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Old 09-20-2010, 05:16 PM
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Default Revolutionary War Tactics

Hello everyone! This semester at UK I am taking an exploratory class to finish up my History minor. One of the requirements is a comparative book report on anything related to the revolutionary period IE roughly 1710ish to 1790ish, the topic is designed to be very open ended.
The topics I decided to explore are revolutionary war tactics and how they changed as the weapons and arms of the war evolved. Can anyone recommend any books on the subject of revolutionary arms and tactics and the effects they had on one another?
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Old 09-20-2010, 05:37 PM
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Sometime Google is your friend.

Revolutionary War - Military Tactics
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Old 09-20-2010, 05:42 PM
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On the Muzzleloader forum board they have a Rev War subsection. You have to join in order to read and post there. www.muzzleloadingforum.com

There are members that have explored the historical aspects of the War and are more than willing to share.

As far as the war, The British colonial stores of First Model long land pattern Brown Bess and the 2nd models in the colonies, were quickly raided and seized. Many French Fusil's de Chasse and Ordinaire were pressed into service. A mix of English Ketlands to Prussian Potsdam muskets were in supply. Even much earlier Dutch Club Butt fowlers were pressed into service. French Charleville muskets were also used.

I think a good look into the American long rifle would be a great place to start your research. Long range marksmanship using these guns, and sniping the British troops, along with the tactics the colonists used would make a interesting subject. Indian style tactics and how the colonists had adapted to them would be another....

Muskets of the Revolution & French & Indian Wars, the Smoothbore Longarm in Early America, including British, French, Dutch, German, Spanish and American Weapons book by Bill Ahearn . .

Soldiers of the American Revolution, by Don Troaini

Swords & Blades of the American Revolution, by George C. Newmann

United States Martial Flintlocks by Robert Reilly
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Old 09-20-2010, 05:59 PM
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Try to find yourself a copy of "Firepower - Weapons Effectiveness on the Battlefield, 1630-1850" by Major-General B.P. Hughes. It's EXACTLY what you're looking for.

It's probably out of print, but I got my copy at Half Price Books. You should be able to find a copy on Amazon for a reasonable price.

Another issue which you may either not know about or have considered is "span of control". It's a basic military science concept, and refers to the number of combatants that a leader at a particular echelon of command can effectively control. Massed formations were necessary, not just because of the limitations of smoothbore flintlock weapons, but because without tactical communications more effective than bugles and whistles, decentralized control and fragmented formations would have led to utter chaos on the battlefield.

Wolfe, Washington, Burgoyne, Napoleon, Wellington, Blucher and Suvorov fought the way they did because that was just about the only way they COULD fight effectively.
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Old 09-20-2010, 06:01 PM
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Here's a online resource from the NRA.. American Made Muskets in the Revolutionary War.

American Made Muskets in the Revolutionary War
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Old 09-20-2010, 06:04 PM
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I continue to be amazed at the depth and breadth of knowledge on this forum. All I know is that the British wore red coats, marched in straight ranks, while the Americans dressed in buckskins and hid behind rocks and trees. Maybe that had something to do with the outcome?

You guys are great. I think I will have to check out some books and get up to speed myself.


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Old 09-20-2010, 06:25 PM
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The role of the rifleman in the Revolutionary War has been somewhat overexaggerated, it was not until the Main Army was properly trained and drilled by Baron Von Steuben at Valley Forge that it could be declared the equal of the British. The one battle where riflemen truly distinguished themselves was Kings Mountain and at Bemis Heights when Timothy Murphy shot General Simon Fraser that took the spirit out of the British attack.
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Old 09-20-2010, 06:57 PM
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Quote:
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The role of the rifleman in the Revolutionary War has been somewhat overexaggerated, it was not until the Main Army was properly trained and drilled by Baron Von Steuben at Valley Forge that it could be declared the equal of the British. The one battle where riflemen truly distinguished themselves was Kings Mountain and at Bemis Heights when Timothy Murphy shot General Simon Fraser that took the spirit out of the British attack.
Bingo. Despite what our romanticized idea of the American Revolutionary fighting man might be, we turned the tide with European tactics. Without Von Steuben we might be speaking...well...English.
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Old 09-20-2010, 07:04 PM
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"Patriot Riflemen During the Ammunition Crisis at the Siege of Boston" in 1775 by Hugh Harrington

Hugh T. Harrington is an independent researcher living in Georgia.

