4th of July

[No Time to Shoot]

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 lay 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, please take a few minutes while enjoying your 4th of July holiday

to remember and silently thank these patriots.

It's not much to ask, considering 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 means more than beer,

picnics, and baseball games.

[CulpeperMM]

+1

[Paco Bedejo]

[nova512]

+1

[DHolder]

+1

[SC_Shooter]

+1

[jediagh]

<<yes I am SCREAMING>>>

THIS IS THE STUFF THAT NEEDS TO BE READ IN EVERY HIGH SCHOOL HISTORY CLASS BEFORE THEY GET OUT FOR SUMMER BREAK AND PRINTED IN EVERY PAPER ON THE 4TH OF JULY!

The sheep of America have forgotten this. I'm not sure which is worse the BG who takes the sheep to the edge of the cliff to see them fall or the sheep who follow the BG.

[No Time to Shoot]

Originally Posted by jediagh

<<yes I am SCREAMING>>>

THIS IS THE STUFF THAT NEEDS TO BE READ IN EVERY HIGH SCHOOL HISTORY CLASS BEFORE THEY GET OUT FOR SUMMER BREAK AND PRINTED IN EVERY PAPER ON THE 4TH OF JULY!

The sheep of America have forgotten this. I'm not sure which is worse the BG who takes the sheep to the edge of the cliff to see them fall or the sheep who follow the BG.

I agree!

Thanks for the Reps!

[wtfd661]

+1

[Marc]

Emailing to my local news paper now. If the OP doesnt mind.