Reminiscence of the Future... : 4th of July

... that explains a lot))) Russians are sort of the East European Irish with all what it entails, but Larry wrote a wonderful essay today on the 4th.

I christened this blog SONAR21, which stands for Son of the New American Revolution 21st Century. I am a current member of the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR). I have counted 28 of my ancestors who fought — all as members of a militia — in the War of Independence. I want to tell you the story of my 5th Great Grandfather, William Thomson and his brother Charles. They were born in Londonderry, Ireland — William in 1722 and Charles in 1729. Their mother, Elizabeth, had three other children. She died giving birth to their sister, Mary, in 1738. Their grief stricken father, John Thomson, loaded up his five boys (Mary was left behind in Ireland) on a boat and sailed for Philadelphia. They were seeking a new life in Colonial America. Just off the shore of Delaware, tragedy struck. Their father, John, died at sea. Five orphans arrived in New Castle, Delaware sometime in the fall of 1739. William, at 17, was the oldest of the lot and took charge of all of his brothers except for Charles. William, along with his three younger siblings, made their way to Augusta, Virginia in the Shenandoah Valley. Charles, was only ten years of age and was apprenticed to a blacksmith. As he passed into adolescence, Charles was educated in New London, Pennsylvania. Why do I focus on Uncle Charles instead of Grandpa William? Charles went on to become the Secretary of the Continental Congress:

Read the whole thing, it is just great. But because of that... somehow this song comes to mind...