Who was the most famous enlisted rifleman of the American Revolution?
He enlisted June 29th, 1775 in Captain John Lowdon’s Company of Northumberland County Riflemen In 1777, he was selected as one of 500 hand picked riflemen to go with General Daniel Morgan to Upstate New York and help stop General John Burgoyne and his invading British Army. Tim was a major contributor to the Victory. As the battles around Saratoga raged, the British were being rallied by Brigadier General Simon Fraser. General Benedict Arnold, pointing at Fraser, shouted ” . . . that man on the gray horse is a host in himself and must be disposed of”. Morgan gave the order for his best marksmen to take him out. Timothy Murphy climbed a nearby tree, finding a comfortable notch to rest his double barreled rifle, took careful aim at the distance of 300 yards, and squeezed off a shot. General Fraser tumbled from his horse, shot through the midsection. Taken from the field, died the next day. Sir Frances Clarke, General Burgoyne’s chief Aide-de-Camp, galloped onto the field with an importan
