Text for this version of Limbaugh's essay was copied from http://rosecity.net/rush/freedom.html , which cites a supplement to _The Limbaugh Letter_ of September, 1997 as it's source. A nearly identical version appeared in the Feb 1999 DAR Magazine.

For 4th of July, 2000 it also appears at http://www.rushlimbaugh.com , which appears to be Rush's official site. At that site is is cited as having been printed in the July 1996 edition of the Limbaugh Letter.

The speech also appeared in the July 1998 Reader's Digest, pp160-168. I am obviously not the first person to question some of it's content. The editor of the Readers Digest piece, while cutting a great deal of the piece for the digest [from 2500 words to 1000], also made a couple dozen changes to the remaining sections. In each case he brought it closer to the truth. [He caught a couple things that I hadn't, and missed a couple of the more persistent legends. Overall, though, I'd say that the 1998 Readers Digest piece is the closest I've seen of these essays so far. Kudos to the Readers Digest, and if anyone knows the editor who was assigned that piece, buy him a beer for me. A really brief summary of what was cut or changed is at the bottom of this page.]

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If anyone has heard Rush's dad give this speech, and can remember the place and year, please drop me a line at elbrecht@email.com .

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Rather than break up the flow of the original with my comments, I've added my comments as 'footnotes'. Each has a link that will return you to where you were in the text. I'm hoping this will be easier to follow. Please let me know if you prefer this method to the harvey-reb.htm page.

I welcome comments, criticism, corrections and additions. Contact me at elbrecht@email.com

Since the few critical comments I've gotten seem to feel that I'm picking nits, I thought I'd add a bit of an explanation and preface things with the major flaws in the essay.

The notes that I've added are not all meant to be critical. Some are added to expand on a point that Limbaugh made. Others are just something that I thought might point me towards Limbaugh's 'inspiration'. This page started as personal notes that I am using to try to determine the source that apparently inspired this and other similar essays.

These are the major points that drove me to dig deeper, and make me believe that this essay was inspired by the same source that inspired Harvey.

 1. I've found no evidence that any of the Signers were hunted because they were Signers. They suffered right along with their countrymen of similar means and political beliefs.

2. 24,11, and 9 for the count of occupations. It is possible for someone to come up with those numbers, but it is

unlikely that 2 researchers would come up with the same answer. Yet all the essays reflect that general set of numbers.

3. Most of the names mentioned in all the essays mention the same 15-20 Signers. Some mention fewer by name, but

refer to the same men.

4. The Hart legend.

5. The Nelson legend.

The major points that are both incorrect, and similar to other essays are;

6. That 9 died of wounds or hardships. 9 died during the war, but none because of the British. Rev. Clark makes that point in an 1864 article when he says that nine died before the war was over, but that all but two died of natural causes.

7. 12 had their homes burned. 12 is a common thread between the essays, but each defines the 12 homes differently.

8. That 17 lost everything they owned. I can find no evidence that any 'lost everything they own'.

Regarding the other differences that I point out, often I am adding to the numbers that Limbaugh states. He says 7 Governors; I've found 14; He says Clark had 2 sons captured, I say 'maybe 3'; He mentions one Vice President, I name 3. These aren't meant as criticism, but as additional data that I've found while researching the Signers.

by Rush H. Limbaugh, Jr.

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"Our lives, our fortunes, our sacred honor"

It was a glorious morning. The sun was shining and the wind was from the southeast. Up especially early, a tall, bony, redheaded young Virginian found time to buy a new thermometer, for which he paid three pounds, fifteen shillings. He also bought gloves for Martha, his wife, who was ill at home.

Thomas Jefferson arrived early at the statehouse. The temperature was 72.5(1): and the horseflies weren't nearly so bad at that hour. It was a lovely room, very large, with gleaming white walls. The chairs were comfortable. Facing the single door were two brass fireplaces, but they would not be used today.

The moment the door was shut, and it was always kept locked, the room became an oven. The tall windows were shut, so that loud quarreling voices could not be heard by passersby. Small openings atop the windows allowed a slight stir of air, and also a large number of horseflies. Jefferson records that "the horseflies were dexterous in finding necks, and the silk of stocking was as nothing to them." All discussion was punctuated by the slap of hands on necks.

On the wall at the back, facing the President's desk, was a panoply--consisting of a drum, swords, and banners seized from Fort Ticonderoga the previous year. Ethan Allen and Benedict Arnold had captured the place, shouting that they were taking it "in the name if the Great Jehovah and the Continental Congress!"

Now Congress got to work, promptly taking up an emergency measure about which there was discussion but no dissension. "Resolved: That an application be made to the Committee of Safety of Pennsylvania for a supply of flints for the troops at New York."

Then Congress transformed itself into a committee of the whole, The Declaration of Independence was read aloud once more, and debate resumed.(2) Though Jefferson was the best writer of all of them, he had been somewhat verbose. Congress hacked the excess away. They did a good job, as a side-by-side comparison of the rough draft and the final text shows. They cut the phrase "by a self-assumed power." "Climb" was replaced by "must read," then "must" was eliminated, then the whole sentence, and soon the whole paragraph was cut. Jefferson groaned as they continued what he later called "their depredations." "Inherent and inalienable rights" came out "certain unalienable rights," and to this day no one knows who suggested the elegant change.

A total of 86 alterations were made. Almost 500 words were eliminated, leaving 1,337. At last, after three days of wrangling, the document was put to a vote.

Here in this hall Patrick Henry had once thundered: "I am no longer a Virginian, Sir, but an American." But today the loud, sometimes bitter argument stilled, and without fanfare the vote was taken from north to south by colonies, as was the custom. On July 4, 1776(3), the Declaration of Independence was adopted.

There were no trumpets blown. No one stood on his chair and cheered. The afternoon was waning and Congress had no thought of delaying the full calendar of routine business on its hands. For several hours they worked on many other problems before adjourning for the day.

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Much to lose

What kind of men were the 56 signers who adopted the Declaration of Independence and who, by their signing, committed an act of treason against the Crown? To each of you the names Franklin, Adams, Hancock, and Jefferson are almost as familiar as household words. Most of us, however, know nothing of the other signers. Who were they? What happened to them?

I imagine that many of you are somewhat surprised at the names not there: George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, Patrick Henry. All were elsewhere(4).

Ben Franklin was the only really old man(5). Eighteen were under 40; three were in their 20s. Of the 56, almost half--24--were judges and lawyers. Eleven were merchants, 9 were land-owners and farmers, and the remaining 12 were doctors, ministers, and politicians(6).

