To Benjamin Franklin from William Temple Franklin, 17 August 1776
From William Temple Franklin
ALS: American Philosophical Society
Philada5 Augst. 17th. 1776
Honored Sir
It being rather late when I got to Mr. Duffields and the Road from there to Mr. Galloways being very bad; by the kind invitation of Mr. and Mrs. Duffield I staid that Night and waited on Mr. Galloway in the Morning, and proceeded on my way to this place where I arrived yesterday afternoon with out any accident. Let Mrs. Bache know that her Son William has been very well, except now and then the Musick in his Ear, but by Mrs. Duffields good nurseing is now much better.6
If it is not too much Trouble let Aunt Mecome know, that according to her desire I waited on Mrs. Van Voredice, who being indisposed I had not the pleasure of seeing, but I saw her Son, who told me that last they heard of Mrs. Turner and her husband, was, that they were both in London and that he was to have a Commission in the Guards.7
Mrs. Franklin desires her duty to you and aunt Mecome and Love to the Family, with that of Honored Sir your ever dutiful Grandson
W T Franklin
Addressed: To / Dr. / Franklin / Philada / per Post
5. A slip of the pen: he was writing from Perth Amboy, where BF addressed his answer below, Aug. 27. WTF had visited Elizabeth Franklin little more than a fortnight earlier (see her letter to BF of Aug. 6 above), and then for some reason returned to Philadelphia. This second visit was presumably much longer, for BF was still writing him at Perth Amboy as late as Sept. 19.
6. BF had stayed with the Duffields in June to recuperate; see his letter to Rush above, June 26, 1776. They were old family friends, and we assume were again helping in an emergency, by taking William while his baby sister, Sarah, was desperately ill; she died on the day this letter was written.
7. Mrs. “Voredice” was Maria or Mary Ouke Van Vorhies, the sister of Catherine Ouke Mecom, and lived in New Brunswick: N.J. Arch., XXII, 417; XXIX, 410. After John Mecom’s death his widow had married Thomas Turner, a British officer who had been wounded at Lexington and Bunker Hill; above, I, lxii; XXI, 348 n; Jane Mecom to BF, July 14, 1775.