Signers of Declaration

[Charleslee]

The Fourth of 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 if they were captured the penalty would be death.

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, Rutledge, 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!

I hope you will show your support by sending this onward. It is 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.

[Honch0]

Unfortunately, this tale is like most of the in internet emails that sound so motivating, but not really accurate...Al

http://www.snopes.com/history/american/pricepaid.asp

[corjzg]

I love snopes.com, they disprove or fact-check everything circulating the www. The link is worth reading, and the end of the OP holds true, even though a lot of the facts are wrong, etc (from an historical perspective). The founding Patriots (not just Declaration signers, but everyone) sacrificed a great deal in the way of losses: property, assets, family, and their own livelihood, to break free from the rule of the British, and the 4th should be a day for remembering that rich history of our country. If you're from (or live in) on of the original 13 colonies, it's always interesting to read through your local history. I grew up in Danbury, CT, which had it's own heroic military leaders*, and suffered through a Revolutionary War era burning of most of the town by the British. I always find history to be that much more intriguing when it relates 'close to home'.

* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Wooster