Thanks for posting this “old friend”. It’s good to be reminded — really reminded — whatour founders sacrificed to give us this country. Now, if we could only get our current crop of congresscritters to read and understand these words and messages. Cowardly Hillery, Nancy and Harry, are you listening?
>>Thought I would like to share this with all—why we are here
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 almo st 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.
Many of us take these liberties so much for granted, but we shouldn’t.
The Fourth of July is more than beer, picnics, and baseball games.
It’s about showing gratitude and respect to those gave much more
than most of us to keep our nation free. So on this 4th of July
holiday, take a few minutes and silently thank these patriots and
others who have given so much for our freedom. That’s not much to ask
for the price they paid.
Remember: freedom is never free! Patriotism is NOT a sin, and you
can be a Patriot and still work towards Peace.
32 posted on 07/04/2007 12:07:19 AM EDT by Buzzm1
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