here's a little something to think about.

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 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 free and the Fourth of July has more to it than beer, picnics, and baseball games