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Which gun won the the Revolutionary War?
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Alpo
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Won? 5,6,7,8,9
Alpo
Member
But, misspellings aside, and ignoring my feelings about "guns are inanimate, and don't do things", I'd say the musket.
Simply because there we more of 'em.
For every twenty "long hunters" with a Pennsylvania rifle, there were 500 farmers, either militia or regulars, with muskets. If all we'd had was the American turkey hunter/Indian fighter, hiding behind a log sniping at the British from 150 yards away, we'd still be speaking English.
It was the hundreds of guys standing there, fifty feet from the enemy, with muskets - "volley, fix bayonets, charge" - that won the war.
Simply because there we more of 'em.
For every twenty "long hunters" with a Pennsylvania rifle, there were 500 farmers, either militia or regulars, with muskets. If all we'd had was the American turkey hunter/Indian fighter, hiding behind a log sniping at the British from 150 yards away, we'd still be speaking English.
It was the hundreds of guys standing there, fifty feet from the enemy, with muskets - "volley, fix bayonets, charge" - that won the war.
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Herknav
Member
Ours. 
...of course the message isn't long enough.
...of course the message isn't long enough.
mkk41
US Veteran
I think the role of the buckskin-clad mountain man , shooting from treetops 300yds away with his Pennsylvania/Kentucky rifle make for a good patriotic story , but is very much exaggerated. The Brown Bess and other English and French made muskets like the Charleville , won the war.
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lawandorder
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Quote from an article, "American Deer Rifles" by Jim Carmichel
I have always loved this passage from the article............
"Whether by hunting for food or profit, Americans became a nation of marksmen-an armed society of the deadliest riflemen the world had ever known. A society of civilians who owned guns-unheard of in the Old World-and used them well and willingly for just causes. This fact reverberated even into the British Parliament after a scruffy band of farmers and long hunters gathered in a remote river valley in a land now known as Tennessee and marched into history at a place called King's Mountain. The Tennesseans killed 225 of King George's troops, suffering only 28 losses, and the Battle of King's Mountain became a turning point in the fight for independence and forever established America as a nation of riflemen. The ragtag band patriots that routed the redcoats on that October day in 1780 were not ordinary soldiers; they were deer hunters."
My 4th Gr. Grandfather was one of those men at King"s Mt.
I have always loved this passage from the article............
"Whether by hunting for food or profit, Americans became a nation of marksmen-an armed society of the deadliest riflemen the world had ever known. A society of civilians who owned guns-unheard of in the Old World-and used them well and willingly for just causes. This fact reverberated even into the British Parliament after a scruffy band of farmers and long hunters gathered in a remote river valley in a land now known as Tennessee and marched into history at a place called King's Mountain. The Tennesseans killed 225 of King George's troops, suffering only 28 losses, and the Battle of King's Mountain became a turning point in the fight for independence and forever established America as a nation of riflemen. The ragtag band patriots that routed the redcoats on that October day in 1780 were not ordinary soldiers; they were deer hunters."
My 4th Gr. Grandfather was one of those men at King"s Mt.
GatorFarmer
Member
The rifle, though not how you'd think. It won the war with a shot that Ferguson didn't take (with his Ferguson rifle...), when he apparently had a chance to shoot George Washington but didn't take the shot.
sw44spl
Member
washington and the congress banned rifleman in the army. this was done early in the war.we didnt start winning the war until we learned how to fight like the british. that we were taught at valley forge. and yes ferguson had a chance to kill washington but didnt fire.I have lived the rev war for many years as a reenactor.many great books you can get good info from.speaking of kings mtn a great book on it is titled king mtn and its heros.yes some came from tenn but alot of locals fought there also.charlotte nc was called the hornets nest by the brits because when they left the city they were attacked.
The more common name for those who won the battle of Kings Mountain was the "Overmountain Men". They came from the mountains of Virginia, North Carolina, and what was to become Kentucky and Tennesse. Brave men all.
sw44spl
Member
shelbys men came from KY, campbells men came from VA .sevier came from tenn.cleveland,chronicle,winston,mcdowell,hambright and grahams men all came from NC.williams,laceys men came from SC.
BLACKHAWKNJ
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When riflemen were employed properly and allowed to fight as they were skilled at-King's Mountain, e.g.-then they could be devastatingly effective. The best example of riflemen having an impact was at the Battle of Freeman's Farm and Bemis Heights during the Saratoga Campaign. But it was only after Valley Forge and Baron von Steuben's rigorous drilling that the Main Army became truly effective.
I also had ancestors who fought at King's Mountain - McBrooms and Crocketts. Scots-Irish who came when needed, whooped up on Tarleton and the other Green and Red coats, then went back home to the hills, and wanted to be left alone.
Were Ferguson's men armed with his rifle? if so, what happened to all of them as they're really rare now?
I also wonder who nobody has produced a reproduction of the Ferguson. There's replicas now of practically everything else.
I also wonder who nobody has produced a reproduction of the Ferguson. There's replicas now of practically everything else.
A company by the name of Narragansett Arms made a short run of replica Fergusons in the 80's or maybe the early 90's.
I think only about 250 or 300 total.
You can buy a FergusonRifle 'kit' from The Rifle Shoppe, Inc. in Oklahoma.
Their kits are rough castings as far as the metal parts go and alot of work is needed to build their rifles but they have some nice ones.
A Ferguson kit from them is about $1700 or $1800 w/ an assembled lock IIRC.
I think only about 250 or 300 total.
You can buy a FergusonRifle 'kit' from The Rifle Shoppe, Inc. in Oklahoma.
Their kits are rough castings as far as the metal parts go and alot of work is needed to build their rifles but they have some nice ones.
A Ferguson kit from them is about $1700 or $1800 w/ an assembled lock IIRC.
Ferguson, Washington, and the Ferguson rifle. Interesting stuff: George Washington's life spared: Major Patrick Ferguson's rifle was 100 years ahead of its time. - Free Online Library
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Thanks for the link, it was very informative.
lawandorder
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The war was won because the Americans had an Air Force and the British didn't.
Thank you, I learned some more history today. We got none of
this in school or high school. Also, the books I got from the library
about the Revolutionary War made no such points, as have been
linked to today. Really fascinating. Thanks to all, and those with forebears that were there, I salute. TACC1
this in school or high school. Also, the books I got from the library
about the Revolutionary War made no such points, as have been
linked to today. Really fascinating. Thanks to all, and those with forebears that were there, I salute. TACC1
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