stating an excuse; and on the 23d President Reed informed him that he was expected to set out on his journey the next day; that his excuse, in the opinion of the Council, was a very frivolous one; and that no further indulgence would be allowed him by that body. ------------------------ NOTE - There are many more documents and articles in my data binder. My collection includes article(s) written by me, Anne Joseph.
- (Research):From:
http://www.lambertcastle.org/David%20Salisbury%20Franks.html
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Passaic County Historical Society
Lambert Castle
3 Valley Road
Patterson, NJ 07503-2932
[email protected]
"Great-grandson of a Sister of Col. Franks, Clarence I. de Sola of Montreal.
Now in the Hannah I London collection of the American Jewish Archives."
The Passaic County Historical Society
Lambert Castle, Paterson, NJ
A PROFILE OF DAVID SALISBURY FRANKS
By Robert Leslie Cohen
"He is light, indiscreet, active, honest, affectionate.'
- Thomas Jefferson, in a letter about Franks
While conducting research on the Revolutionary War and some of its major players, I came across a novel about Benedict Arnold, written by John Ensor Harr and titled Dark Eagle. Despite Arnold's infamous reputation, he has always intrigued me. Here was one of the Revolution's best field commanders, a man whose troops admired, respected, and followed him without reservation, from his great maneuver at Valcour Island in the autumn of 1776 to his brilliant leadership at Saratoga. Arnold was truly one of America's earliest and most courageous heroes until he made his fatal blunder of betraying the patriot cause at West Point, New York in 1780, thus destroying his reputation and branding himself as a traitor throughout history.
In Harr's well-researched book, the novelist mentioned that during the fateful time of Arnold's treason, the officer had two aides-de-camp. One was Richard Varick of Hackensack, later to be mayor of New York, and the other was David Salisbury Franks. There are several variations on his middle name - Solebury, Salisbury, Salesbury, Solesby. I will use Salisbury, but what caught my attention most was his religion. Here is where my curiosity took a leap of faith: David S. Franks was Jewish.
The trajectory of Franks' colorful and occasionally perilous life is amazing. Born in Philadelphia, Franks emigrated to Canada, became a synagogue leader in Montreal, then a provisioner to General Montgomery's troops at the Battle of Canada, and later an officer in the Continental Army. After the war ended, Franks served as a diplomat to England, France, Spain and Morocco. He was also an important courier for the Revolutionary government, an assistant at Washington's first inauguration, and one of three high ranking officers of the Jewish faith who served in the Continental Army. Lieutenant-Colonel Franks was well known to Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, Robert Livingston and John Jay, among others.
The early history of the United States was more than the accomplishments of the founding fathers. It also took the grit, determination and fortitude of many in lesser positions who worked as hard for the patriotic cause as the luminaries mentioned. For the most part, the suppliers of wagons, sailors, farmers, foreign idealistic officers, and countless enlisted men and women are glossed over when we delve into the Revolutionary War and its aftermath. An individual like Franks helped continue the struggle for independence and get the country established.
The family name Franks was originally Franco; his ancestors were of Sephardic origin and had lived in Holland and then in England. 1. Let us first look at the early years of his life, even though the historical documentation is by no means abundant. We know he was born in Philadelphia, around 1740, the son of merchant Abraham Franks. He attended Franklin's Academy, which later became the University of Pennsylvania, and at the outbreak of the Revolution lived in Montreal and was a businessman. He had strong patriotic feelings.
As a youth in Philadelphia, Franks developed a fluency in French and Spanish, and there is evidence he learned surveying. In 1774, he went to Montreal, and following in his father's profession, he became a merchant. He also took an active role in Montreal's synagogue, becoming president of the congregation. There is evidence Franks had signed a petition to protest an Act of Parliament that took away the right of trial by jury.
Franks also displayed patriotic feelings by getting into a physical altercation with another Montrealer over defacing a statue of King George III. The Frenchman insisted the vandal should be hanged while Franks thought the offense was minor. After the fight, Franks was arrested and marched under bayonet to prison. He was jailed for a week, and then released.2 After General Montgomery made his way with Benedict Arnold to Montreal, Franks immediately aided the patriot cause by advancing both goods and money to Montgomery's troops.
At this point, Franks joined the American Army and was appointed by General Wooster paymaster of the garrison of Montreal. Franks actually issued his own money, which was later reimbursed to him in depreciated cash by order of Congress. After a stay in Philadelphia in 1777, Franks joined the Third Artillery Regiment in Boston. He served throughout the campaigns in the northern theater of war and probably was at Saratoga when Burgoyne surrendered.3 In December, 1777 and during the winter of 1778 we find him at Valley Forge with Washington's army. Here, a miniature portrait was painted of him by Charles Willson Peale.4 Franks was on good terms with the commander-in-chief. (The portrait was in the possession of a great-grandson of a sister of Colonel Franks, Clarence I. DeSola of Montreal. It is now in the Hannah R. London Collection, American Jewish Archives.) In the spring of 1778, he was assigned to the staff or "family" of General Benedict Arnold as an aide-de-camp with the rank of major.5
After the arrival of the French fleet under Count Charles Henri d'Estaing, Franks, using his language skills, and carrying letters of recommendation from the Board of War and Silas Deane, joined the fleet at Sandy Hook, New Jersey. He remained with the French until August, 1778, when he returned to Philadelphia and rejoined General Arnold's staff.