Without the Rifleman units from Pennsylvania, the fledgling Revolution might have ended in Boston.


Link...to the Article.

http://www.americanrevolution.org/riflemen.html
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Old 09-20-2010, 07:10 PM
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For a look at American tactics in the first battle do a search for Hezekiah Wyman.
He had a rifle and knew how to use it.

Also search the phrase, "circle of fire." On the way back from Concord and Lexington the Regulars ran into that tactic.

Later in the war there was more reliance on typical European tactics.

"Mad Anthony" Wayne wrote a letter to his superior, possibly Gen. Washington asking that rifles be withdrawn from members of his command in favor of muskets and bayonets.
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Old 09-20-2010, 08:48 PM
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Get a copy of David McCullough's Pulitzer Prize winner, 1776. It will give you some real insight into the tactics and military thinking of that era. Read it with an atlas of New York, New Jersey, and Massachusetts maps at your side to see where the battle sites were.

Bob

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Old 09-20-2010, 08:58 PM
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Hi:
I don't think the "Tactics" changed until after the American Civil War (War of Southern Independences). The development of weapons did but not the tactics. The American Riflemen was a different type as they fought tactics learned from frontier indian warfare.
Jimmy
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Old 09-20-2010, 09:07 PM
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I may be wrong but the typical weaponry didn't change much at all during the 18th century. There was only minor difference between the British Brown Bess and the French standard musket, and only minor detail changes to each. Sure some American units used rifles, but they were a minority. Kings Mountain was the exception to that rule. Also with the exception of the frontier, smoothbore muskets, or fowling pieces were the normal household long arm among the civilian population.
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Old 09-20-2010, 09:50 PM
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Hi:
I don't think the "Tactics" changed until after the American Civil War (War of Southern Independences). The development of weapons did but not the tactics. The American Riflemen was a different type as they fought tactics learned from frontier indian warfare.
Jimmy
Also referred to as the "War of Northern Aggression".
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Old 09-20-2010, 10:10 PM
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The weapons changes and subtle tactical changes associated with the American rifleman was not as large a factor as generally believed except maybe a few places such a Kings Mountain. Most of the battles were still massed formation, which the Americans had to learn, largely the result of efforts by von Steuben (edit: ahh, I see von Steuben has already been mentioned by earlier posters, and rightly so!). The one tactical change in weapons that is interesting is the use of American riflemen to specifically target and pick off British officers at distance. This was considered an abominable and ungentlemanly practice. Indeed, an interesting difference in class distinction between the combatants!


I find the emergence and development of guerilla warfare under leaders like Francis Marion, and tactical moves by Nathaniel Greene using natural landscape features and local knowledge, very interesting. Also, there was the use of population terrorism tactics by Banastre Tarleton.
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Old 09-21-2010, 12:08 AM
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google "Patrick Ferguson" & "freguson rifle"

A little research will show how fate was on the U.S. side & how things could have been reversed but for a serious error in judgement by the British commanders.

The colonists nearly missed facing a repeating breech loader in muzzle loader days.

Jim
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Old 09-21-2010, 03:44 AM
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"Great Commanders & Their Battles" Livesy
"Battle Plans" Hutchinson
"Strategy & Tactics of War" Wilmot & Pinlot
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Old 09-21-2010, 06:28 PM
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I own one of the original copies of this book....

The Writings of George Washington
Being His Correspondence, Addresses Messages and Other
Paper, Official and Private

Selected and Published from the Original Manuscripts

Consider this a primary document.

