David Franks (aide-de-camp)

David Salisbury Franks (1740–1793) was aide-de-camp for General Benedict Arnold during the American War of Independence.

Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he was living in Quebec with his parents when the American Revolution broke out. A Jew, Franks in 1775 was president of the Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue of Montreal, the oldest Jewish congregation in Canada, but then less than a decade old (Franks' congregation should not be confused with a similarly named congregation in New York). According to the late historian Jacob Rader Marcus, Franks publicly defended the right of a protester to compare King George III of England to the pope and call him a fool, and Franks was jailed and held for 16 days. The experience converted him to the colonists' cause, and, when an army led by Benedict Arnold and Richard Montgomery invaded Canada in 1775, Franks joined the American forces. He was appointed paymaster of the Continental Army in Quebec and apparently expended his own funds to pay the salaries of the American volunteers. Franks was promoted to major and was assigned as Arnold's aide-de-camp.

On the failure of the American campaign in Canada, Franks withdrew in July 1776 to Philadelphia, where he joined the Continental Army and served until October 1777. Because he spoke French, Franks was then assigned as liaison officer to the Comte d'Estaing, commander of the French naval forces fighting on the American side.

Franks served as aide-de-camp to Arnold at West Point at the time of Arnold's attempt to hand over the fort to the British. He and another subordinate, Richard Varick, were both cleared of complicity in the treason.

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