His Sacred Honor

Judge Richard Stockton was the only signer imprisoned under brutal conditions four months after he signed the Declaration of Independence. His Sacred Honor is an account based on the historical facts of his capture by loyalists, and the "shocking & inhuman" imprisonment by the British as cited by John Hancock. The darkest days of his life were spent locked in irons, starving and shivering in the cold winter of 1776-1777, in the notorious Provost Prison in New York City. Learn the plight of his fellow prisoners, including Eathan Allen, as they perished by the thousands. Over 12,000 men died in the prison ships and prisons of New York City compared with the 4,435 battle casualties during the entire war. Richard Stockton and his wife Annis were friends of Alexander Hamilton, Benjamin Franklin, and related to Dr. Benjamin Rush and Elias Boudinot. Annis, one of America's first published female poets, was a close friend and favorite correspondent of General George Washington. Read the letters and be surprised by the humor of the father of our country. This is a book the entire family can read to appreciate the sacrifices of the prisoners, and the brave soldiers, some barefoot in knee deep snow fighting for freedom, as well as the contributions of the female patriots of the day. The Declaration of Independence was our declaration of war against the most powerful nation on earth in 1776. Those men who signed the Declaration mutually pledged "our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor". They did this knowing they were signing their death warrants. Today the Declaration of Independence is becoming a forgotten document with little understanding of the personal sacrifices they and their families made to start us down the path to a free and independent country. Learn the lesser known stories of our founding fathers and be inspired by their courage.