The past couple of years, I have really been researching my family history, most especially my mom's maternal side of the family, and you would be amazed had what sort of nuts fall out when you shake that family tree. I have learned that I come from English stock, my ancestor was Thomas Leigh, first Lord Leigh of Stanley, Warwick England. (We have an abbey named after us and everything), and through his descendants I have a long lineage of American Freedom fighters in my family, and with the 4th of July rapidly approaching, I thought I would tell you of the men who fought for this brave country and saw to it that freedom was the right of every one of it's citizens and stopped at nothing until it was achieved. So, get comfortable and get ready for a little American History lesson....Leigh style.

The man who brought us to the States was Joseph Leigh he was born in 1682 in Dublin, Ireland. He settled in Perth Amboy, New Jersey and married a ministers daughter, Thankful Smith in 1718. They would have 7 children, but, only 3 would survive to adulthood. Thankful and 4 of her son's would die within months of each other.
The eldest son of Joseph and Thankful was Ichabod Leigh, he settled in Hunterdon County, New Jersey and he and his wife had 9 children, one of them being my ancestor Daniel Leigh born in 1756. This Daniel fought in the American Revolution determined to see his country freed from the tyranny and oppression of England. It is more than likely he fought along side General Washington in the battle of Trenton, one of the most decisive battles in the war. It is a known fact that Daniel lost a leg to the cause.

Daniel's grandson, another Daniel Leigh born in Ohio, 1834 is the ancestor I know the most about, and is probably the one I am most proud of; he was a wealthy construction worker, and he and his brother Samuel Leigh fought for the North in the Civil War continuing the family legacy of seeing freedom for all American's and that included those being oppressed by the bondage of slavery. When the end of the civil war came countless numbers of now free slaves were without income, prospects or homes; my great, great, great, grandfather hired many of these men and gave them jobs making bricks for his contruction company. Some of these bricks were used to build family homes for Daniel himself and for his brother Samuel. Although these houses are no longer in the family, the remain standing in pristine condition to this day. Recently my mom and I got to wonder the grounds of Samuel's colonial mansion, it has huge pillars that would take two men to put their arms around; and the home owner graciously allowed us to take away a brick made by the freed slaves hired by my great, great great grandfather. I am tremendously proud of that brick and all it stands for, and it is by far one of my most valuable possessions. It is much more than a brick to me.
The freedom fighting did not end with Daniel, it continues to this day, I had an ancestor fight in WWI, my mother's brother did two tours of duty in Viet Nam; my oldest brother Jerry served in the Army very near the volatile Berlin Wall. He won the highest peace time award, twice. And now, my eldest nephew is continuing the family tradition of duty to country, he is away at bootcamp as we speak, preparing to serve in the Reserves; and is the most highly decorated cadet in his High School ROTC.
My nearly 18 year old nephew is a deffinite reminder that freedom is not free, it is bought for a very high price, and that is what makes us the land of the free and the home of the brave.
On this holiday weekend, please take a moment or two to remember what this holiday is really about. It's about the men and women who fought and fight, to assure the freedom we American's take for granted far too quickly.
Lord willing we will remain, "one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty, and justice for all."
Happy Independence Day, America!!