Topic at meeting: Tough choices of Revolutionary War

KENT — Brent Colley was the featured speaker at the Kent Historical Society annual meeting at Town Hall on Sunday, Nov. 6. Colley is a website designer and regularly volunteers with the historical society. His talk Sunday was about the Revolutionary War-era historical novel “My Brother Sam Is Dead.” The book was written in 1974 by brothers Christopher and James Collier. “I read the book in sixth grade, as most Redding students do,” he said. As a student, he approached the book only as a story with the kinds of things that appeal to young boys: war, beheadings, executions. At that age Colley was not really aware of the historical importance of the story.Later in life Colley reread the book, and began to understand the historical importance of the story and what it said about the Revolutionary War. Since that time, Colley has devoted much of his free time to making people of all ages aware of the book.Colley explained how young people joining the revolutionary forces created problems for their families. Before they knew the outcome of the war, most families did not want to take sides; they wished to remain neutral. In the book, the narrative is told in the first person by Tim Meeker. Tim’s family is Anglican and thus loyal to the Church of England; a split with England would greatly affect them.Colley said Tim is a metaphor for one third of the American population during the war: the Americans who were uncertain which side was right, and who didn’t want to choose a side until forced to do so. These people were sometimes called “fence sitters.”Colley said the other two thirds were split as rebel/patriots or Tory/loyalists.“My Brother Sam Is Dead” illustrates how the consequences of war prove devastating as the rebellious actions of a son, Sam, and the pacifist position of the father result in ironic and tragic deaths for both.Approximately 20 people attended the event.Treasurer Richard Lindsey gave a report about the last fiscal year. While income was budgeted for $46,000, actual income was $57,000. With higher than anticipated operating expenses, the additional revenue enabled the society to have a lower than expected operating loss of $8,800.Fran Johnson and Charlotte Lindsey reported the World War II/Vietnam War memorial would be dedicated by the VFW on Saturday, Nov. 12, at 11 a.m. on the lawn of Swift House on Swifts Lane.Beth Dooley was elected vice president and Lindsey was re-elected as treasurer. The Rev. Thomas Berberich, Jeffrey Morgan, Bruce Whipple and Susi Williams were re-elected as trustees.

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