Sandra White: Signers of the Declaration of Independence

I received this in an e-mail from unidentified author, who asks that I forward it to as many people as I can.  Can't think of a better way to share it than on AR. 

Have a wonderful Fourth of July celebration!

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. Some of us take

These liberties so much for granted, but we shouldn't.

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

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