July 4th

So what was your family up too in about 1776? On 30 June 1776 the British army landed on Statten Island (NY) and built up a mass amount of men. War was a real threat and enlistments into militias increased. July 4th 1776 America declared its independence from Great Brittan! A young boy from Delaware of 16 years old enlisted in July 1776 to the Delaware Blues, the company known as the "Flying Camp" battalion commanded by Colonel Patterson. At that point 16 years old was the youngest you could enlist. The battalion fought in only one battle, an attack on the British fort at the east end of Statten Island. The purpose of the attack was to help block the advancing troops into New Jersey where Washington was waging a battle.
The "Flying Camp" battalion was not very successful and passed out of existence at the end of 1776. This boy then turned 18 and reenlisted in 1778. He was then apart of the 1st Delaware regiment that marched to Valley Forge. His unit spilt and he eventually fought in the longest siege of the Revolutionary War, the battle of Ninety Six at the British fort of the town Ninety Six in South Carolina. He was wounded trying to scale the wall to set it on fire when a musket bullet went through a part of his neck, in near his shoulder and out near his elbow. He was taken captive, treated, and five weeks later released. At that point he went to the home of his wife, whom he meet and married while in the service, in Virginia. His name...Joseph Sapp, my 5th Grandfather. (Source: The Sapp Family History Book, 2001. Pictures from various websites including:http://www.revolutionaryday.com/usroute221/ninetysix/default.htm )

It is amazing the courage of the early Americans. Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness was sacrificed for, wished for, and eventually earned by the country called the United States of America. We fought for it, another country didn't do it for us, we sacrificed the stable hold of the British government all for that hope. Since 1776 my family has served in many US service branches, with the most recent being my younger brother in the Army (served two tours in Iraq). I love this country and I'm glad I have a chance to live here. And I'm thankful for my ancestor Joseph Sapp and all that saw freedom and did everything in their power to make it real for America.

--John