To Benjamin Franklin from Moses Franks, 20 February 1769
From Moses Franks7
ALS: American Philosophical Society
Great Russel Street Monday 20 feby / 69
Sir
I must entreat you to deliver to Mr. Dagge8 the Account and Papers relative to the Sufferers by Indian Depredations in 1754. There being particular occasion for them; being requested by the legal representatives of those Sufferers to solicit compensation.9 You were troubled formerly by Mr. Levy on the subject,1 and Mr. Dagge having just told me he is to meet you this morning, I would most willingly have done myself the pleasure of attending him but other necessary engagements prevent it. I have the Honor to be, sir Your most Obedient Servant
Moses Franks.
Addressed: To Benjamin Franklin Esqr
7. Moses Franks (1718–89), a merchant in London, was the brother of David Franks; see above, X, 73 n, 409 n.
8. Henry Dagge became the London lawyer for Trent and Wharton. See Lewis, Indiana Co., pp. 149–50.
9. For the complicated affairs of the “suffering traders” see above, XV, 265 n. Many of the papers relating to their claims were published in Kenneth P. Bailey, The Ohio Company Papers, 1753–1817 (Arcata, Calif., 1947), pp. 200–20; see also Jack M. Sosin, Whitehall and the Wilderness … (Lincoln, 1961), pp. 181–2.
1. This may have been Levi Andrew Levy, for whom see above, X, 373 n; he was deeply involved in the affairs of the traders. It may equally well have been Benjamin Levy, one of a Philadelphia group that claimed to be the only legal representatives of the traders, and that had written Moses Franks a few weeks before to offer him, for his services, one-ninth of whatever land might be acquired, Bailey, op. cit., pp. 211–13.