With only a few exceptions, such as Samuel Adams of Massachusetts, these were men of substantial property. All but two had families(7). The vast majority were men of education and standing in their communities. They had economic security as few men had in the 18th century.

Each had more to lose from revolution than he had to gain by it. John Hancock, one of the richest men in America, already had a price of 500 pounds on his head.(8) He signed in enormous letters so "that his Majesty could now read his name without glasses and could now double the reward."(9) Ben Franklin wryly noted: "Indeed we must all hang together, otherwise we shall most assuredly hang separately." Fat Benjamin Harrison of Virginia told tiny Elbridge Gerry of Massachusetts: "With me it will all be over in a minute, but you, you will be dancing on air an hour after I am gone."

These men knew what they risked. The penalty for treason was death by hanging. And remember: a great British fleet was already at anchor in New York Harbor.

They were sober men. There were no dreamy-eyed intellectuals or draft card burners here. They were far from hot-eyed fanatics, yammering for an explosion. They simply asked for the status quo. It was change they resisted. It was equality with the mother country they desired. It was taxation with representation they sought. They were all conservatives, yet they rebelled. (10)

It was principle, not property, that had brought these men to Philadelphia. Two of them became presidents of the United States. Seven of them became state governors.(11) One died in office as vice president of the United States.(12) Several would go on to be U.S. Senators. One, the richest man in America, in 1828 founded the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad(13). One, a delegate from Philadelphia, was the only real poet, musician and philosopher of the signers .(14) (it was he, Francis Hopkinson--not Betsy Ross--who designed the United States flag).(15)

Richard Henry Lee, a delegate from Virginia, had introduced the resolution to adopt the Declaration of Independence in June of 1776. He was prophetic is his concluding remarks:

"Why then sir, why do we longer delay? Why still deliberate? Let this happy day give birth to an American Republic. Let her arise not to devastate and to conquer but to reestablish the reign of peace and law. The eyes of Europe are fixed upon us. She demands of us a living example of freedom that may exhibit a contrast in the felicity of the citizen to the ever increasing tyranny which desolates her polluted shores. She invites us to prepare an asylum where the unhappy may find solace, and the persecuted repose. If we are not this day wanting in our duty, the names of the American legislators of 1776 will be placed by posterity at the side of all of those whose memory has been and ever will be dear to virtuous men and good citizens."

Though the resolution was formally adopted July 4, it was not until July 8(16) that two of the states authorized their delegates to sign, and it was not until August 2 that the signers met at Philadelphia(17) to actually put their names to the Declaration.

William Ellery, delegate from Rhode Island, was curious to see the signers' faces as they committed this supreme act of personal courage. He saw some men sign quickly, "but in no face was he able to discern real fear." Stephen Hopkins, Ellery's colleague from Rhode Island, was a man past 60. As he signed with a shaking pen, he declared: "My hand trembles, but my heart does not."

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"Most glorious service"

Even before the list was published, the British marked down every member of Congress suspected of having put his name to treason. All of them became the objects of vicious manhunts(18). Some were taken(19). Some, like Jefferson,(20) had narrow escapes. All who had property or families near British strongholds suffered. (21)

Francis Lewis, New York delegate, saw his home plundered and his estates, in what is now Harlem(22), completely destroyed by British soldiers. Mrs. Lewis was captured and treated with great brutality. Though she was later exchanged for two British prisoners through the efforts of Congress, she died from the effects of her abuse. (23)

William Floyd, another New York delegate, was able to escape with his wife and children across Long Island Sound to Connecticut,(24) where they lived as refugees without income for seven years. When they came home(25), they found a devastated ruin.(26)

Phillips Livingstone had all his great holdings in New York confiscated and his family driven out of their home.(27) Livingstone died in 1778 still working in Congress for the cause.

Louis Morris(28), the fourth New York delegate, saw all his timber, crops, and livestock taken(29). For seven years he was barred from his home and family.

John Hart of Trenton, New Jersey, risked his life to return home to see his dying wife. Hessian soldiers rode after him(30), and he escaped in the woods. While his wife lay on her deathbed, the soldiers ruined his farm and wrecked his Homestead. Hart, 65, slept in caves and woods as he was hunted across the countryside. When at long last, emaciated by hardship, he was able to sneak home, he found his wife had already been buried, and his 13 children taken away. He never saw them again. He died a broken man in 1779, without ever finding his family.

Dr. John Witherspoon, signer, was president of the College of New Jersey, later called Princeton. The British occupied the town of Princeton, and billeted troops in the college. They trampled and burned the finest college library in the country.

Judge Richard Stockton, another New Jersey delegate signer, had rushed back to his estate in an effort to evacuate his wife and children. The family found refuge with friends, but a sympathizer betrayed them. Judge Stockton was pulled from bed in the night and brutally beaten by the arresting soldiers. Thrown into a common jail, he was deliberately starved.(31) Congress finally arranged for Stockton's parole, but his health was ruined. The judge was released as an invalid, when he could no longer harm the British cause. He returned home to find his estate looted(32) and did not live to see the triumph of the Revolution. His family was forced to live off charity. (33)

Robert Morris, merchant prince of Philadelphia, delegate and signer, met Washington's appeals and pleas for money year after year. He made and raised arms and provisions which made it possible for Washington to cross the Delaware at Trenton. In the process he lost 150 ships at sea, bleeding his own fortune and credit almost dry(34).

George Clymer, Pennsylvania signer, escaped with his family from their home, but their property was completely destroyed by the British in the Germantown and Brandywine campaigns(35).

Dr. Benjamin Rush, also from Pennsylvania, was forced to flee to Maryland. As a heroic surgeon with the army, Rush had several narrow escapes.(36)

John Morton(37), a Tory in his views previous to the debate, lived in a strongly loyalist area of Pennsylvania. When he came out for independence, most of his neighbors and even some of his relatives ostracized him. He was a sensitive and troubled man, and many believed this action killed him(38). When he died in 1777, his last words to his tormentors were: "Tell them that they will live to see the hour when they shall acknowledge it [the signing] to have been the most glorious service that I rendered to my country."

William Ellery, Rhode Island delegate, saw his property and home burned to the ground.(39)

Thomas Lynch, Jr., South Carolina delegate, had his health broken from privation and exposures while serving as a company commander in the military(40). His doctors ordered him to seek a cure in the West Indies and on the voyage(41) He and his young bride were drowned at sea.