It is over 550 pages of script from Washington dealing with the War for Independance.....in his words. Letters to and from his Generals, family, friends, Congress, supporters, and detractors. It starts in July of 1777 and continues to April 14th 1778.....

An important book. So much so that it has been transcribed and made available on the Internet...

Here is a link to a online transcription of the book I found...

http://etext.virginia.edu/toc/modeng/public/WasFi05.html
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Old 09-21-2010, 06:56 PM
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For a tactical masterpiece, study Nathaniel Greene's battle plan for the Battle of Guilford Courthouse in N. C. (Greene was a Quaker, but felt the cause so just he must take up arms. He was known as "The Quaker General". He survived the War, but lost virtually everything during it, and died in a state of near poverty.)

Marvelous use of the resources at hand.

Basically, since he had little resources, he led the Brits on a wild goose chase around the coountry for 2 or 3 weeks, tiring them out, and forcing them to abandon supply wagons and other heavy resources to follow him in rough country.

He stood at Guilford CH with a brilliant plan that involved 3 lines. First two were to fire volleys and fall back, everyone ultimately standing at the last line. This plan would help to overcome the colonials' lack of training, ability, and possession of the bayonet, which of course the Brits relied on heavily.

Long detailed story worth studying.
At one point, it looked so likely that the Americans would carry the field that the Brits fired grape into the melee at the battle line where their own troops were engaged in CQB! A Brit major was killed by his own side's grape, but it did break up the line, and Greene's forces faded into the woods at their rear.

Technically a Brit victory, but so costly they never fought another major battle in the South, and moved most troops to the North.
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Old 09-21-2010, 07:13 PM
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Greene was probably inspired by Daniel Morgan's tactics at the Cowpens.
He positioned his militia in front of his main battle line, since he knew they would probably break anyway he told them that all he expected was two volleys, then they could withdraw. He put his riflemen in the first line as skirmishers. He positioned his troops on high ground so the British would basically be attacking up hill, he kept his dragoons in reserve so he launch a rapid counterattack if necessary. He ended up achieving a double envelopment and annihilated Tarleton's force.
The drill manuals of the period are the original source for tactics as the drills were the tactics.
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Old 09-21-2010, 07:35 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by BLACKHAWKNJ View Post
Greene was probably inspired by Daniel Morgan's tactics at the Cowpens.
He positioned his militia in front of his main battle line, since he knew they would probably break anyway he told them that all he expected was two volleys, then they could withdraw. He put his riflemen in the first line as skirmishers. He positioned his troops on high ground so the British would basically be attacking up hill, he kept his dragoons in reserve so he launch a rapid counterattack if necessary. He ended up achieving a double envelopment and annihilated Tarleton's force.
The drill manuals of the period are the original source for tactics as the drills were the tactics.
Rifleman as skirmishers, and when the Brits thought that they had the advantage after that first volley, they advanced into a trap. Who'd of thunk?

Never discount the rifleman...I'm linin' up all my reference's
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Old 09-22-2010, 09:48 AM
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The use of riflemen as skirmishers and scouts I believe started during the 7 years war.Rifles are slow to reload and you could not mount a bayonet thats why muskets and bayonets ruled.
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Old 09-22-2010, 01:12 PM
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Following up on Nathaniel Greene and the war in the south, a couple of good books I have enjoyed are :

The Fighting Quaker: Nathaniel Greene, by Elsworth Thane

and

The Road to Guilford Courthouse, by John Buchanan

He was quite the strategic leader with his use of resources. Having grown up in that area and visiting Guilford Courthouse often, I was glad to be able to participate as a militiaman at the bicentennial celebration and battle re-enactment.
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Old 09-22-2010, 05:21 PM
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Rifles are not slow to reload....where is that information coming from. It is as erroneous today as it was when G. Washington was fed it, back in the day...

Total HorsePucky...

