This came from another list- > Here is what I have been able to find based on a few hours in my > university's limited library and the book, "The Signers of the > Declaration of Independence", by Robert G. Ferris and Richard E. Morris > of the U.S. National Park Service (Arlington, VA: Interpretive > Publications, Inc., 1982). > > NO SIGNER WAS KILLED OUTRIGHT BY THE BRITISH. > Lets examine some of the statements more closely. > > >"Five signers were captured by the British as traitors and tortured before > they died." > > This passage, to me at least, implies that the signer were captured > under charges of treason and died under torture. > > Five signers were indeed captured by the British, but not necessarily as > traitors. > > Richard Stockton (NJ) was the only one who was probably captured and > imprisoned just for having signed the Declaration of Independence. > Ferris and Morris also note that he was not well treated in captivity > and was in ill health when released. He never completely recovered. He > did not die in prison, however. > > George Walton (GA) commanded militia at the Battle of Savannah in > December, 1778. He was wounded and captured at that time. Thus he > would have been considered a prisoner of war, not a traitor. He was > released within a year, which implies that his signature on the > Declaration was not as important a factor in his captivity as his active > military role in defending Savannah (prisoners of war were exchanged on > a regular basis, a traitor would have been hanged). Walton lived to > serve as Governor of Georgia and U.S. Senator, dying in 1804. > > Thomas Heyward, Jr., Arthur Middleton, and Edward Rutledge (SC) were all > captured at the Siege of Charleston in 1780. They were held at St. > Augustine (then under British control) until September 1781 with other > Continentals. > > Two months after his release, Arthur Middleton returned to Philadelphia > to resume his seat in the Continental Congress. Despite the destruction > of his estate, he was able to rebuild it and live there until his death > in 1787. > > Edward Rutledge sat in the State Legislature from 1782 to 1798. He was > elected Governor of South Carolina but died before completing his > term...in 1800. Ferris and Morris report that he died a very wealthy > man. > > Thomas Heyward, Jr. served as a circuit court judge from 1782 to 1787. > He served as a state legislator at the same time. Heyward lived well > into the 19th century, dying in 1809. > > I checked about 8 general histories of the American War for Independence > and one or two specialized works on the southern campaigns. None of them > even mentioned that signers had been captured at Charleston or Savannah, > let alone mention that any were singled out for harsh treatment. This > seems to indicate that their capture was part of the "normal" course of > war, not a special effort. > > After the British took Charleston, Gen. Sir Henry Clinton had men of > military age left in the city rounded up. Most were released soon > after, including most of the militia troops. He had originally allowed > the officers to keep their swords, but changed his mind when they began > to shout rebel slogans. Only the Contintental troops were held for any > length of time (Middlekauff, The Glorious Revolution) > > I found only one reference to the treatment of prisoners from the > southern campaigns, in Lynn Montross, "Rag, Tag, and Bobtail". This > work states that the continental troops from the siege of Charleston > were held on prison ships. Conditions were poor and about a third of > the prisoners died. > > If one takes the word "torture" to mean pain and suffering, then I > suppose these men were tortured. To my mind, however, torture implies > an intentional infliction on pain, usually either to extract information > or to punish. I have found no evidence of the latter. > > Here is an interesting passage from Larry G. Bowman, North Texas St. > Univ., on Prisoners of war: > > "Prisoners of war did suffer during the American Revolution. No other > conclusion can be reached regarding the welfare of captives on both > sides. Men were beaten, deprived of food by corrupt officials, denied > bedding and clothing, and harassed in other ways but, fortunately, such > incidents of outright cruelty were not routine events. Actually, most > of the suffering of the men came from the more subtle torment usually > brought on by neglect on the part of their captors. Neither the > American nor the British authorities sought to induce suffering among > the men in their prisons, yet men did want for basic services. The > shortcomings on both sides of the conflict in providing for the captives > was evident, but the motivations behind the failures were not evil or > vindictive in their origination. Neither party entered a program of > deliberately tormenting prisoners." Encyclopedia of the American > Revolution, v. II, p. 1334 (New York: Garland Publishing, 1993). > > >So, when Hildreth writes, "But they signed the Declaration of Independence, > knowing full well that the penalty would be death if they were > >captured." > > The British undoubtedly put a price on the heads of rebel political > officials (not just signers) and the signers no doubt feared that the > British would make good on the threat. The reality is, however, that > none were executed for their treason. > > Let's look at another assertion.... > > >Nine of the fifty-six fought and died from wounds or the hardship of the > > Revolutionary War. > > On my list two were wounded in action, but NONE DIED OF WOUNDS. My > count shows 17--not 9--men who held commissions (or did medical duty) > during the war. With the possible exception of Thomas Lynch, Jr. and > Gwinnett, I would not say that any death here was attributable to the > war with the British. Gwinnett's death, though, is hardly glorious: > > 1. Josiah Bartlett (NH) as surgeon with Gen. John Stark's troops at > Bennington. Bartlett declined national offices (citing fatigue or ill > health) but remained active in state affairs and died in 1794. > > 2. Button Gwinnett (GA) in a failed campaign to take St. Augustine. > Killed in a duel precipitated partly by an argument over military > strategy in 1777. > > 2a. George Clymer served with the Pennsylvania militia. Died in 1813. > > 3. Thomas Heyward, Jr. (SC). Wounded in 1779 near Port Royal Island, > SC. Recovered and served in the siege of Charleston. Died 1809. > > 4. Thomas Lynch, Jr. (SC) Military career cut short by illness in 1775. > He then was elected to the Continental Congress. In an attempt to > restore his health, he left for the West Indies, but was shipwrecked and > killed in 1779. > > 5. Arthur Middleton (SC) Captured at the siege of Charleston. See > above. > > 6. Lewis Morris (NY) Brigadier General of Westchester Co. troops during > the NY invasion. After the war, he served in state government and was > active in public affairs. Died 1798. > > 7. Thomas Nelson, Jr. (VA) commanded the Virginia militia. Served in > several campaigns in Virginia, including Yorktown. Nelson's retirement > from public life was financially motivated. He died in 1789. > > 8. William Paca (MD) Served in the Maryland militia. After the war, he > was active in MD. affairs and served as a Federal district judge after > the Constitution was ratified. Died in 1799. > > 9. Caesar Rodney (DE). Brigadier General of militia. Active in > campaigns against Loyalists in Delaware. Despite having advanced skin > cancer, Rodney served as president of Delaware, and speaker of the state > senate until his death in 1783. > > 10. Benjamin Rush (PA). Appointed surgeon general of the Middle > Department of the Continental Army. Resigned after 8 months in a > dispute over charges he made that the medical corps was not run > properly. Extremely active in public affairs, both medical and > governmental, Rush died in 1813. > > 11. Edward Rutledge (SC) Served at the battle of Port Royal Island > (1779). Captured at the siege of Charleston. See above. > > 12. James Smith (PA) Brigadier General of militia. Practiced law until > he retired at age 82 in 1801. He died in 1806. > > 13. George Walton (GA) Colonel of militia. Wounded at the Battle of > Savannah, 1778. Died in 1804. > > 14. William Whipple (NH). Brigadier General of militia. Saw quite a bit > of active service, including the Saratoga and Newport campaigns. Died, > aged 55, in 1785. > > 15. William Williams (CT). Colonel of militia to 1776. Mostly active in > state affairs, he died in 1811. > > 16. Oliver Wolcott (CT). Rose to Major General of militia. Wolcott > served in the Saratoga campaign and the defense of Ct. against loyalist > raids from NY. Lived to attend the Constitutional Convention and to > serve as Governor of Ct. Died 1797. > > Some, like John Hart or Thomas Nelson, died of fatigue or exhaustion > brought on by travel and active service. In that sense, the war may > indeed have shortened their lives. Then again, how can we know in an > age where illness was so commonplace. By the way, would we accept > "fatigue" as a cause of death today? Or would we find some more precise > explanation. In any case, I don't know if I would list this cause of > death in the same sentence as a reference to battle service. > > Now....Let's look at some of the personal stories told.... > > >Carter Braxton of Virginia, wealthy planter and trader, saw his ships > > swept from the sea by the British navy. He sold his home and properties to > >pay > his debts, and died in rags. > > Ferris and Morris tell a similar story, but watch the twist: > "The War for Independence brought financial hardships to Braxton. At its > beginning, he had invested heavily in shipping, but the British captured > most of his vessels and ravaged some of his