Edward Rutledge, Arthur Middleton, and Thomas Heyward, Jr., the other three South Carolina signers, were taken by the British in the siege of Charleston. They were carried as prisoners of war to St. Augustine, Florida, where they were singled out for indignities. They were exchanged at the end of the war, the British in the meantime having completely devastated their large land holdings and estates(42).

Thomas Nelson, signer of Virginia, was at the front in command of the Virginia military forces. With British General Charles Cornwallis in Yorktown, fire from 70 heavy American guns began to destroy Yorktown piece by piece. Lord Cornwallis and his staff moved their headquarters into Nelson's palatial home. While American cannonballs were making a shambles of the town, the house of Governor Nelson remained untouched. Nelson turned in rage to the American gunners and asked, "Why do you spare my home?" They replied, "Sir, out of respect to you." Nelson cried, "Give me the cannon!" and fired on his magnificent home himself, smashing it to bits(43). But Nelson's sacrifice was not quite over. He had raised $2 million for the Revolutionary cause by pledging his own estates. When the loans came due, a newer peacetime Congress refused to honor them, and Nelson's property was forfeited. He was never reimbursed. He died, impoverished, a few years later at the age of 50.(44)

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Lives, fortunes, honor

Of those 56 who signed the Declaration of Independence, nine died of wounds or hardships during the war.(45). Five were captured and imprisoned, in each case with brutal treatment(46). Several lost wives(47), sons(48) or entire families(49). One lost his 13 children(50). Two wives were brutally treated(51). All were at one time or another the victims of manhunts and driven from their homes(52). Twelve signers had their homes completely burned(53). Seventeen lost everything they owned(54). Yet not one defected or went back on his pledged word. Their honor, and the nation they sacrificed so much to create, is still intact.

And, finally, there is the New Jersey signer, Abraham Clark.

He gave two sons to the officer corps(55) in the Revolutionary Army. They were captured and sent to the infamous British prison hulk afloat in New York harbor known as the hell ship "Jersey," where 11,000 American captives were to die. The younger Clarks were treated with a special brutality because of their father. One was put in solitary and given no food. With the end almost in sight, with the war almost won, no one could have blamed Abraham Clark for acceding to the British request when they offered him his sons' lives if he would recant and come out for the King and parliament. The utter despair in this man's heart, the anguish in his very soul, must reach out to each one of us down through 200 years with his answer: "No."

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The 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence proved by their every deed that they made no idle boast when they composed the most magnificent curtain line in history. "And for the support of this Declaration with a firm reliance on the protection of divine providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes and our sacred honor."

Rush H. Limbaugh, Jr.

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I can think of no way to celebrate this nation's legacy(56), than by publishing a speech written by my father. He delivered the oft-requested address locally a number of times, but he never saw it in print. My dad was renowned for his oratory and for his original mind; this speech is, I think, a superb demonstration of both. I will always be grateful to him for instilling in me a passion for the ideas and lives of America's Founders, as well as a deep appreciation for the inspirational power of words ... which you will see evidenced here:

Forward by Rush H. Limbaugh III

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This article(57), "The Americans who Risked Everything," was included as a supplement to the September 1997 issue of "The Limbaugh Letter." The author of this article, Rush H. Limbaugh, Jr., was an attorney and community leader in Cape Girardeau, Missouri and the proud father of Rush H. Limbaugh III

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1. A minor note, but I'd like to mention it because it could provide a clue as to the origins of Limbaugh's inspiration. Hopefully, such an exact temperature might be a clue to where Mr. Limbaugh read about this day. Dumas Malone, in his _Story of the Declaration of Independence_ begins his prologue with a comment on the temperature that day. He mentions Jefferson's fascination with the weather and notes the temperatures of 68 degrees at 6AM and 76 in the afternoon.

Another source said 76 degrees at 1 o'clock PM and cited;

_The Complete Jefferson: Containing His Major Writings, Published and Unpublished, Except His

Letters_ , ed. Saul K. Padover (New York: Tudor Publishing Company, 1943) p. 36(back)

2. This is, of course, a melting together of the July 1-4 debates, and the July 2 vote. I doubt that there was much debate on the 4th, as the vote had already been taken on the 2nd and passed. The discussion on the fourth was a matter of wording, and consensus, not a matter of whether or not independence would be declared.

Timeline;

July 1; For the entire day, congress was adjourned to a 'committee of the whole', an informal discussion lasted through the day, and at the day's end, a 'vote' was taken. The Lee resolution, as written by Thomas Jefferson and the drafting committee passed with a vote [by delegations] of 9 'aye', 2 'nay', 1 draw, and one abstain. Had this been an official vote, the Declaration would have passed on the 1st, but all agreed that an appearance of unanimity was important.

July 2; Congress reconvened with several changes. Some delegates stayed home, new delegates arrived, and a delegate absent on the 1st was summoned. [Caesar Rodney rode his 80 miles through the rainy night, not to insure that Independence was declared, but to help make it a unanimous decree] The result was a vote of 12 aye, and one abstain. [The NY Delegation had not received directions from their provincial Congress, but it was expected that they would also vote in the affirmative when directed.]

July 3; Discussions of the exact wording for the declaration to be signed.

July 4; Agreement to the wording, and signed by Hancock only by most accounts. Jefferson wrote many years later that everyone signed that day, but records from the time indicate his memory was faulty. No original July 4th document, signed by all the Congress present, has surfaced.(back)

3. Independence was agreed to on July 2. Malone p65 has a photo of the Lee resolution which says;

"Report of July 2, 1776. the resolution for independencey agreed to July 2, 1776"

John Adams wrote to his wife that July 2 would be a day that all Americans would celebrate for eternity. (back)

4. The signatures on the Declaration reflect the members of the Second Continental Congress after August 2nd, 1776. None of these men were members at that time .(back)

5. Franklin was 69, Hopkins was 68, Hart was 65, Lewis & Thornton were 63, Taylor 61, Livingston 60.(back)

6. Creating a list of occupations so as to say '24 were lawyers', etc., seems to be a fools errand. Some, like Sam Adams, were singularly successful at being congressmen while not doing too well at their chosen occupation. Others, like Nelson, were born into such wealth and standing, that their real calling was public life, and they hired folks to 'keep the books' at home while they dabbled in whatever struck their fancy. Many of these men had varied interests and were proficient at many trades.

Rather than cheat any of the Signers out of their just due, I made a list of all their 'pre-signing' occupations without regard to their success in that endeavor, or whether they had long since retired.