Rifleman had speedloaders, same as today... Some will answer prove me just in the assertion, others will just nod and say it makes sense.....
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Old 09-22-2010, 05:32 PM
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Rifles are not slow to reload....where is that information coming from. It is as erroneous today as it was when G. Washington was fed it, back in the day...

Total HorsePucky...

Rifleman had speedloaders, same as today... Some will answer prove me just in the assertion, others will just nod and say it makes sense.....
European style muzzle loading rifles were VERY slow to load because the bore sized ball was HAMMERED down the barrel.

Pennsylvania rifles were faster because they used a patched ball. They were still slower to load than muskets.

The Ferguson was faster still, and finally faster AND more accurate than the musket because it was breach loaded with a bore sized ball.
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Old 09-22-2010, 05:42 PM
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Not directed at you Cmort...you just happened to be the above poster....

I have a Jaeger that is coned, I also have a loading block for it...

Never will it be as fast as a paper cartridge smoothbore...of which I own several...

But slow..... Never.

Spit patched every 5th ball is enough...


I'm now wondering which side of the mouth many of the posters here are speakin' from....Experience or Hearsay...
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Old 09-22-2010, 06:07 PM
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The closet thing riflemen had to a "speedloader" was a loading block, mine has 6 holes in it, a lanyard to wear around the neck. You put 6 patched balls in it, that speeds up the loading process a little. The smoothbore musket was more popular as a civilian firearm, the Eastern Woodlands were pretty thick then (still are), long distance capacity was not need, plus the smoothbore could double as a fowling piece.
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Old 09-22-2010, 06:13 PM
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Spit patched every 5th ball is enough...
Giz,

When there is nothing between you and a Redcoat with a fixed bayonet but a split rail fence, where do you get that much spit?

Bob
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Old 09-22-2010, 06:15 PM
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Rifles are not slow to reload....where is that information coming from. It is as erroneous today as it was when G. Washington was fed it, back in the day...

Total HorsePucky...

Rifleman had speedloaders, same as today... Some will answer prove me just in the assertion, others will just nod and say it makes sense.....
You have to look at BATTLE conditions, and prepare for ANY contingency-

Have you ever fired your rifle for 6 hours, maybe longer? How many shots would that be?
Plus, you just got WHUPPED, and need to retreat. So now, you're boogeying thru the woods with a REAL dirty rifle, and it is dark, and it starts to RAIN, and you are tired and hungry. Wanna stop, and clean Ol' Betsy? Probably a good idea, but it gets worse- the enemy had fresh Infantry and Light Dragoons arrive at the battle's end. The infantry is chasing you, the dragoons outdistance you and set up a blocking force.
You now have an army that needs to be skillful at stick fighting, unless your enemy waits for you to clean your rifles. Had you equipped them with muskets and bayonets, you might have pulled it off......
Banzai!!
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Old 09-22-2010, 06:28 PM
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Lee,

Banzai!!! Your choice, Amigo. Not mine.

I live this, own the various guns alluded to. I shoot them regularly, re-enact with them often. My opinion is not one of having read about it....I've use them, lived with them, know their faults and honor....

Also have a pretty good handle on the history of these guns, their aspects in the timeline, etc...

You seem to have taken exception to my postings of the American History of the firearms I pursue, and the subject matter,....for what reason, I do not know.

I post historical references, bits of history...pieces of our collective past. It's not all pretty and nicely summed up, sometimes it's abit in disarray...

But we need to sort through it every century or so to make sense of the ordeal our Founders went through...

Say the word, and I will not haunt the forum again....



Or, Bail your butt out of the deep South and come up here next month and live with me and some other retro-bates... We will cleanse the present times, put your head in a better place, and make the insanity more bearable....Next Vous up here is the weekend after Columbus Day, I'm headin' in on Thurs and not leavin' until Sunday. Be proud to arrange your pickup at the airport. Not sure of the departure....

You'll prolly never want to leave....




