Photograph courtesy of 'The History of Los Gatos' by George G. Bruntz.

In the late 19th century, Fourth of July fireworks were shot off the Main Street Bridge above Memorial Park, which at the time of this photo was called Shore's Grove. The cannon shown was not fired, unlike the cannons of today's celebrations.

Picture from the Past

Liberty came with a high

price for founding fathers

By John S. Baggerly

Once again Los Gatos High School's spacious front lawn and bordering trees were the location of a musical Fourth of July celebration. The San Jose Wind Symphony, under a colorful canvas top, provided good old American music. The American flag was raised with appropriate ceremony and, after the shock of the first cannon blast of the 1812 Overture, subsequent discharges were tolerable.

Children become particularly joyous on the lawn. Food and drink were for sale, although many visitors brought their own goodies.

For the first time, new LGHS principal Trudy McCulloch was hostess of the event. Immediate past principal Ted Simonson distributed a list of the wealthy Yankee settlers who gave up their fortunes, and in many case their lives, in the Revolutionary War that allowed the settlers to separate from England.

But whatever happened to the 56 men who signed the Declaration of Independence? These men--who risked everything for a revolutionary idea--paid dearly for the "liberty and justice for all" that meant so much to them.

Five of the 56 signers were captured by the British and, treated as traitors, were tortured before they died. Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned. Two lost sons who served in the Revolutionary Army, while another had his sons captured. Nine of the 56 died from wounds or hardships of the Revolutionary War. These men signed and pledged their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor.

What kind of men were they?

Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists. Eleven were merchants and nine were farmers and large plantations owners--men of means and well-educated. Yet, they still signed the Declaration, knowing full well that the penalty would be death if they were captured.

Carter Braxton of Virginia was a wealthy planter and trader who 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 McKean, who served in Congress without pay, was so hounded by the British that he was forced to move his family almost constantly. 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. His family home was destroyed, and Nelson died bankrupt. Francis Lewis also 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 waste. For more than a year, he lived in forests and caves, returning home to find his wife dead and his children vanished. A few weeks later he died from exhaustion and a broken heart.

Remember, freedom is not free.

This column's historical information is courtesy of Ted Simonson, secretary of the 242nd Infantry Regiment Chapter of the 42nd Rainbow Division Veterans Association (WWII). It is based upon information received from a friend and veteran of the Korean War.

 

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