John Near 1795-1882
Independence Day Thoughts
Having several British friends, it pleases me no end to point out to them whenever possible that we, a bunch of back-woods, unsophisticated country bumpkins defeated them not once, but twice, in wars for our freedom from the tyranny of taxation by England. Not having learned their lesson during the Revolutionary War, starting in 1776, they tried to defeat us once again in the War of 1812.
Sometimes I feel a bit sorry for England, once a great empire with tentacles spreading worldwide. But then again, I guess I don’t. Think about it though. England is a very small country, about the size of Alabama. How came they to conquer the world? A bit of a Napoleonic complex if you ask me, although Napoleon came a bit after England’s conquests of the New World, Australia, India and other various and sundry nations around the world. Perhaps Napoleon got his delusions of grandeur from England.
This being the weekend we celebrate our break from the Mother country, I’d like to share with you a little of my family history in this regard. One of my ancestors, Conrad Near, emigrated to the United States from Germany sometime in the mid to late 1700s. He married and had a son, also named Conrad, born in 1773. During the War of Independence, Conrad Sr. was killed in the Battle of Klock’s Field, near St. Johnsville, New York. The boy Conrad, who was about 7 years old at the time, was captured by “Indians,” most likely the Iroquois led by Chief Cornplanter. Little Conrad and his uncle, Philip Empie were taken to Montreal, 225 miles away, and placed in a British prison. A British officer, taking pity on Conrad, ordered him released to the custody of a widow woman in Montreal, where he remained until the close of the war.
On his way back to his home in central New York State, in the company of several adults, Conrad was robbed of his shoes and a small amount of money during the night and awoke to find himself abandoned. What a grown man would want with a pair of shoes from a 10 year old boy is beyond me. But that’s how the story goes.
Happily, Conrad found his way back to Palatine, New York where he married and presumably lived happily ever after. So, to my ancestors, Conrad Sr, Conrad, Jr, John, Lafayette, Hercules, Winfred and William, a toast to you all and the freedom you fought for so bravely, from the War of Independence through World War II and Korea. Happy 4th of July – and thank you.
Having several British friends, it pleases me no end to point out to them whenever possible that we, a bunch of back-woods, unsophisticated country bumpkins defeated them not once, but twice, in wars for our freedom from the tyranny of taxation by England. Not having learned their lesson during the Revolutionary War, starting in 1776, they tried to defeat us once again in the War of 1812.
Sometimes I feel a bit sorry for England, once a great empire with tentacles spreading worldwide. But then again, I guess I don’t. Think about it though. England is a very small country, about the size of Alabama. How came they to conquer the world? A bit of a Napoleonic complex if you ask me, although Napoleon came a bit after England’s conquests of the New World, Australia, India and other various and sundry nations around the world. Perhaps Napoleon got his delusions of grandeur from England.
This being the weekend we celebrate our break from the Mother country, I’d like to share with you a little of my family history in this regard. One of my ancestors, Conrad Near, emigrated to the United States from Germany sometime in the mid to late 1700s. He married and had a son, also named Conrad, born in 1773. During the War of Independence, Conrad Sr. was killed in the Battle of Klock’s Field, near St. Johnsville, New York. The boy Conrad, who was about 7 years old at the time, was captured by “Indians,” most likely the Iroquois led by Chief Cornplanter. Little Conrad and his uncle, Philip Empie were taken to Montreal, 225 miles away, and placed in a British prison. A British officer, taking pity on Conrad, ordered him released to the custody of a widow woman in Montreal, where he remained until the close of the war.
On his way back to his home in central New York State, in the company of several adults, Conrad was robbed of his shoes and a small amount of money during the night and awoke to find himself abandoned. What a grown man would want with a pair of shoes from a 10 year old boy is beyond me. But that’s how the story goes.
Happily, Conrad found his way back to Palatine, New York where he married and presumably lived happily ever after. So, to my ancestors, Conrad Sr, Conrad, Jr, John, Lafayette, Hercules, Winfred and William, a toast to you all and the freedom you fought for so bravely, from the War of Independence through World War II and Korea. Happy 4th of July – and thank you.
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