“The story was gruesome: American forces had discovered bags containing more than 700 ‘SCALPS from our unhappy Country-folks.’ There were bags of boys’, girls’, soldiers and even infants’ scalps, all allegedly taken by Indians in league with King George. There was also a note written to the tyrant king hoping he would receive these presents and ‘be refreshed.'” That, it turns out, was fake news. The author: Benjamin Franklin. From Robert G. Parkinson in WaPo: Fake news? That’s a very old story.