Paris 1776-1785
contributor: Eric Lease Morgan (Infomotions, Inc.)
creator: Franklin, Benjamin
extent: 412023
format: text/plain
language: en
publisher: Eris Etext Project
rights: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/GPL/2.0/
source: 29
subject: people
subject: america
subject: time
subject: learned
subject: unspeakable
subject: pleasure
subject: courage
subject: troops
subject: exhibited
subject: trenton
subject: franklin
subject: benjamin
subject: paris
subject: american
subject: literature
type: text
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sort title: Paris 1776-1785
full text: PARIS 1776-1785 by Benjamin Franklin _The Sale of the Hessians_ FROM THE COUNT DE SCHAUMBERGH TO THE BARON HOHENDORF, COMMANDING THE HESSIAN TROOPS IN AMERICA Rome, February 18, 1777. MONSIEUR LE BARON: -- On my return from Naples, I received at Rome your letter of the 27th December of last year. I have learned with unspeakable pleasure the courage our troops exhibited at Trenton, and you cannot imagine my joy on being told that of the 1,950 Hessians engaged in the fight, but 345 escaped. There were just 1,605 men killed, and I cannot sufficiently commend your prudence in sending an exact list of the dead to my minister in London. This precaution was the more necessary, as the report sent to the English ministry does not give but 1,455 dead. This would make 483,450 florins instead of 643,500 which I am entitled to demand under our convention. You will comprehend the prejudice which such an error would work in my finances, and I do not doubt you will take the necessary pains to prove that Lord North's list is false and yours correct. The court of London objects that there were a hundred wounded who ought not to be included in the list, nor paid for as dead; but I trust you will not overlook my instructions to you on quitting Cassel, and that you will not have tried by human succor to recall the life of the unfortunates whose days could not be lengthened but by the loss of a leg or an arm. That would be making them a pernicious present, and I am sure they would rather die than live in a condition no longer fit for my service. I do not mean by this that you should assassinate them; we should be humane, my dear Baron, but you may insinuate to the surgeons with entire propriety that a crippled man is a reproach to their profession, and that there is no wiser course than to let every one of them die when he ceases to be fit to fight. I am about to send to you some new recruits. Don't economize them. Remember glory before all things. Glory is true wealth. There is nothing …