In Five Volumes. Volume 1, Government; Volume 2, Political; Volume 3, Military; Volume 4, Physical; Volume 5, Biographical.

Excerpt from Pennsylvania, Political, Governmental, Military and Civil: Military Volume The military history of Pennsylvania dates from the year 1747, although in the charter to William Penn, the Governor was given the authority to levy, muster, and train men, to make war upon and pursue the enemy, even beyond the limits of the Province. That the early authorities felt the necessity of armed forces is evidenced from the fact that in 1702, only twenty years after the granting of the charter, Lieutenant Governor Hamilton asked the Assembly to enact a bill for providing what may come against us by land or by sea nothing, however, was done under it in the way of organizing any military force for defense. Lieutenant Governor Evans, a few years later, urged a similar law, and sent to the Assembly a form of an act for establishing and regulating militia, but the idea was unpopular, and failed of passage. Several similar bills were also defeated, yet the Assembly occasion ally appropriated funds for the King's use, for the purchase of bread, beef, pork, flour, wheat, and 'other grain' for the maintenance of those who voluntarily offered to bear arms in the defense of the Province. Franklin says the other grain meant black grains, otherwise gunpowder, and While the Assembly would not sanc tion the purchase of munitions of war, no Governor was ever charged with appli cation of public moneys in making use of them for this purpose. So far as the Assembly was concerned there was no provision made for raising and maintaining an armed force, that provision being vested in the Governor by provision of the charter. Benjamin Franklin, in the year 1747, was largely instrumental in effecting a military association, which was entirely a voluntary organization, made up of about of the most influential men of the Province, and with this influence the total enrollment was in a short time increased to The following year the aggre gate membership in the Associated Companies, by which name the organization became known, was horse, foot, and artillery, each armed and equipped at personal expense, and the officers chosen from the members. Franklin was one of the original colonels, but being unable to serve, another was elected in his stead. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.