Despite having 13 men defined by only one occupation, and 2 as 'gentlemen', the remaining 41 who had a variety of occupations swelled the list to 141 entries long. The 'single occupation' men were lawyers (6), merchants (5) and 2 public servants that will likely go to either the 'agriculturist' or 'gentlemen' categories. The list is sure to get longer as I read more about each signer. Since I've finally gotten at least one entry for all of them, I thought I'd illustrate why I think the simple claim of "24 lawyers, 11 merchants, and 9 farmers" is both misleading and a clue to the source of all these inaccurate essays.

The longest category in my list [and it is sure to grow as I find out more about the signers] is 'public service'. For this category, I only included those who held a public office prior to 1770. Many got involved in 1765, during the Stamp Act years, and others were 2nd or 3rd generation politicians.

Of the 44 who were 30 years old by 1770, I have 31 in my 'Public service' category so far.

First the lawyers. Some of the essays say '24[or 25] lawyers', and others say '24 lawyers and jurists'. There is a difference between an 18th century lawyer, and an 18th century jurist. There was no need to be a lawyer to be a jurist-- as several of the signers prove.[one even sat on the Supreme Court with no legal training]

My numbers so far;

22 lawyers

11 Judges & Justices

[28 were either lawyers or Judges or Justices before they signed]

Then the merchants. I count 18. Some had retired, but most of the retired merchants still received profits from their business.

The farmers were the toughest ones of all. The only one who I still might consider a farmer in the 20th century sense of the word would be John Hart & he wore several other hats as well..[Mill owner, politician, Justice]

Many of the signers were born into very wealthy families who owned huge estates which supported them. Others built these huge estates themselves. To call them farmers, is akin to calling Bill Gates a software salesman. It's accurate, but misleading.

I can't find a term that applies broadly enough to cover the southern planters like Braxton or Carroll, and the northern aristocrats like Morris & Floyd, who essentially did the same thing & are likely counted as farmers in those essays.

Rather than resort to 'farmer', I've used 'agriculturists'. I didn't count those who were interested in farming as a hobby, but only those who derived a substantial income from their properties. [cattle, fruit, produce, lumber, 'renters', etc.] Of them, I counted 16.

This is my tally;

32 'public service' prior to 1770

22 lawyers

11 Judges & Justices

[28 were either lawyers or Judges or Justices before they signed]

18 merchants

16 planters, farmers, agriculturists

6 academics

5 authors

4 surveyors

3 doctors

3 ministers

2 "gentlemen"

There was also a brewer, a cooper, a couple inventors, a musician, a poet, a printer, a publicist, a couple scientists, a seaman, a shoemaker, and a [land?] speculator.(back)

7. Two never married, at least one married for the first time after the signing. Five never had children. Several more had children who were all grown and on their own by 1776.

Quoting from Ferris, Robert G.; _Signers of the Declaration.. Historical Places Commemorating the Signing of the Declaration of Independence_, p28

"Caesar Rodney and Joseph Hewes were the only bachelors in the group. All

each had at least 10 offspring."(back)

8. I find this curious. "Each had more to lose ....than to gain..." is arguable at best. But followed by "Hancock... had a price .. on his head." , I wonder how much more he could stand to lose. I also wonder why his friend Samuel Adams, who also supposedly had a price on his head, was left out of that little tidbit.

The claim is so ingrained into the American consciousness that it is no clue to the origins of the essays. But in the interest of historical accuracy, I would like to add that although both S. Adams and Hancock are often said to have prices on their heads, no-one has been able to produce any evidence of it. They were singled out in a 1775 proclamation as being unpardonable for their political activities. [and left out of a similar Nov. 1776 proclamation] (back)

9. A cute grade-school tradition, but as Dumas Malone illustrates so nicely on p90 of his book _ The Story of the Declaration of Independence_, Hancock's signature on the declaration is barely larger than his signature on a letter to a friend written the same year. [by actual measure, the Declaration signature, with all of that space to write, was 4 7/8 inches, while the letter was 3 3/4] (back)

10. "There were no..."

"dreamy-eyed intellectuals" is probably an accurate assessment of a couple

"draft card burners" - if there had been draft cards, issued by the British-- they would have been burned

"hot-eyed fanatics" - very close to Harvey's 'no wild-eyed pirates' [and an perhaps an apt description of Sam Adams]

"They were all conservatives, "- No single adjective, political or social can describe that diverse group of men.

In _The Limbaugh Letter_, I would expect this sort of rhetoric, but it is disheartening to see it in the DAR magazine.(back)

11. I don't consider my research complete yet, and I have 14 Governors.

Josiah Bartlett 1st Gov of NH 1793-4

Oliver Wolcott, 1796, CT

Samuel Huntington, 1786, CT

Sam Adams, MA

John Hancock, MA

Elbridge Gerry, MA 1810-11,

Thomas McKean, PA 1799-1808,

Lyman Hall, GA

Button Gwinnett, GA

George Walton, GA 1779-1789

Thomas Nelson jr., VA

Thomas Jefferson, VA

Benjamin Harrison VA 1782-1784

Edward Rutldege 1798, SC(back)

12. Elbridge Gerry died while in office as VP-- but both John Adams and Thomas Jefferson survived the office. [Jefferson twice](back)

13. Curious that of all the accomplishments of all the signers he chooses this act of this signer, and ignores the towns, the libraries, the colleges, the banks, or the pharmacies that other signers began. A single signer was both the founder of the first antislavery society, and is referred to as 'The Father of American Psychiatry'.

If the purpose was to honor Caroll, then why not the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Co., in which Caroll had a much greater role than he did in the B&O RR. Charles Caroll was one of the wealthiest man in America in 1776, [George Washington and Henry Middleton, the signers father, were probably equally wealthy] but Caroll is not often mentioned as one who supported the Revolution financially. He was one of the founders of the B&O RR, was on the board of directors, and because he was such an attraction as the last surviving signer in 1828, at the age of 91, he laid the cornerstone for the B&O building. (back)

14. I suppose 'real poet, musician and philosopher' is in the eye of the beholder, but...

Arthur Middleton was known for his love of music; Jefferson & Franklin, were musicians, of sorts;. And I would include at least Franklin as a philosopher.(back)

15. Arguably. Both sides have good arguments-- as do those who say neither designed it, or 'no one knows'.(back)

16. Another merging of a few facts with some errors.

New York was the only delegation who couldn't vote on the 2nd [or the 4th].

July 8th was the day that the Declaration was read in Easton, PA and Trenton, NJ.

