> > > REMEMBERING INDEPENDENCE DAY > > > > 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 Yorktown, Thomas Nelson Jr, noted that the 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. A few weeks later he died > from > > exhaustion and a broken heart. > > Norris and Livingston suffered similar fates. > > Such were the stories and sacrifices of the American Revolution. > > These were not wild-eyed, rabble-rousing ruffians. They were > soft-spoken > men > > of means and education. They had security, but they valued liberty > more. > > Standing tall, straight, and unwavering, they pledged: "For the support > of > > this declaration, with firm reliance on the protection of the divine > > providence, we mutually pledge to each other, our lives, our fortunes, > and > > our sacred honor." > > They gave you and me a free and independent America. The history books > never > > told you a lot about what happened in the Revolutionary War. > > We didn't fight just the British. We were British subjects at that time > and > > we fougnt our own government! > > 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! > > I hope you will show your support by please sending this to as many > people > > as you can. It's time we get the word out that patriotism is NOT a sin, > and > > the Fourth of July has more to it than beer, picnics, and baseball > games. > > > >HAPPY 4TH OF JULY