Being an adult sucks.

Adults, they have to work all day.

When adults get mail, it's always bills and bills suck.

Sure, but we've got a driver's license.

Enjoy 4.9% APR representative with up to four years free servicing on the Alpine A290 plus range at your Alpine store. PCP, mobilized financial services. Order between the 6th and the 23rd of February, 2006. TNC supply. Visit alpine-cafons.com.com. For more information. I'm Mary Catherine, and I'm celebrating America 250 by reading primary documents written for or by the founding fathers for as many of the days as the years as I can.

Thanks for joining me for this mini episode of Getting Hammered.

On 1776 today, we have a letter from Ben Franklin to the Committee of Secret Correspondents,

a very cool-sounding group that, as John Adams wrote in his autobiography, was established in late 1775,

quote, for the sole purpose of corresponding with our friends in Great Britain, Ireland, and other parts of the world, and that they lay their correspondence before

Congress when directed, resolved that Congress will make provision to defray all such expenses

as may arise by carrying on such a correspondence and for the payment of such agents as they may send on this service.

Now, there were five members of this committee. They were Benjamin Harrison, Benjamin Franklin,

Thomas Johnson, John Dickinson, and John Jay. Here is Franklin's missive written on this week in 1776,

though the date is technically, quote, on or before February 14th. He is referencing the same

Canada campaign that Washington noted to Hancock on February 9th. Here we go. The invasion of

Canada, authorized by Congress in June 1775, had begun in August under Major General

Philip Schuyler. Because of his ill health, the command almost immediately devolved upon his

subordinate Brigadier General Richard Montgomery, who by November had captured the forts at Chambly

and St. John's in the city of Montreal. Governor Carlton escaped to Quebec with the remnants of his force.

Meanwhile, Benedict Arnold was advancing through Maine for a junction with Montgomery, which occurred near Quebec on

December 3rd. The siege of that fortress lasted through the month and culminated on the 31st

in an assault in which Montgomery was killed and Arnold wounded. The siege continued in a desultuary

...