The 4th of July is the day when I really celebrate my deep roots as an American.  Oh yeah, I may grouse and complain through the rest of the year about what's going on with our country.  And I may armchair quarterback the political scene from time to time (well, not quite daily) but the 4th gets me thinking in a special way about what America means to me.   

You see, I have ancestors who fought in the American Revolution.  They risked hearth, home and their lives to lay the foundation for the America I live in today -- the land where I have certain unalienable rights including the freedom to say whatever I want on this blog without fear of sanction or reprisal.  

One of my patriot ancestors was my 4th great-grandfather, William Hood who was born in Ireland in 1757.  By the time of the American Revolution, he had immigrated with his family to Lancaster, Pennsylvania and then to less settled territory near the western branch of the Susquehanna River.  

This area was extremely volatile during the Revolutionary War because it was the farthest edge of the frontier where there were frequent attacks on the colonists by the British army, American loyalists and Indian tribes aligned with the British.  Beyond this point, there was no colonial government and no protection.

There were several small forts in this area, most notably Fort Freeland.  In late June, 1779 after repeated attacks by the British, a number of colonial families sought refuge at Fort Freeland.  Although there was intelligence warning of an attack, no one was prepared when more than 300 British, Loyalists and Indians stormed the fort early on the morning of July 28, 1779.  With all the able-bodied men already off to war, there were only 21 boys and old men to mount a defense.  Seeing the hopelessness of their situation, the colonists soon negotiated surrender of the fort.

News of the attack -- but not the surrender -- spread to a nearby fort and a relief party including my ancestor William Hood rushed to defend Fort Freeland. The battle that followed was one of the bloodiest of the American Revolution and pivotal because the fall of Fort Freeland left the American frontier defenseless. 

William Hood lived to tell about the battle in his own words which were written down many years later in support of a widow's pension application.  He went on to marry Rebecca Lee and they settled in the little town of Waterford, Pa where I have visited the house they built in 1810 and the cemetery where they are buried.  William died in 1840. 

Yesterday I thought a lot about William Hood and what he would think about the America of today.  Would he still think it was worth fighting for?  I think he would.  And so do I.  But the battleground is no longer in the wilderness of Pennsylvania.  It's in the polling booth where you can count on me to fight for the America I want to see in this second half of my life by casting my vote in the November election. 

You might say that as an American -- it's my slice of the pie.