plantations and extensive > landholdings. COMMERCIAL SETBACKS IN LATER YEARS RUINED HIM." (p. 42). > If Braxton sold his home, he did not sell all of them. This entry also > notes that Braxton was able to retain his family seat at Chericoke, and > died in his Richmond townhouse. > > No doubt Braxton's fortunes were changed by the war, but can we say, > truthfully, that his death in poverty was entirely due to the sacrifices > of war??? > > >Thomas McKeam was so hounded by the British that he was forced to move his > >family almost constantly. He served in Congress without pay, and his family > >was kept in hiding. His possessions were taken from him, and poverty was > his > >reward. > > So far, this is correct. But Ferris and Morris state that McKean was > able to rebuild his fortune" "McKean lived out his live quietly in > Philadelphia. He died in 1817 at the age of 83, survived by his second > wife and four of the 11 children from his marriages. He was buried in > Laurel Hill Cemetery. HIS SUBSTANTIAL ESTATE CONSISTED OF STOCKS, > BONDS, AND HUGE LAND TRACTS IN PENNSYLVANIA (p. 102). > > > British soldiers looted the properties of Ellery, Clymer, Hall, Walton, > > Gwinnett, Heyward, Ruttledge and Middleton. > > Also William Floyd (NY), John Hart (NC), William Hooper (NC), Philip > Livingston (NY), Lewis Morris (NY). > > Oddly, enough, however, the British had the opportunity to loot the > homes of several very prominent signers and did not do so. Although the > British evacuated Boston before the signing, why didn't the British > vandalize the homes of well-known rebels such as Sam Adams and John > Hancock during their occupation of Boston? > > The British occupied Philadelphia through the winter of 1777, yet the > homes of Benjamin Franklin (who surely must have been public enemy #1), > James Wilson, Benjamin Rush, Robert Morris were not damaged. James Wilson's > home was attacked by Americans, including militiamen, during food shortages > in > 1779 (does it count if the suffering was caused by your own side?). > > Thomas Jefferson was almost captured at Monticello. Why didn't the > British burn the estate? > > >At the battle of Yorktown, Thomas Nelson, Jr. noted that the British > > General Cornwallis had taken over the Nelson home for his headquarters. > > The owner quietly urged General George Washington to open fire, which was > > done. The home was destroyed, and Nelson died bankrupt. > > Ferris and Morris also repeat this story, although they qualify it as > "family legend". Nelson was unable to rebuild his fortunes after the > war and did indeed die in poverty. > > > Francis Lewis had his home and properties destroyed. The British jailed > > his wife, and soon after she died. > > This is true. Although Lewis lived until 1802 (and was 89 when he died), > he essentially retired from public life after his wife's death. > > >John Hart was driven from his wife's bedside as she was dying. Their 13 > > children fled for their lives. His fields and his grist mill were laid > > waste. For more than a year he lived in forests and caves, returning > > home after the war to find his wife dead, his children vanished. A few > weeks > > later he died from exhaustion and a broken heart. > > The story is essentially true, but Hart survived two years after his > return from exhile, not a few weeks. > > Morris and Livingston suffered similar fates > > Philip Livingston, a member of the extremely influential NY Livingston > family, had several properties in New York and Brooklyn that were > occupied by the British. He sold other properties to support the war > effort before fleeing the British occupation of NY. He died, at the age > of 62, in 1778. > > There were two signers of the Declaration surnamed Morris. LEWIS Morris > of New York, had to flee his home, Morrisania, which was damaged in the > British occupation. Ferris and Morris note that he was able to rebuild > Morrisania. > > ROBERT Morris, of Pennsylvania may be even more intriguing. Generally > recognized for his fundraising efforts during the war, he was later > accused (though vindicated) by Thomas Paine of profiteering. As > Superintendent of Finance (1781-1784) he was responsible for keeping the > young country afloat financially. In 1789, he declined to serve as > Secretary of the Treasury (Alexander Hamilton got the job), but served > instead as a Senator from PA. Morris' own financial dealings were not > as successful. He speculated on western lands on credit, lived > extremely well, and embarked on an ambitious home building project. All > of this led to personal bankruptcy and time in debtor's prison in 1798. > His wife was granted a pension that sustained the family. Robert Morris > died in 1806. > > So there you have it. A grain of truth in everything, but some broad > wording that makes for a good story but an inaccurate portrayal of our > founders. > Brooke<<