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 tha 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!

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.