4TH OF JULY
Have you ever
wondered what happened to the 56 men who signed
the Declaration of Independence?
Five signers were captured by the
British as traitors, and
tortured before they died.
Twelve had their homes ransacked and
burned. Two lost their
sons serving in the Revolutionary Army;
another had two sons
captured.
Nine of the 56 fought and died from
wounds or hardships of the
Revolutionary War.
They signed and they pledged their
lives, their fortunes, and
their sacred honor.
What kind of men were they?
Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists.
Eleven were merchants,
nine were farmers and large plantation
owners; men of means, well
educated, but they signed the
Declaration of Independence knowing
full well that the penalty would be
death if they were captured.
Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy
planter and trader, saw
his Ships swept from the seas by the
British Navy. He sold his
home and properties to pay his debts,
and died in rags.
Thomas McKeam
was so hounded by the British that he
was forced to move his family almost
constantly. He served in
the Congress without pay, and his family
was kept in hiding. His
possessions were taken from him, and
poverty was his reward.
Vandals or soldiers looted the
properties of Dillery, Hall,
Clymer, Walton, Gwinnett, Heyward, Ruttledge, and
Middleton.
At the battle of
British General Cornwallis had taken
over the Nelson home for his
headquarters.
He quietly urged General George
Washington to open fire. The
home was destroyed, and Nelson died
bankrupt.
Francis Lewis had his home and
properties destroyed. The enemy
jailed his wife, and she died within a
few months.
John Hart was driven from his wife's
bedside as she was dying.
Their 13 children fled for their lives.
His fields and his
gristmill were laid to waste. For more
than a year he lived in
forests and caves, returning home to
find his wife dead and his
children vanished. Some of us take these
liberties so much for
granted, but we shouldn't.
So, take a few minutes while enjoying
your 4th of July holiday
and silently thank these patriots. It's
not much to ask for the
price they paid.
Remember: freedom is never free!