Fourth Of July: Fates Of The Signers

(see my more detailed version).

Five signers of the Declaration of Independence were captured by the British. However, none of them died while a prisoner.

Richard Stockton of New Jersey was the only signer taken prisoner specifically because of his status as a signatory to the Declaration, "dragged from his bed by night,” and imprisoned in Provost Jail like a common criminal.

John Witherspoon of New Jersey saw his eldest son, James, killed in the Battle of Germantown in October 1777.

Nine signers died during the course of the Revolutionary War, but none of them died from wounds or hardships inflicted on them by the British. 

Carter Braxton suffered financial reverses because his ships were a prime target for the British. He did not "die in rags."

Was Thomas McKean "hounded" by the British during the Revolutionary War? He wasn’t chased for being a signer: it was probably because he served as a militia leader. He did end up in "poverty.”

Several signers’ homes were looted. Many signers lived in occupied areas, yet those homes were not looted or vandalized, so it's hard to make the case that signers were specifically targeted for vengeance by the British.

Did Thomas Nelson urge the bombardment of his own house? The story is probably a conflation of two events: an order to fire on his uncle's home and a friendly bet with the French as to whether they could hit his home.