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Old 09-22-2010, 07:05 PM
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Lee,

Banzai!!! Your choice, Amigo. Not mine.
Not sure I understand what you mean, but I'm assuming you took "Banzai" as a challenge for personal combat. Unfortunately, I am wearing my "good clothes", and Momma will whip me if I get them dirty.
Actually, I was stating that an army with unusable firearms facing a force with usable firearms had better be willing to make a "Banzai" charge, or simply mill around and be shot.



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You seem to have taken exception to my postings of the American History of the firearms I pursue, and the subject matter,....for what reason, I do not know.
Scuuuuuse me.
I thought it was a discussion forum.
I don't recall 'taking exception' to your posts. I find them quite interesting, and like them. I usually have little to contribute, not being expert in BP.
I do know military history to some degree, and understand the larger picture of logistics that accompanies any soldier/army/battle/war.
Continuing the discussion, let's assume for a moment that the rifle was as practical in that day for battle.
Where would you even get enough to equip an army?
The only thing resembling a mass production factory in that day were government armories, or large contractors for European armories. None of them would be willing to convert to rifle manufacture for a bunch of rebs with little money. So we used the seized Brit arms, what the French supplied us, and whatever we could beg/buy/borrow/steal. Can you imagine trying to equip 50,000 riflemen with the production of one, two, or three man riflesmith shops in the colonies? Can you imagine the differences in bore diameter between all those various rifles and molds? Try loading your favorite rifle with a ball 10 thousandths too large. Then, try it dirty. I just miked a business card that is 11/1000's thick.... What a logistical nightmare.

The rifle became a practical, usable battle weapon because of Minie.
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Old 09-22-2010, 07:35 PM
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Lee,

Come to Maine. I'll make a rifleman out of you yet....

Honestly, I own as many smoothbores as rifles. My preference is the smoothbore. Mostly because of their utility.

Rifles are, and will always be the superior weapon ... I can load a smoothbore at about 3 shots a minute and shoot minute of pie plate at 25 yards. I'm pretty good at this.

I can do the same with a rifle and shoot a group at 100 yards that would take a man's heart out. I'm not so good at this....

For everyone, don't believe the stories, until you've shouldered the guns...

Steve
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Old 09-22-2010, 07:42 PM
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Here's some Revolutionary War humor at my expense. I have some much younger friends (young enough to be my sons) I associate with in the hobby of archery and last July at a camp out I asked them if they knew when the first instance of syncronizing watches occurred in battle. They gave up. I told them it was during the battle of Trenton after Washington crossed the Delaware and he divided his troops with instructions that the attacks would commence at XYZ o'clock. He syncronized his watch with that of the officer leading the other half of the army.

One of my younger friends asked me "Which direction did you go?"
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Old 09-22-2010, 08:35 PM
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^^^ Really LOL ...
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Old 09-22-2010, 09:58 PM
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washington disbanded the riflemen during the war.and daniel morgan was such a cry baby up north and got mad and took his little rifle corps and went home.at cowpens he did reedeem hisself but by making it hard to run by having the river behind his men. and by putting the militia up front. I am glad to see a rev war topic here.I have lived that war and time period since 1989 as militia.but our army was no good until we learned how to use the bayonett.as the hessian commander fighting up north said. these riflemen are to pitied not feared.after their first shot they take to long to reload and find their selfs pinned to the trees by our bayonetts.but at guilford courthouse the militia fired the 2 volleys that was asked of them before they fell back.did do heave damage to the brit chains of command by killing subaltrens and officers.
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Old 10-23-2010, 07:36 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gizamo View Post
"Patriot Riflemen During the Ammunition Crisis at the Siege of Boston" in 1775 by Hugh Harrington

Hugh T. Harrington is an independent researcher living in Georgia.

Without the Rifleman units from Pennsylvania, the fledgling Revolution might have ended in Boston.


Link...to the Article.

