#OnThisDay 1775 Timothy Murphy and his brother (whose parents were from Donegal) joined the Continental Army to fight for American Independence. He initially joined Captain John Lowdon’s Company of Northumberland County Riflemen and fought at the Siege of Boston, crossed the Delaware with Washington and fought at the Battle of Princeton, Trenton and others.
Murphy was able to hit a seven inch target at 250 yards and so qualified for Morgan’s Rifle Corps (Also known as Morgan’s Rifles), an elite light infantry unit commanded by General Danial Morgan. They were equipped what was then the cutting-edge rifle instead of muskets, allowing for a Rifleman to have an effective range of double that of the average infantryman.
In 1777 at the second Battle of Saratoga (Bemis Heights), Murphy climbed a tree & at a range of 300 yards shot British General Fraser & his aide-de-camp, Sir Frances Clerke.
This action earned Murphy the nickname ‘Sure Shot Tim’ and won the battle that turned the tide of the war.
The Irish at War 