My Brother Sam Is Dead

Much has been made throughout American history of the hardships faced by the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. However, the war impacted not only the soldiers fighting the war but also the entire civilian population. In particular, families, even those far from the front lines, faced terrible challenges as the war raged. The Colliers focus on one family during the American Revolutionary War to represent the way war tears families apart. As the novel suggests, the Meeker family’s experiences are by no means unique; Tory families and Patriot families alike suffered loss, pain, and economic ruin during the war.

As the novel opens, the Meeker family is intact and prosperous. They own a well-established tavern in Redding, Connecticut. Mother and Father both work in the tavern, while their older son, Sam, is a student at Yale. That they can afford to send Sam to Yale and manage the workload without his help for most of the year speaks to their financial stability. Likewise, Tim helps with chores and minor tasks around the home and tavern but still has plenty of time to play with his friends.

Changes begin when 16-year-old Sam arrives and says that he has joined the colonial militia in order to fight the British. Sam’s Father believes that the colonists should be loyal to the King and Parliament of England. The difference in politics drives a wedge between Sam and Father, something that is never resolved. After Father’s death, Sam expresses deep regret that his last interaction with Father was a vicious argument. For the Meekers, Sam’s enlistment impacts the family in ways they cannot possibly know in the opening chapter.

In addition to young men leaving to fight the war, the novel shows that all families during the era suffer from food and clothing shortages. Without the young men to help produce food, it is in short supply. Both armies also buy or steal the resources they need to support the troops, further reducing supply. For families such as the Meekers who rely on their customers to provide them with income, not having sufficient stores of goods means a reduction in income. The Meekers struggle to maintain their businesses through hard work and careful planning, showing that the war disrupts familial domesticity.

Sam’s absence also means that Tim must go with Father to the annual cattle sale in Verplancks Point, despite Tim being too young to adequately fulfill the demands of such a task. Father is attacked and captured on the journey and ultimately dies. In addition to the grief and sorrow suffered by Mother, Tim, and Sam, all of Father’s responsibilities now rest on the young Tim and Mother. Father’s absence is felt keenly by the remaining Meekers.

Father’s death is not the only death in the Meeker family caused by the war. When Sam is executed, it leaves Mother and Tim as the only remaining family members. Half of the family is dead because of the war. Their home life is forever changed, and the family heritage and dreams are destroyed. Like many women during the era, Mother suffers the worst kind of sorrow. She tells Tim that “[m]en must fight and women must weep” (202). Losing her husband and her son is almost more than she can bear, despite being strong spirited and practical. The war rips apart her family. Tim states in the Epilogue that although Mother lived a long life, she “never really got over Sam’s death” (210), highlighting the fact that families are impacted forever.