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.
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!
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.
