The Jackson Herald
July 3, 2001
Remember our forefathers
Has anyone ever taken a moment to consider the Declaration of
Independence? How much gall it must have taken for 56 men to
tell the strongest nation in the world where they could stuff
it? They were committing an act punishable by death, yet they
did it. They were family men, men with jobs and homes, but they
felt the price of freedom was worth it all. This 4th of July,
I'd like to print some information I scouted out with my free
Internet service. It is information about the brave, daring,
heroic 56 men who drafted and 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
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. A few weeks later he died from exhaustion and a broken
heart. Norris and Livingston suffered similar fates.
Such were the stories and sacrifices of the American Revolution.
These were not wild-eyed, rabble-rousing ruffians. They were
soft-spoken men of means and education. They had security, but
they valued liberty more. Standing tall, straight and unwavering,
they pledged: "For the support of this declaration, with
firm reliance on the protection of the Divine Providence, we
mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our
Rochelle Beckstine is a reporter for Mainstreet Newspapers.
The Jackson Herald
July 3, 2001
Coaching, Rocker and racing in the Twilight Zone
The Jackson County rumor mill has done some big-time churning
in recent weeks, with speculation about the Lady Panthers' next
head basketball coach running the gamut from sitting head coaches
to current insiders to retired teachers to past head coaches
and finally (or so it seems) to sitting assistant coaches.
The latest word from the Panther Pit has it that the team met
with its soon-to-be-proposed head coach Monday afternoon.
System superintendent Andy Byers has been out of the office this
week, but folks in the know expect Byers to recommend Johnson
High School assistant Chad Pittman to the board during Thursday's
What might happen after that is anyone's guess, but we've beaten
that dead horse enough, so we'll just let it lie this time around.
Pittman should be a good fit, as he comes from a successful program
and is well-liked by those who've worked with him. He should
be successful at Jackson County, which means he probably won't
last very long (that's the last jab, I promise).
He's also a math teacher, and anyone in the education business
knows math teachers aren't exactly a dime a dozen.
ON ROCKER DEAL
You're probably tired of hearing about the John Rocker trade
by now, but let me get my two cents in before you move on.
Rocker should thank the Atlanta Braves' front office and Chipper
Jones for getting him out of town when they did. He's been all
but tarred and feathered here by everyone but the fans, who generally
seem to have been very supportive.
I predict Rocker will surpass even his own expectations with
Cleveland, and will be just what the Tribe needs to get them
over the hump against the Yankees.
Even if he'd gone on to close Game 7 of the World Series for
Atlanta, he'd have still been snubbed by the elitist, politically
correct Braves front office.
Good luck to him.
RUMBLINGS AT PEACH STATE?
Things are happening at Peach State Speedway just about as quickly
as a Jeff Gordon slingshot pass in turn three.
First comes the announcement that the track will go to a bi-weekly
schedule for the remainder of the ARA Weekly Racing Series schedule.
Then we hear that long time Peach State fixture Terry Treadwell's
organization is buying out the American Racing Association, which
runs its Weekly Racing Series and some touring series races at
This situation is weird enough to be on The X Files. Treadwell
seems to have had some money problems of late, yet he has the
financial backing to purchase the ARA?
Sources at the Dry Pond track also say that more big news is
in the offing, so check back next week for the latest news from
The Twilight Zone.
Tim Thomas is a reporter for The Jackson Herald. He may be
reached at the sports desk at (706) 367-2348, or via email at