Riflemen 1775
Gizamo - I am delighted that you like that article. The latest "Journal of Military History" [Oct. 2010] has an article of mine on Timothy Murphy at Saratoga. In that article I believe I conclusively prove that Murphy did not kill Simon Fraser. I traced the "history" of the Murphy story and unfortunately it originated in the 1850's - in his own lifetime Murphy was not credited with making the shot. Historians have simply parrotted the Murphy story for 150 years. Also, there is the question of ballistics of a roundball at great distances and the unsurmountable problems with making such a shot which apparently had not been considered before.
But! History is never set in stone - it is constantly evolving as new information comes to light or we see old information in new ways.
Hugh Harrington
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Old 10-23-2010, 08:29 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gizamo View Post
...
Rifles are, and will always be the superior weapon ... I can load a smoothbore at about 3 shots a minute and shoot minute of pie plate at 25 yards. I'm pretty good at this.

I can do the same with a rifle and shoot a group at 100 yards that would take a man's heart out. I'm not so good at this....
I would love to see a video of someone hitting the lethal area of a life-size silhouette 6 times in two minutes firing offhand with an 18th century rifle.

I'm sure *somebody* can do such a thing, but I feel certain it was beyond the ability of the average colonial rifleman.
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Old 10-23-2010, 09:04 PM
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13 Rounds in 5 minutes ~ Sustained fire. Not going for speed, as the ramrod would not be reseated each shot. Prolly save 5-6 seconds on that with each shot.

YouTube - Sustained fire - Baker flintlock rifle
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Old 10-23-2010, 09:06 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Maggie Drawers View Post
Gizamo - I am delighted that you like that article. The latest "Journal of Military History" [Oct. 2010] has an article of mine on Timothy Murphy at Saratoga. In that article I believe I conclusively prove that Murphy did not kill Simon Fraser. I traced the "history" of the Murphy story and unfortunately it originated in the 1850's - in his own lifetime Murphy was not credited with making the shot. Historians have simply parrotted the Murphy story for 150 years. Also, there is the question of ballistics of a roundball at great distances and the unsurmountable problems with making such a shot which apparently had not been considered before.
But! History is never set in stone - it is constantly evolving as new information comes to light or we see old information in new ways.
Hugh Harrington

Hugh, I'll have to find a copy and buy one....

Can't wait to read the article...thanks!
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Old 10-23-2010, 09:11 PM
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Journal of Military History is subscription only. But, you might find it in a library or get a librarian to get you the article on inter-library loan. The title is "The Other Mystery Shot of the American Revolution: Did Timothy Murphy Kill British Brigadier General Simon Fraser at Saratoga." it's pages 1037-1045. It is October 2010, Vol. 74, No. 4.
I hope you enjoy it.
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Old 10-23-2010, 09:16 PM
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Thanks Hugh, I'll try the inter-library loan....

I remember reading this one that you published as well....

The Man Who Shot Simon Fraser
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Old 10-23-2010, 10:00 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gizamo View Post
13 Rounds in 5 minutes ~ Sustained fire. Not going for speed, as the ramrod would not be reseated each shot. Prolly save 5-6 seconds on that with each shot.

YouTube - Sustained fire - Baker flintlock rifle
I don't wish to nitpick, but there are significant differences between the (19th--not 18th century) Baker rifle and the rifles our colonial predecessors were using a few decades prior. The Baker could be loaded quite a bit faster.
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Old 10-23-2010, 10:10 PM
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The Frontiersmen: A Narrative by Allan W. Eckert.

Don't know if this qualifies but it is a great read and a Kentucky legend, Simon Kenton, is prominently featured. Fact based fiction, the author makes the time period come alive. Not a short book, at some 600 pages, it is compelling and goes into much detail about the time period. I highly recommend reading this one.

