To Caleb Whitefoord (unpublished)
Southampton, July 27. 1787 [1785]
Dear Friend,

My Son has shown me here a Newspaper, with your Friendly Vindication of me; for which good Office accept my Thanks; The Writer of the Calumny you have so well refuted, manifests a good deal of Malignancy in his Nature; and such People are afflicted and punished, when they find those Accusations false, which they wish’d to be true. He may therefore be left to himself; and it is hardly worth while to let him know, that the Person he is so desirous of defaming, not only did not mention the Transaction he alludes to, at the time he states, but at no other time, nor to any other Person or Persons, from the Day it happen’d, to the present. I am sorry to learn that no Compensation has been made to you for your Service   at the Treaty. Had Mr. Oswald surviv’d he certainly would have endeavour’d to procure something for you; tho’ he intended, as I heard him say, to demand nothing for himself. With great Esteen, I am ever, my dear Friend, Yours most affectionately

B Franklin

Caleb Whitefoord, Esqr.
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