James Wilson, a signer of the Declaration of Independence and friend of Franks, was then a lawyer defending some prominent Tories who were being prosecuted for treason. A riot ensued and shots were fired at Wilson's house. Among those who aided Wilson was Major Franks. Franks was charged with participating in this disturbance, where some were mortally wounded. The charges against Franks were dropped. James Wilson, after both leaving and then returning to Pennsylvania, was a prominent member of the Continental Congress and became an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court. Immediately after this incident, Franks was assigned to Charleston, South Carolina, where he was an aide-de-camp to General Lincoln.
At the end of 1779 he was called back to Philadelphia to testify at the trial of Benedict Arnold, who was charged with abusing his powers as military governor of Philadelphia. Arnold received a reprimand, and based on his own recommendation, was assigned the command at West Point.
When Arnold transferred to the American fort at West Point on the Hudson, both David S. Franks and Richard Varick accompanied him as aides-de-camp. At West Point, Major Franks discharged his responsibilities in an exemplary manner. One letter from Chevallier de Villefraud related to requesting troops to help repair the chain that had been placed across the Hudson at West Point to prevent British ships from advancing up the river. The chain was an effective obstruction for the duration of the war.
In September, 1780, with the complicity of the British high command in New York City, and with Major André as intermediary, General Arnold attempted to hand over the plans for West Point to the British, thereby compromising the fort. It might be added that Arnold, upon hearing of André's capture, abandoned his position at the fort, as well as leaving behind his wife, Peggy Shippen, and their newborn child. General Washington, who arrived at the fort soon after Arnold's departure, found Mrs. Arnold in a hysterical state and ordered her back to her family in Philadelphia, accompanied by Major Franks. Mrs. Arnold, while not formally charged with treason, had strong Loyalist leanings and circumstantially appeared to be implicated with her husband's treason. At the time, however, General Washington placed the entire charge of treason upon Arnold.
Because of Arnold's proximity to both Colonel Varick and Major Franks, some suspicion was cast on them. Nonetheless, General Washington, in a letter regarding Arnold's aides wrote, "I have the greatest reason to believe [Varick and Franks] were not privy in the least degree to the measures he was carrying on to his escape."
Both Varick and Franks, because of the cloud hanging over them, demanded a full investigation by means of a court martial. This was granted by General Washington. Both Varick and Franks were completely exonerated of any wrongdoing. In so doing, the court said of Franks, "his conduct was not only unimpeachable but … did him great honor as an officer … and sincere friend to his country." General Washington accepted and approved the report of the court.6
Upon the conclusion of the tribunal, and under the jurisdiction of Robert Morris, Superintendent of Finance, with permission of Congress, Major Franks was sent with important dispatches to John Jay in Spain and Benjamin Franklin in France. Franks was chosen for this important mission not only because of his competence in French and Spanish, but more significantly, the sense of trust the highest echelons of the American government had placed in him. He would inform Jay and Franklin of the military and economic situation in the colonies, and he could give the ministries of Spain and France updated information about the progress of the situation at home.
Franks embarked for Europe in July, 1781. After his arrival in Spain, he delivered his dispatches to Jay. For some time, Jay had been trying to obtain assistance from Spain for the American cause. Franks subsequently gave testimony to the Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs, which greatly aided the Americans in their quest for independence. In October, Franks departed for France with dispatches for Dr. Franklin. Unable to secure passage to America, Franks spent time touring France.7 He returned to America in June, 1782. Based on a recommendation by the Secretary of War, Franks was promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel.
Before the army disbanded in June, 1783, some of its officers established the Society of Cincinnati, and Colonel Franks had the distinction of being one of its charter members. He was present at Fraunces Tavern when the officers gathered to hear General Washington's memorable Farewell Address."8
After the war ended, Colonel Franks remained in the army and was employed by Congress, where he was instructed to carry the Treaty of Paris to the American ministers in France and the Netherlands. This peace treaty, which concluded Revolutionary War hostilities, had been ratified by Congress.9
Letters from Benjamin Franklin and John Jay in Europe mentioned that Franks had performed his duties. Soon after this mission was completed Franks left the army and requested a diplomatic post in France. With the intercession of Robert Livingston and Thomas Jefferson, he was appointed in September, 1784 as Vice-Consul at Marseilles. Franks remained in the diplomatic service during the middle 1780's. During this time America was having difficulties with Algiers and the Emperor of Morocco, as both were preying on American shipping. The American government appointed Thomas Barclay as Ambassador to Morocco, and Franks was selected as his secretary.10 A treaty with Morocco was concluded in early 1787 and Franks carried it from Madrid to Paris and then to London for the purpose of securing the signatures of Thomas Jefferson and John Adams. Franks was then instructed to return to America with the signed treaty so it could be approved by Congress. This was accomplished in April of 1787, and brought Franks' diplomatic career to a close.
