The Revolutionary War and value of family research

American Militia Man, 1775

There was a recent post of the FamilySearch Facebook page which caught my attention. (The FamilySearch Facebook page is operated by the LDS, or Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and can be found here.) The post was by someone who came across a listing of men who were captured during the Revolutionary War. Apparently, Charles Woodson, the son of the man who compiled the list, sent it to Washington and then wrote a letter requesting the return of the originals.  As noted by the poster, you can get a real sense of the son's pride in men like his father who served during this important time in our country's history. I think the note also speaks to the value of the research we family historians conduct, and the reason to continue to do so. The names on the list, like the names in our family trees, stand as a testament to the lives of these people, and their place in history. And by recording them, we proclaim, "You are Not Forgotten!"
These are the words Woodson wrote:

"wiser men than me might care little for such relick, but with me they never fail to bring up in association the contemplation of those by gone times, with the heroic patriotism, and fortitude which induced our fathers to peril everything and to suffer everything--, to obtain the blessing of liberty--Possibly there may be a cost of pride in the contemplation, when the thoughts occur of the son of one of those men who struck the very first blow for Independence in Virginia---and carried it thus with peril and suffering--"

If you are interested in seeing the names of those held prisoner and his letter, you can go to this website.