1st Pennsylvania Regiment filled with good shots

Reading Eagle (PA) ^ | 12-30-11 | Bruce Posten

[Pharmboy]

What made Revolutionary War riflemen in the 1st Pennsylvania Regiment of the Continental Line so special?

They were good shots using the right gun, a Pennsylvania long rifle with curved grooves in the barrel and a soft lead ball, according to reenactors.

"These were sharpshooters who usually fought in pairs and were accurate in hitting a target within 200 to 300 yards," said Gregory A. Kreitz, 62, of Lower Heidelberg Township, a reenactor with the 1st Pennsylvania Regiment.

Using the Pennsylvania long rifle, a second sharpshooter was usually ready to fire when the first one finished, often from behind the cover of trees, ever ready for a tactical retreat to be able to fight again.

Most soldiers in military battle formations carried smooth-bore muskets, accurate only within 50 to 60 yards, but with bayonets attached for the inevitability of close-up fighting.

"With a musket, you might be able to get about three shots off in a minute, but with a rifle you only got one in that time, but it could be more accurate and deadly," said Kurt Ulrich, 52, Malvern Chester County, another reenactor. "The riflemen didn't have the bayonet, but usually carried a knife and tomahawk."

In his book "The Pennsylvania Line," historian John B.B. Trussell wrote of Pvt. Timothy Murphy of the 1st Pennsylvania Regiment fighting in upstate New York during the Saratoga campaign.

"On one occasion Col. Daniel Morgan told Pvt. Timothy Murphy, one of (Capt. James) Parr's men who was an especially fine marksman, to bring down the British Gen. Simon Fraser, and Murphy picked off the general with his first shot," Trussell wrote.

In 18th century warfare, targeting horses, artillery men, generals and drummer boys often led to chaos in the command ranks.

A good rifleman was often responsible for that.

[Pharmboy]

Some of you folk might not know about the importance of the Pennsylvania rifle (when made in Kentucky, the Kentucky rifle) in the RevWar, first made by German immigrants to PA. And, of course, the importance of those colonial sharpshooters.

[Pharmboy]

PA Long Rifle, circa 1780

The Charleville Musket, supplied by the French to us after 1777

The RevWar/Colonial History/General Washington ping list...

And Huzzahs! to all for the New Year!

Your Obdt and Humble Svt.,
P_____y

[ModelBreaker]

Was this the first widely distributed rifle in the world?

[hoosiermama]

My fifth great grandfathers were German Pennsylvania Farmers who signed the Bradford Accord: Michael Sanior and Daniel Mathius. One served at Fort Pitt the other at Valley Forge.
I have a picture of their grandson (and his family) and a rolling pin the grandson made and gave to my grandmother on her tenth birthday.
Do you have any more information on the gtoups participation in the war?

[KoRn]

I wonder how long the barrels were on those things. They sure as hell look alot longer than the one on my AR15. lol

I bet those rifles kicked like a mule.

[marktwain]

Here is a good account about how Timothy Murphey changed the course of the war at Saratoga.

http://www.pajack.com/stories/pennsylvania/timmurphy.html

[steelyourfaith]

Very interesting. Thanx for posting.

[Pharmboy]

Each long rifle had to be hand-crafted and were fairly expensive at the time. Although rifles were were first produced in Europe in the 1500s, they were mainly used for hunting and did not see wartime use until the mid 18th Century. The American frontiersmen--first in PA, western MD and then "over the mountains" e.g., KY--used them for hunting. They were made in America mainly by German immigrants or the sons of same.

The Brits thought the Americans were unsporting when they picked off officers from 250 yds away; but, they definitely helped us win the war.

Many say that without Daniel Morgan (born in NJ, but had a fight with his dad as a teenager and walked to Virginia) and his riflemen, the Battle of Saratoga would have likely gone to the Brits.

[Pharmboy]

The German patriot regiments came mainly from PA, NY and MD, although other states had some too. The DAR and other groups would be able to give you much information on this, as well as the local historical societies in PA. The records kept during the RevWar were surprisingly complete and carefully kept.

[Pharmboy]

Yes...very long-barreled. That’s one reason that they were not good field pieces. Some were .60 cal, but the American frontiersmen often used smaller calibers so they would need less lead. And I imagine they kicked like a mule (esp. the .50 and .60 cals).

[Pharmboy]

A well-outfitted PA or VA rifleman. More often, the hunting shirts that
they typically wore would not have been as fancy as this guy's.

[nathanbedford]

This is not an absurd speculation, how would the Welsh longbow of The Hundred Years War fare against the massed infantry with muskets of the Revolution, and for that matter, against massed infantry with muskets of the American War between The States?

I understand Wellington sought archers but the art had by that time virtually died out.

[SunkenCiv]

GGG managers are SunkenCiv, StayAt HomeMother & Ernest_at_the_Beach	join list or digest view topics view or post blog bookmark post a topic subscribe
Thanks Pharmboy. [singing] Kentucky shooters strike with their own kind of rif'... Just adding to the catalog, not sending a general distribution. To all -- please ping me to other topics which are appropriate for the GGG list.

[Pharmboy]

Not absurd at all...the Welsh bowmen could reload--as you know--much quicker than an infantry musketman. Also, the musket's effective range was about 50 yards, while the arrow had a much longer range. The 18th century soldier had, of course, no armor (although the arrows could pierce plate armor) and no shield so the massed array of bowmen would have been devastating. And what about the cross bow for close-in fighting?

Alas, as you say, there was no one skilled in either long bow-making or arrow-shooting.

Thought-provoking point issue...thanks!

[dog breath]

These weapons also made settlement of Kentucky and the Ohio River Valley possible. The Americans on the frontier needed an edge against the Indians.

[Salohcin]

The longbow would have had a longer range and a greater rate of fire, but it took years of practice to master. A musketeer was was more easily trained so that it was easier to gather a larger force that could overwhelm the archers, whose battle losrs would also not be as easily replaced. That is why even the much cruder matchlocks quickly displaced longbows on the battlefield.

[PGR88]

thanks!

[american_ranger]

Black powder burns slower than modern powders. Rifles like this don’t “kick” as much as they push. A longer push because the slower moving bullet takes longer to move down the barrel. The longer barrel was for two purposes; more bullet time in the barrel so the black powder will completely burn and more time in the rifling of the barrel to impart a spin on the bullet.

My sons have shot a lot of modern handguns and rifles. They both received a .44 black powder pistol for this Christmas. They both remarked about the “push” and not a “kick”.

Sorry, I am not in a financial situation to adopt anyone.

[ebshumidors]

Come to an Appleseed and carry on the tradition. See my tagline.

[TLEIBY308]

I shoot these rifles every week and hunt with them. They do not kick bad, more like a hard push.Black powder burns slower than smokeless so the recoil is not as sharp.