July 9th the Declaration was read in NY City by General Washington. That day, the NY Provincial Congress met and decided to tell it's delegates [who were, at that time, George Clinton, Henry Wisner, John Alsop, William Floyd, and Francis Lewis] to vote yes.

July 15th word arrived in Philadelphia that NY had instructed its delegates to vote yes.

July 19th Congress ordered the Declaration to be engrossed on parchment for all of the congress to sign.

[previously called "A Declaration By the Representatives of the United States of America in General Congress Assembled", it was now possible to call it; "The Unanimous Declaration of the Thirteen United States of America"](back)

17. Small point, but many of the signers didn't sign for months after August 2. Some of the ones who signed weren't even in the July 1776 congress. Thomas McKean may have been the last to sign -- sometime after Jan 1777.(back)

18. I have yet to find any evidence of any of the signers being 'hunted'. Hancock and Adams were wanted for treason before they signed.(back)

19. Though I don't doubt that the British had a list of the members of that congress, I haven't been successful in locating any reliable source that mentions it. One Signer, Richard Stockton was arrested as a patriot. [along with the man in whose house he was hiding, [possibly ??John Covenhoven in Monmouth County, NJ??] The other 4 who were arrested were prisoners of war, and treated as such.(back)

20. Many patriots, whether signers or not, had 'narrow escapes'. Jefferson's most famous 'close call' was in 1781 when Tarleton sent the honorable Captain Mcleod to seize Governor Jefferson. [with strict orders, orders that were apparently followed, to do no harm to Monticello.](back)

21. All Patriots, whether signers or not, "who were near British strongholds suffered." Many who just happened to live near an ardent loyalist suffered. To imply that there was any effort to treat signers differently than other patriots, or even that it was British policy to wantonly destroy property is being less than honest.

Listen to the tone of this letter from Thomas Jefferson to Dr. Gordon. [as quoted in Sarah Randolph's _The Domestic Life of Thomas Jefferson_. p57 . This is regarding his Elk Hill estate, not Monticello.

This letter not only portrays the areas where Jefferson thinks Cornwallis 'crossed the line', but also implies that he thinks that another British official will censure those actions. It also illustrates how the commanders in the field were more responsible for 'barbarities' than any British policy. Compare the treatment of these two estates;

Monticello, [where Jefferson was living at the time, though he was warned & fled]

unharmed by Capt. McLeod who was under orders, but out of sight of Tarleton.;

and Elk Hill [a rarely used estate of Jefferson] "laid waste" by soldiers within sight of their commander, Cornwallis.(back)

22. Technically, Lewis didn't 'see' this, he was in Philadelphia. His home in Whitestone, Long Island was probably destroyed. His wife, who refused to leave the island as directed by the Council in NY [as did 5 of 6 Long Islanders] was captured. (back)

23. She did suffer, [the prisons on both sides were hell-holes, and at their worst in 1776], and the imprisonment probably contributed to her early demise. But it should be remembered that she was an aging woman, who was not in good health before her capture. Another contributing 'stressor' to this poor woman's last years may have been the marriage of her only daughter to the dashing British Lieutenant, George Robertson [who later achieved the rank of Post Captain]

I should also point out, before we condemn the British for capturing women, that the two prisoners that Mrs. Lewis was exchanged for were wives of British or Loyalist officials.(back)

24. Floyd was in Philadelphia when his family fled to CT as directed. He spent most of the Revolution in Philadelphia, where his wife often visited with the children. (back)

25. Floyd's wife died in 1781, so she didn't 'come home'. (back)

26. Floyd's estate was occupied by British forces for some time, but suffered little damage, and is a National Park Service site, today.

In an article, _2 Long Island Signers_ , by George DeWan on 'Long Island History.com';

View article

George writes;

"It has been part of the Floyd legend that occupying British troops did

extensive damage to the house and property. But there is no evidence

this is true, according to Steven Czarniecki of the National Park Service,

which manages the historic site."

Other bios I've read support DeWan's assessment. One references a letter that Floyd wrote to a friend about the renovations he was making on his estate after the war to make it befitting a 'man of his stature'. [i.e. a congressman from a new nation](back)

27. That would be "Philip Livingston". I would blame the printer or editor for this error except that it appears in both the Limbaugh letter of 1997, and the DAR magazine of 1999. There is a slim chance that some ancient historian has seen the name written thus to reflect Livingston's Dutch & Scots ancestry-- but it is a spelling that I have not seen elsewhere.

Livingston's 'holdings', on Brooklyn Heights, and in New York City were 'commandeered' along with the properties of the other rebels when the city was taken. His privateer ships, and other holdings were safe. I have yet to read his will, filed in York, PA 1779- or see if the Philip Livingston Esq. whose will was proven in Kingston, Jamaica is the same man.(back)

28. That would be "Lewis Morris"- the error appears in both the Limbaugh Letter and the DAR magazine.(back)

29. The foraging of both the British and American armies on his estate at Morrisania took a heavy toll, not unlike the area on Staten Island where the British were billeted for yrs. on property owned by the Church of England [St. Andrews], and in an area considered to be 'loyalist' in politics.

Morris' property was in one of those contested areas of Westchester County, NY. His son, Lewis Morris Jr, wrote to him in 1776;

[Cited as '-MORRIS, "Letters," N. Y. Hist. Soc. Coll., VIII, 440-443' in Commager & Morris' "Spirit of Seventy-Six' p478]

Lewis Jr. was speaking of the American Army, and accurately predicted the fall of Morrissania [Morris' home] to the British in coming weeks.

It is notable, however, that, like Floyd's frame house which would have fallen easily to the torch, Morris's home still stands.

His children were mostly grown, and 3 of his sons served in the Continental Army. His wife, and I assume his younger children, went to live with friends when the Continental Army moved onto his property. Morris was living in Philadelphia.

His wife later joined him in Philadelphia. After the war they returned to Morrissania and rebuilt it to the splendor that visitors enjoy today. He died there, with his family in 1798.(back)

30. Hart's farm was in Hopewell, not Trenton. It is unlikely that his 13 children were on that farm, let alone "taken away". In 1776 his 13 children were aged from 34 to 11-- only 3 of them were under 18. And his wife died before the British invaded NJ.

A short timeline taken from Hammond's biography of Hart [for now, courtesy of Pat M. as I haven't got my copy yet]

Oct 8, 1776- Mrs Hart dies with John Hart at her side.[or was he in Trenton?]

Nov. 13, 1776 The British [and Hessians] cross the Raritan and invade NJ.

Dec [mid] 1776; The soldiers, on their way to Philadelphia, pass through his farm & Hart hides in the woods. They damage, but do not destroy his farm.

