Franklin Letters (IMAGE) University of California - San Diego Caption These are Benjamin Franklin letters, concerning the start of the French and Indian War, as copied by Briton Thomas Birch in 1757 or 1758. At the top is letter #25, from William Shirley Jr. to Governor Morris; at the bottom is the start of letter #26, from William Franklin to Benjamin Franklin; the bottom two lines are: “’Tis scarcely to be believed what havock & oppression have been committed by the army in their march. Hardly a farmer…” Credit Courtesy of the British Library. Usage Restrictions With credit. License Licensed content Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.