Subject: ** July 4th History **

>>>>> This is pretty cool, if you don't know a lot of history read this.
>>>>> 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!
>>>>> I hope you will show your support by sending this to as many
>>>>> people as you can, please. 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. *****


GOD SAVE & BLESS AMERICA, land that we love !