Jan 3, 1777 Washington wins at Princeton and the British are driven from West NJ.

1777 to 1778 the Assembly met 10 times, in session for 270 days. Twice John Hart was reelected Speaker. In 78 he was elected to the Council of Safety.

June 22, 1778 Washington and his Army camped on Hart's farm, at Hart's invitation.

[12000 men at the fragile start of the growing season]

Nov 7 1778 Hart left the Assembly in Trenton due to illness. [kidney stones] He would

remain home until his death.

May 11, 1779 at ae66, John Hart died of 'gravel' [kidney stones]. 2 years and 5 months after his harrowing experiences fleeing from the British, and after 2 more years of active public service to his country.

May 19,1779 The NJ GAZETTE said:

"On Tuesday the 11th instant, departed this life at his seat in Hopewell, JOHN

HART, Esq. the Representative in General Assembly for the county of Hunterdon,

and late Speaker of that House. He had served in the Assembly for many years under

the former government, taken an early and active part in the present revolution, and

continued to the day he was seized with his last illness to discharge the duties of a

faithfull and upright patriot in the service of his country in general and the county he

represented in particular . The universal approbation of his character and conduct

among all ranks of people, is the best testimony of his worth, and as it must make his

death regretted and lamented, will ensure lasting respect to his memory."

This is a much more fitting tribute to a great man.(back)

31. Stockton's brother in law, Elias Boudinot was made Commissary of Prisoners at that time. Though the complaints of 'beatings, starvation, and 'being thrown in a common gaol' are familiar ones in Boudinot's biography concerning the conditions of the Patriot prisoners, I see no mention of his brother-in-law Richard Stockton. The minutes of congress have shed little more light, and seem to be complaining mostly of the mistreatment of 'Gentlemen' by putting them in the same prisons with common criminals.

I have yet to locate the specifics of Stockton's release. Some historians say he was exchanged, others say he signed a pardon. I haven't found one that substantiates either claim.

It was about 4 years between his release and his death. A eulogy of him in Rev. Goodrich's biographies says;

"But if we follow him to the last scene of his life, and consider him

under that severe and tedious disorder which put a period to it, there

the sincerity of his piety, and the force of religion to support the

mind in the most terrible conflicts, was chiefly visible. For nearly two

years be bore with the utmost constancy and patience, a disorder that

makes us tremble only to think of it. " The disorder was cancer of the lip.(back)

32. Just a caution to not make the leap from 'looted' to 'destroyed'. Stockton's home, 'Morven' still survives, and was the Governor's mansion in NJ until 1982. All of the homes in that area were looted, mostly for food and firewood. When the British pulled out, and Washington's army returned, the local populace complained that his Army was just as hungry as the British.

Note this letter;

Head-Quarters, Morristown, February 3, 1777.

Parole Vienna. Countersign Wilmington.

Any officers, or soldiers of the American Army, who are possessed of Bonds, or other papers, belonging to Mr. Stockden, are strictly ordered to deliver them to the Adjutant General at Head-Quarters.

*****

This is footnoted; [Note 67: Richard Stockton, of New Jersey.] (back)

33. His family, though it surely missed him, survived, not on charity, but on his substantial estate, and income from his wife's prolific and beautiful poetry. (back)

34. Robert Morris has been referred to as 'The Financier of the Revolution'. His enemies called him a profiteer, and he stood trial and was acquitted of those charges. At any rate, the fortunes he lost during the war were rebuilt in the years following, and lost again. He spent a couple years in debtor's prison around 1800, but not through any fault of the revolution..(back)

35. Two usually impassionate sources [Bakeless & Ferris] do state that the British went out of their way to raid Clymer's home, destroying his furniture and property. Goodrich also mentions that Clymer's home in Chester County was raided, and his furniture and a large stock of liquor was destroyed. None claim that the house was destroyed. [and Goodrich doesn't say the British went out of their way to raid the Chester County home]. Goodrich goes on to say that Clymer moved to Philadelphia, and when the British occupied that city, they sought out Clymer's residence, and began to "tear it down", but stopped when told that he didn't own the property. [was this property belonging to his father-in-law, Reese Merideth, a good friend of George Washington?]

Interestingly, Clymer is one of the Signers who was not a member of Congress on July 4th, 1776. (back)

36. Rush, like most, but not all of the Signers, left Philadelphia when the British occupied it. As an Army surgeon, his career was short [less than a year from April 1777]. After an inspection of the Army hospitals he filed charges against Dr. Shippen. Congress found in favor of Dr. Shippen and Rush resigned. In the several short bios I have read, no-one has mentioned anything about his Army career except that incident. (back)

37. We'll blame this one on the printer. The Limbaugh letter has 'Morton', while the DAR magazine has 'Martin'.

38. I've only seen this theory put forth in these essays.(back)

39. Other sources have noted that his home in Newport was 'looted' when the British occupied that town. [and make no mention of his other homes]

(back)

40. While on a recruiting expedition to NC in 1775 he got malaria, which continued to haunt him. He spent little time with his troops, and I've seen no mention of 'privations or exposures'.(back)

41. They reached the West Indies. Their loss is reported to have been the second leg of their journey to South France.(back)

42. All three were officers in the militia. When Charleston fell, all the officers were paroled, but the British later changed their minds and arrested all rebel officers. 2 were placed on a prison ship, and when it was discovered that they were members of Congress, they were sent to St. Augustine, as their chances of survival [and thus value as prisoners] were better there. Heyward taunted the British with made up songs, while his wife, still living in their home in Charleston, taunted officials there.

Middleton's home survived the revolution intact, but was burned during the Civil War, and further damaged in an earthquake in 1886-- but one wing survives, as do the gardens, and it is a National Historical Landmark. [ [Middleton Place.org in 2000]

Heyward's home is a museum in Charleston, and open to the public.

[ Museum website in 2000]

I haven't read anywhere of Rutledge's home being destroyed, and wonder if he owned one. He was the youngest of several children, so would not have inherited the family home. And he was among the youngest of the delegates and might not have purchased a home by 1780.

I suspect that he might have lived with his brother at 116 Broad Street, Charleston [a home that still stands and is a B&B in 2000] as he purchased in 1787 a home at 117 Broad Street, which is a National Historic Landmark, and also a B&B in 2000.(back)

43. This even embellishes the 'legend'.

In 1956 Paul Harvey wrote;

> "In the final battle for Yorktown he, Nelson, urged General

> Washington to fire on his . . . Nelson's . . . own home, which

> was occupied by Cornwallis. It was destroyed."