In 1789 Franks was awarded a bounty of land of 400 acres for his service during the Revolutionary War. Because of a fire at the War Office in 1800, the location of this bounty is unknown.
There was some confusion as to a David Franks who took part in the Scioto Land Company, settling émigrés from France on land in Ohio and Indiana. The David Franks who took part in the Scioto land transactions, however, was most likely an uncle to David S. Franks. David Franks, the uncle, was involved in the formation of the company in 1768, along with Governor William Franklin and other stockholders. As a great tribute to Franks, he was chosen on April 30, 1789 to be one of seven assistants in the first inaugural procession of President Washington. It started at the Presidential Mansion at One Cherry Street and proceeded to Federal Hall where President Washington was inaugurated. The procession was headed by Captain Stakes with a troop of cavalry, followed by the assistants, including Colonel Franks, after which came a committee of the House and a committee of the Senate.11
Franks' final years were spent as assistant cashier of the Bank of the United States. The bank was located in Carpenter's Hall, Philadelphia.12 In 1793, the city was plagued by yellow fever. Some five thousand Philadelphians died during that stifling summer, and among those who succumbed was Colonel Franks. A letter from Dr. Benjamin Rush, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, indicates that John Thompson, a blacksmith, recognized the body of Franks in a burial cart and made certain the valiant officer received a decent burial. Franks was laid to rest in the Christ Church Burial Yard.13
This brings us to the end of a remarkable and distinguished story. Although Franks' role in the quest for independence is virtually forgotten, he is no less a patriot then the well-known Paul Revere of Longfellow fame, the plucky Molly Pitcher who manned the cannon at the Battle of Monmouth, and the intrepid fifers and drummers who played "Yankee Doodle" to rally our often dispirited troops. David Salisbury Franks stood with the best of them.
Acknowledgements
In preparing this essay on David Salisbury Franks, I would like to thank the following people whose help proved invaluable. To Adina Anflick, archivist at the American Jewish History Society, and other archivists, who were always willing to offer assistance. To the previous writers on Colonel Franks, I offer my admiration and respect. To the individuals I peppered with questions and who provided material and answers often with enthusiasm, I remain in their debt. To John Ensor Harr, author of Dark Eagle, a well-researched novel about Benedict Arnold, I convey my thanks for generating in me the passion to explore Franks' little known role in American history.
Finally, my gratitude to Jacob R. Marcus and his seminal work on the Colonial American Jew, and for producing many volumes on the same subject. For over forty years, I have admired his indispensable scholarship.
End Notes
Clarence I. De Sola, "Some Notes Respecting the Career of David Salesby or Salisbury Franks," 1917.
Max J. Kohler, The Magazine of History, vol. IV, August, 1906, No. 2, pp. 64-65
Hersch L. Zitt, Pennsylvania History, vol. XVI, April, 1949, No. 2, p. 80.
New York Sun, May 1, 1914, p. 6. The article mentions the miniature portrait of David Salisbury Franks, painted by Charles Willson Peale at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania in 1778.
Zitt, Pennsylvania History, vol. XVI, April, 1949, No. 2 p. 80.
6. John Whiting, Lieutenant, Orderly Book of Court Martial of David S. Franks,
1780; see also Publications of the American Jewish Historical Society, No. 4,
1986, p. 85.
7. Publications of the American Jewish Historical Society, No. 4, 1986, p. 85; see
also Robert Morris, Letter Book A, Library of Congress, p. 152, 1781.
8. See notes of Society of Cincinnati, Fraunces Tavern, New York City.
9. Hon. Oscar S. Straus, "New Light on the Career of Colonel David S. Franks," Publications of the American Jewish Historical Society, November. 10, 1902, p. 103.
10. Letter, Ambassador Thomas Barclay to the President of Congress, Publications of the American Jewish Historical Society, vol. 18, 1909, p. 210.
11. Confirmed by Mr. Tom Savini, Director, Livingston Masonic Library, 71 W. 23rd St., New York City 10010 in 2003.
12. Leon Huhner, Publications of American Jewish Historical Society, vol. 12, 1904, p. 164.
13. Zitt, Pennsylvania History, vol. XVI, April, 1949, No. 2.
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- [S4] PG. 324 CORRECTIONS TO PG. 75. FRANKS 1 (1) (Reliability: 3).
- [S4] PG. 82 FRANKS II (Reliability: 3).
- [S38] .
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