Amazon.com: The Frontiersmen: A Narrative (9780945084914): Allan W. Eckert: Books

From Amazon
Editorial Reviews
Product Description
The frontiersmen were a remarkable breed of men. They were often rough and illiterate, sometimes brutal and vicious, often seeking an escape in the wilderness of mid-America from crimes committed back east. In the beautiful but deadly country which would one day come to be known as West Virginia, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois, more often than not they left their bones to bleach beside forest paths or on the banks of the Ohio River, victims of Indians who claimed the vast virgin territory and strove to turn back the growing tide of whites. These frontiersmen are the subjects of Allan Eckert's dramatic history.

Against the background of such names as George Rogers Clark, Daniel Boone, Arthur St. Clair, Anthony Wayne, Simon Girty and William Henry Harrison, Eckert has recreated the life of one of America's most outstanding heroes, Simon Kenton. Kenton's role in opening the Northwest Territory to settlement more than rivaled that of his friend Daniel Boone. By his eighteenth birthday, Kenton had already won frontier renown as woodsman, fighter and scout. His incredible physical strength and endurance, his great dignity and innate kindness made him the ideal prototype of the frontier hero.

Yet there is another story to The Frontiersmen. It is equally the story of one of history's greatest leaders, whose misfortune was to be born to a doomed cause and a dying race. Tecumseh, the brilliant Shawnee chief, welded together by the sheer force of his intellect and charisma an incredible Indian confederacy that came desperately close to breaking the thrust of the white man's westward expansion. Like Kenton, Tecumseh was the paragon of his people's virtues, and the story of his life, in Allan Eckert's hands, reveals most profoundly the grandeur and the tragedy of the American Indian.

No less importantly, The Frontiersmen is the story of wilderness America itself, its penetration and settlement, and it is Eckert's particular grace to be able to evoke life and meaning from the raw facts of this story. In The Frontiersmen not only do we care about our long-forgotten fathers, we live again with them.

Researched for seven years, The Frontiersmen is the first in Mr. Eckert's "The Winning of America" series.
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Old 10-23-2010, 10:22 PM
Maggie Drawers Maggie Drawers is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gizamo View Post
Thanks Hugh, I'll try the inter-library loan....

I remember reading this one that you published as well....

The Man Who Shot Simon Fraser
You DO have a long memory! That was a preliminary look at the Murphy story. The Jo of Military History article is much enhanced. Thank you for reading my work for such a long time.
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Old 10-23-2010, 10:57 PM
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Maggie Drawers: I wonder how many besides you and I know what that means?
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Old 10-24-2010, 12:21 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by cussedemgun View Post
google "Patrick Ferguson" & "freguson rifle"

A little research will show how fate was on the U.S. side & how things could have been reversed but for a serious error in judgement by the British commanders.

The colonists nearly missed facing a repeating breech loader in muzzle loader days.

Jim

I suspect that Ferguson could have used a few of his own rifles at King's Mountain.

Buck
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Old 10-24-2010, 05:28 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Frailer View Post
I don't wish to nitpick, but there are significant differences between the (19th--not 18th century) Baker rifle and the rifles our colonial predecessors were using a few decades prior. The Baker could be loaded quite a bit faster.


I use a short barrelled Jaegar in 60 cal. It has a coned barrel so I can actually thumbstart my ball. It is both historically correct and period correct for a Rev War era gun. Not a military gun, by any means... It's a hunting gun.



Pray tell, how could you load and fire a Baker "Quite a bit Faster" than my Jaegar?
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Old 10-24-2010, 06:13 AM
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Maggie Drawers: I wonder how many besides you and I know what that means?
Ha! I've been using it for years and you're the first person to acknowledge understanding the term.
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Old 10-24-2010, 06:17 AM
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Gizamo - that's a beautiful rifle. I have a 50 cal flint in a early Virginia style. I've often thought of coning the barrel but didn't want to screw it up. I agree - thumbing is fast. I don't believe that short starters were used historically - they used a much looser ball/patch fit.
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Old 10-24-2010, 09:36 AM
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"Maggie's Drawers"...The red flag waved from the target pit signifying a complete miss of the target...certainly not an appropriate use by this author!!

Bob
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