In 1978 James Drummey wrote;

John Birch Society Site

> "The militia commander was signer Thomas Nelson Jr., who noticed

> that the artillery gunners were shelling everything in the vicinity except

> his own stately brick mansion, which was being used as British headquarters.

> "Why do you spare my house?" Nelson demanded of the gunners. "Sir, out

> of respect to you," an artilleryman replied. "Give me the cannon," Nelson

> shouted. The next round from the gun went through the mansion, killing the

> British officers inside and destroying the Nelson home. "

In 1996 Pat Buchanan wrote;

Pat's version

> Returning from Philadelphia to become Governor of Virginia.

> Nelson joined Washington's army just outside Yorktown. Observing

> during that battle that his artillery men were directing fire all over the

> town, but were being careful to avoid the area where his own beautiful

> home was located, Nelson asked why they were not firing in that direction.

>

> "Out of respect to you, Sir," came the reply.

>

> Nelson stepped forward to the nearest cannon, aimed it at his house and

> fired. The other guns joined in: his home was destroyed.

The Nelson home that was occupied in by Cornwallis and destroyed was Thomas, The Secretary, Nelson's home. It might have been destroyed by VA Militia artillery under direction of then Gov., Thomas, The Signer, Nelson.

The Signer Nelson's home is still standing, and is a NPS site. It is likely that Nelson, as officer of the day and observing the French artillerists, did point out his own Yorktown home as a likely target. Indeed, when he was entertaining Lafayette and many other dignitaries in Williamsburg in one of his other many homes he is reported to have apologized for the small home, but said they could blame the French artillery for his other home not being available. The house was repaired years later.

Nelson was recognized by Washington for his services that day- as evidenced by the General Orders for Oct 21, in which

Washington writes;

"Ingratitude which the General hopes never to be guilty of would be

conspicuous in him was he to omit thanking in the warmest terms,

His Excellency Governor Nelson for the Aid he has derived from

him and from the Militia under his Command to whose Activity

Emulation and Courage much Applause is due; the Greatness of

the Acquisition will be an ample Compensation for the Hardships

and Hazards which they encountered with so much patriotism and

firmness."

It is likely, that "the aid" to which Washington refers is Nelson's knowledge of the town. In at least one historian's estimation, the entire legend is based on the probability that Washington asked where the British HQ was likely to be, and Nelson pointed out, most likely on a map, his home, which was a large one, and centrally located.(back)

44. Nelson died of asthma in 1789 in Albemarle County with his family. He spent much during the war, but was never 'impoverished'. His will shows that, while he was in debt, he instructed that a portion of his vast land holdings should be sold to pay that debt. He was still among the 10 largest land-holders in VA.

His will, written Dec 26, 1788 [Nelson died Jan 4, 1789] can be found in _York County VA Wills & Inventories no 23 (1783-1811)_ pp171-175, [inventory on pp661-663]

Nelson's will left;

to his, wife Lucy for the remainder of her life;

4 plantations, their slaves, livestock and equipment

most of his property in Yorktown

to his son Robert;;

a plantation when his mother died

to his son William

the Yorktown holdings when his mother died

another plantation in Hanover

to his son Thomas

2500 acres in Hanover [he had already been given a plantation]

the James City and Williamsburg properties

to his son Philip

Offly Hoo plantation

to his son Hugh

a plantation in Hanover

to his son Francis

a plantation in Hanover

to his daughter Elizabeth Page

1000 pounds

to his other daughters [4?]

600 pounds each

to Dr. Augustine Smith [who, as a boy, had lived with Nelson]

forgiveness of debt for board and for Nelson sending him to Edinburgh for schooling

to his slave Harry

Freedom; and provision for a home and clothing for the rest of his life, as well as 300 pounds of pork and 5 barrels of corn per year.(back)

45. Nine died between 1776-1783.

The only one to die of wounds was Button Gwinnett, who sustained his wound in a duel.

Morton, John,PA, died April 1777 aged 53 of ??? (K&BJ give no detail of how)

Gwinnett, Button,GA, died May 16, 1777 aged 42, from wounds sustained in a duel.

Livingston, Philip,NY, died June 12, 1778 at 62, of "dropsy of the chest"

Lynch, Thomas Jr.,SC, died [probably] in 1779 at 30. Lost at sea.

Hart, John,NJ,died May 11, 1779; aged 68[66?], of kidney stones

Ross, George,PA, died July 14, 1779 aged 49, of gout

Hewes, Joseph,NC, died Oct 10, 1779, aged 49, according to Bakeless of "overwork and irregular bachelor hours"

Taylor, George,PA, Feb 23, 1781 at 65 yrs old

Stockton, Richard,NJ, died Feb 28, 1781 at 50, of Cancer of the lip.

He died after the war, but because I've seen his dramatic *all night* ride in '76 given as the cause of his early death, I'll include him and the next few signers to die;

Rodney, Caesar,DE, died June 26, 1784 at 55 of cancer of the face.

Hopkins, Stephen,RI,July 13, 1785, 78yrs of 'ill health'

Whipple, William,NH,Nov 10, 1785, ae55, 'heart disease'- K&JB p227

Middleton, Arthur,SC, Jan 1, 1787, ae45,??(back)

46. Covered earlier, but only one was possibly arrested for his congressional activities. None appear to have been treated any worse than other prisoners [of either side].(back)

47. Mrs. Francis Lewis is the only wife of a signer whose death could possibly have had any connection tot he war. (back)

48. James Witherspoon, the son of John was killed at either Brandywine or Germantown.

It is possible that one of Abraham Clark's three sons died on the prison ship 'Jersey'.

[despite the contention in another of these essays [Buchanan's] that Francis Lewis lost a son, I can find no mention of that in the several bios of Francis Lewis that I've read. Lewis had two sons, Morgan Lewis who became Gov. of NY, and Francis Lewis who was his partner in his mercantile business and was married to a Ludlow, a Loyalist family from Long Island](back)

49. I've seen no indication of any signer 'losing his family'.(back)

50. John Hart, covered earlier-- did not 'lose his 13 children'.(back)

51. Mrs. Francis Lewis is one. I don't know who the other that he is referring to might be.(back)

52. I have found no evidence of this.

(back)

53.

1. Josiah Bartlett's Kingston, NH home burned in 1774. He suspected Tories of setting the blaze.

2. Francis Lewis' Long Island home was probably destroyed.

3. Hooper's "Finian" might have been destroyed.[another of his homes in Wilmington was probably burned]

4. William Ellery's Newport , RI home was partially burned.

There might be 8 more, but they haven't been mentioned in the biographies I've read.

