What
Ever Happened?
Many of you have most likely
seen this before but I thought it was interesting and Patriotic to the 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
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 only to find his wife dead and his
children vanished.
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 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 INDEPENDENCE DAY AND
GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!
