Flag of the First Pa Continental Rifles
Based upon a vote by RWVA members, This range is named after Timothy Murphy, arguably the most famous enlisted man of the American Revolution. Murphy was also a native born son of Pennsylvania, who picked up his rifle in 1775 to give us our country. In the Saratoga campaign in 1777, Murphy was a member of General Daniel Morgan’s handpicked core of Pennsylvania and Virginia riflemen. Murphy is credited at the battle of Bemis heights for killing British General Simon Fraser from a tree at a distance of 300 yards. This shot prevented a British rally. The Saratoga campaign was part of a British attempt to effectively cut the rebellious American colonies in half. Instead, The result of the campaign was the complete surrender of British commander General John Burgoyne and his entire army. This American victory was essential in bringing the French aid that eventual led to American independence. A common Pennsylvania Rifleman made an uncommonly good rifle shot that took an able British commander off the field. This helped win a battle that secured the independence that the American states declared in 1776. To understand the accomplishments of this American Hero, it is important to understand the world he came from.
Tim Murphy was born in the area of the Delaware Water gap, to a family who had emigrated from County Donegal, Ireland. The family later moved across the Susquehanna River to the area that is now Sunbury, Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania frontier of that time was still recovering from the many native raids, which took place during both the French and Indian War and Pontiac's War. Warriors from the Shawnee and other tribes had raided many isolated farmsteads, killing, maiming, and kidnapping. Many of the settlers (Like the Murphy family) had immigrated from Northern Ireland where there had been perpetual conflict since the late 1500's. These were a people accustomed to war and hardship. In order to protect their homes, the settlers had to evolve into experts at wilderness warfare, being able to scout, raid, and practice woodcraft in order to battle hostile Indians on their own terms. Frontier Pennsylvania was also a hunting culture by necessity.
To these woodland skills, were added a superb weapon known today as the Pennsylvania Rifle, the Kentucky rifle, or the American Long Rifle. Gunsmiths from German speaking kingdoms of central Europe (There was no unified country called Germany) had also immigrated to Pennsylvania, bringing the technology of rifling barrels. Rifling places a twist on the bullet, extending the range and accuracy of the bullet. The grooves or rifling had been used in Germany on short barreled, thickly stocked hunting rifles (the Rifles were called "Jaegers" in German, which means "hunter") To adapt the short barreled Jaeger to new World conditions, Pennsylvania German gunsmiths began reducing the caliber and lengthening the barrel. The caliber reductions were probably to save on expensive lead and powder. By the 1760's these rifles were becoming common from Pennsylvania south to the Carolinas, especially among professional hunters and those settlers lucky enough to afford one.
In April 1775, the first shots of the American Revolution rang out at Lexington and Concord. While many of the New England minutemen were hunters and veterans of Indian Wars, their principle weapon was the smoothbore musket. Most historians agree that the rifle was virtually unknown in New England in 1775. After about 80 yards, it is difficult to hit a man-sized target effectively with a smoothbore. By comparison, the effective range of a long rifle was easily 200 yards, and more in the hands of an expert.
After the commencement of shooting, the Continental Congress needed to send troops to help the New England colonies dislodge the British from Boston. Members of the Continental Congress from the middle colonies were aware of the skills of the backwoods riflemen, and resolved to raise up companies of these marksmen for service in Boston.
On June 29th, 1775 Timothy Murphy enlisted in Captain John Lowdon's Company in Northumberland County. Lowden’s company was attached to Thompson’s battalion and incorporated into the first Pennsylvania Rifle Regiment. The battalions and companies made their way to Boston by walking. All along the route, the frontier riflemen of Pennsylvania, Maryland and Virginia stopped to show off for the eastern Towns, demonstrating marksmanship, and sometimes tomahawk throwing. Both their appearance and their skills made an impression on many bystanders: One wrote:
"They are remarkably stout and hardy men; many of them exceeding six feet in height. They are dressed in white frocks or rifle shirts and round hats. These men are remarkable for the accuracy of their aim; striking a mark with great certainty at two hundred yards distance’
These were mostly poor men, they could not afford the elegant waistcoats and buckled shoes of more prosperous New England farmers and craftsmen. Their principal garment was the long shirt, which they left hanging over their trousers. The British disdained these poor men, referring to them as “shirt-tail men”. However, they learned to both respect and fear these men and their rifles during the siege of Boston, calling them the most “dreaded widow and orphan makers in the world”.
Tim Murphy was one of these stout and hardy men. One source attributes him to emptying a British rowboat crossing Charles Town Harbor-with long range fire, at a distance of a half mile. With some of these stories, it may be hard after over 200 years to separate fact from fiction (Much like fishing stories). What we do know is that the backwoods riflemen were superb at breaking down British morale during the siege of Boston. Reports of the riflemen’s feats were even mentioned in speeches in Parliament by the friend of America,the great Edmund Burke.
As a hunting arm, there were many disadvantages to the long rifle for military purposes. It was much slower to load. It was not as stoutly built as a musket, and was not fitted for a bayonet. This left many riflemen in trouble if the British were able to close in, as they did during the Long Island campaign in 1776, where many rifleman were ruthlessly bayoneted multiple times. After some disasters like this, the best American military leadership began to use men like Tim Murphy as special purpose troops; sniping, scouting, and being backed up by light infantry in battle. In 1777, the best of the Rifleman from all the middle states were gathered under Daniel Morgan, into a special rifle corps. Tim Murphy was among those chosen.
Murphy's service did not end there. He fought in the 1778 campaigns against pro British Indians and served with distinction in the New York militia. He is reputed to have re-enlisted in the Continentals and been present at Yorktown. When peace came he farmed and ran a mill in upstate New York.
Men like Tim Murphy suffered and risked their lives to give us a free and independent nation where we would govern ourselves. At Appleseeds across America we honor them by learning who they were so we might once again become a people deserving of liberty and self government. In the process we learn one skill they had: marksmanship. We also have a little fun in the process.
sitting 
and prone including timed transitions
.