The homes which were abandoned, and the British occupied but did not destroy are notable;

Homes belonging to at least 19 signers were held by the British, but not burned or severely damaged.

Homes belonging to;

Floyd, Lewis Morris, Hopkinson, Stockton, Middleton, Witherspoon,

Hart, Nelson, Jefferson, Harrison, Heyward, both Adams's, Hancock,

Rush, Huntington, Wilson, Robert Morris, and the Lee brothers.

Probably the Brooklyn Heights home of Livingston, which was used as a British hospital. [If someone has a primary source mentioning Livingston's homes at the end of the Revolution, please point me to it. All I've seen are 19th century articles mentioning his Duke St., Manhattan Townhouse, and his Brooklyn Heights country estate.]

When the British held Charleston, at least one signer's wife still lived there & their home was not burned.

In Boston, John Adams & John Hancock wrote to their wives who were living in enemy territory.

When the British held Philadelphia Clymer, Wilson and Robert Morris remained there.

In 1973 there were at least 30 homes that Signers occupied during the Revolution [and many more birthplaces] that were still standing. These were, in 1973, either National Historical Landmarks, or proposed to be, or in National Park property. Many of these were in the south where they survived not just the Revolution, but the Civil War.(back)

54. I can't name one who was penniless at wars end. Many were poorer than they were in the beginning. A few were wealthier. (Franklin's wealth reportedly tripled)(back)

55. Maybe three. According to the Abraham Clark Memorial Farmstead and Historical

Society, Roselle, NJ-

Aaron Clark b.1750 was probably held at the Sugar House

Thomas Clark b. 1753 was a captain of Artillery and captured after the battle of Princeton [Jan 77]. He was held on the Jersey.

[another source says he was also a messenger for Gen. Washington, and was captured twice, and escaped both times. One time, imprisoned at New Brunswick, he escaped by swimming his horse across the Raritan River. The other time, while on the "Jersey", he slipped over the side and swam to shore.]

Andrew Clark b.1759 "may have died on the prison ship Jersey, at the age of 19"

The historical society's website makes no mention of the offer by the British to release [any of] Clark's son's, nor have I seen it mentioned in any reliable biographies.(back)

56. Interesting that in _The Limbaugh Letter_ in 1997, he wrote it this way, but in the February 1999 issue of the DAR magazine he writes it "...celebrate the Fourth of July, and this nation's great legacy,..."(back)

57. The entire text of the afterward that appears in the Feb. 1999 DAR magazine follows;

The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and are not necessarily a statement of DAR policy.(back)

The bibliography for my footnotes follows;

[note- there is a much more complete bibliography on my Bibliography Page . I will leave this one here for simplicity's sake.]

A great start to study the times would be;

Malone, Dumas; _THE STORY OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE_ NY: Oxford University Press, 1954.

250 pictures, prints and photographs from museums and private collections. A pictorial biography of events, people and stories surrounding the Declaration of Independence. 282 pages, index

[Excellent- easy read, lots of illustrations and photographs; Malone was a Colombia Univ. Professor, and wrote several books about Jefferson. The background of the Declaration is excellent. The bios are mostly accurate, if brief. Many legends are repeated and identified as legends]

Congressional Bioguide - Use with caution. Much of it is straight from the Dictionary of American Biography & is prone to repeating legends.

George Washington Letters in the Library of Congress

Documents from the Continental Congress and the Constitutional Convention, 1774-1789

[Both from www.loc.gov]

Bakeless, Katherine and John _Signers of the Declaration_ 1969 Houghton Mifflin, Boston.

LOC Card # 69-14723 {SCPL=j920 B}

Boyd, George Adams; _Elias Boudinot, Patriot and Stateman_ Princeton University Press, 1952

Delafield, Julia Livingston 1801-1882; _Biographies of Francis Lewis and Morgan Lewis_, Pub. 1877.

[Delafield is Francis Lewis' gr-granddaughter]

DeWan, George; _They Signed for Independence William Floyd and Francis Lewis, the two Long Islanders who

took a stand for freedom_ LI history .com

Evans, Emory G; _Thomas Nelson of Yorktown, Revolutionary Virginian_

Ferris, Robert G., ed; _Signers of the Declaration: Historic Places Commemorating the Signing of the Declaration of Independence_

Publisher: Washington, DC: Nationl Park Service, 1973

LOC Card # 73-600028

Sup. of Doc's USGPO # 2405-00496

Goodrich, Rev. Charles A.; _Lives of the Signers to the Declaration of Independence_ ; 1829

[on Colonial Hall Site]

Jenkins, John Stllwell; _Lives of the Governors of New York_, 1851

Krout, John A.; _Dictionary of American Biography, Vol XII_

Lee, Nell Moore; _Thomas Nelson, Patriot above Profit_

Lanier, Sidney; _Florida: Its Scenery, Climate, and History. An Account of Charleston, Savannah, Augusta, and Aiken;...... ;and a Complete Handbook and Guide;

pub;. Philadelphia: J. B. LIPPINCOTT & CO. 1876.

[at MOA site- UMich.]

McGee, Dorothy Horton; _Famous Signers of the Declaration_ . Dodd, Mead & Company, NY 1955

LOC # 55-5860

Pearce, Ann Burns; _Courageous colonists remembered_ Beufort gazette, June 28, 1998

[DGB] Della Gray Barthelmas _ The Signers of The Declaration of Independence; A Biographical and Genealogical Reference_ McFarland & Co, North Carolina and London; 1997

Randolph, Sarah N. _The Domestic Life of Thomas Jefferson; compiled from family letters and reminiscences by his great-granddaughter_

Intro by Dumas Malone; Frederick Ungar Pub, NY 1958 LOC #58-8958

Sanderson, John; _Lives of the Signers_ Apr 28, 1820, Pennsylvania; 9 Volumes

Scudiere, Paul J.; _New York's signers of the Declaration of Independence_

Publisher : Albany : New York State American Revolution Bicentennial Commission, [1975]

Back to Top

Back to the Signer Index or to the Bibliography or to the Harvey Page. Or to Grading the newest version of the essay.

Questions, comments, corrections or additions are solicited. I am sure to have made some mistakes, or stated as fact something that is disputed. I am most interested in getting the stories right, not proving any theory, or making any point..

Contact me at elbrecht@email.com

ã James Elbrecht June, 2000

This page was last updated on Sunday, April 1, 2001