early July, 1776.
Although there was not one of the American recruits stationed in New
York under General Washington's command who had not heard something of
the great happenings in Philadelphia a few days before, every soldier
felt his heart beat faster under his buff and blue coat at the thought
that he, too, would hear the Declaration of Independence read before
the army. They stood waiting in their ranks, the first army of the
Republic: raw farmers like those who fell at Lexington, bronzed
backwoodsmen whose rifles had brought more than one lurking red-skin
or savage forest beast to earth, with here and there a student, fresh
from his books, or a merchant who had left his desk to fight for his
country. And today they were to hear, stated simply and eloquently for
all time, for what principles they fought.

In the ranks stood a slender, dark-browed boy of about seventeen. The
muster roll gave his name as Isaac Franks, the simple record holding
no promise of the day when the Jewish boy, a distinguished veteran of
the Revolution, should entertain President Washington as his guest.
Today young Franks stood undistinguished among the other eager
patriots and the future president was only the leader of an army of
untrained "rebels", knowing full well that a traitor's death awaited
him if his campaign against the British proved unsuccessful.

"I wish the general would come that we might hear the document and be
dismissed," remarked Franks to the soldier who stood at his side; a
tall, raw-boned youth about his own age. "This hot sun is enough to
melt granite and we have been assembled for almost two hours."

The other, also wearied and over-heated, looked him over with a sneer.
"A fine soldier with your complaints!" was his jeering comment. "I
wonder to see a Jew in our ranks, but you'll not cumber us long, I'm
thinking. You Jews are fit only for trading and money lending--not
fighting. You'll melt away quickly enough in the heat of your first
battle."

"Listen to me, Tim Durgan," retorted Franks, quietly enough, but with
a dangerous sparkle in his eyes. "I've endured your sneering ever
since I came to camp and I'm growing weary of it, too. I didn't know
why you wouldn't be friends with me, when I've never done anything to
offend you; but if it's because I'm a Jew--"

"I want no Hebrew coward for a friend of mine," was the surly answer.

"You can call me a coward as much as you like--I'll show you you're
wrong when we