Timothy Murphy
Encyclopedia
Timothy Murphy was a sniper
in the American Revolutionary War
. At the Battle of Bemis Heights (Second Battle of Saratoga) on October 7, 1777, Murphy is reputed to have shot and killed Sir Francis Clerke and General Simon Fraser. Murphy's life is the subject of John Brick's 1953 novel, The Rifleman.
. His parents were immigrants from County Donegal
, Ireland
, and moved to Shamokin Flats (now Sunbury, Pennsylvania
) in 1759, when Murphy was eight years old. A few years later, Murphy became an apprentice to a Mr. van Campen, and moved with the van Campen family to the Wyoming Valley
, which was then the frontier.
, the Battle of Long Island
, and "skirmishing in Westchester". After this, Murphy was promoted to the rank of sergeant
in the Continental Army
's 12th Pennsylvania Regiment
and fought at the battles of Trenton
and Princeton
. Murphy was an "expert marksman", defined as being "able to hit a seven inch target at 250 yards". In July 1777 this skill led to Murphy joining Daniel Morgan
's newly formed "Sharpshooter Corps".
Later that year, he was selected as one of 500 handpicked riflemen to go with General Daniel Morgan to Upstate New York to help stop General John Burgoyne
and the British Army. As the battles around Saratoga raged, the British, having been pushed back, were being rallied by Brigadier General Simon Fraser. Benedict Arnold
rode up to General Morgan, pointed at Fraser and told Morgan the man was worth a regiment. Morgan called on Murphy and said: "That gallant officer is General Fraser. I admire him, but it is necessary that he should die, do your duty." Murphy climbed a nearby tree, took careful aim at the extreme distance of 300 yards, and fired four times. The first shot was a close miss, the second grazed the General's horse, and with the third, Fraser tumbled from his horse, shot through the stomach. General Fraser died that night. British Senior officer Sir Francis Clerke, General Burgoyne's chief aide-de-camp
, galloped onto the field with a message. Murphy's fourth shot killed him instantly. Murphy also fought at the battle of the Middle Fort in 1780.
farmers of the valley, Johannes Feeck. Murphy took to scouting more frequently in the direction of his farm, and at first was highly welcome. However, when the farmer and his wife realized that the real reason was a growing attraction between the Irishman and their daughter Margaret (Peggy), Murphy was told not to return. Undeterred, Murphy secured leave from his sympathetic commander, and eloped with Peggy to Duanesburgh to be married by the nearest available Dominie
. Peggy's father became reconciled to the marriage when Murphy let it be known he would otherwise take his new bride to Pennsylvania.
Shortly thereafter, when the British raided the Schoharie Valley, and Murphy's fame among his neighbors reached its zenith at the defense of the Middle Fort (see sidebar), Peggy was with him, molding bullets, loading muskets, and swearing to take up a spear when the ammunition ran out. Early in 1781, Murphy reenlisted in the Pennsylvania Line under General Wayne and was present for the final Battle of Yorktown. He returned to the Schoharie at the war's end.
.
at Middleburgh
, New York. Although the State Legislature voted to erect a monument to Murphy in 1819, none was built until some of his descendants purchased one to be placed in the cemetery in 1910. The bronze bas-relief plaque was designed by noted sculptress Evelyn Beatrice Longman
(1874–1954). In 1913 a marker was placed commemorating Murphy at the Saratoga Battlefield
, and the state put up its own marker there in 1929. In dedicating that monument, Governor Franklin D. Roosevelt
said:
Murphy is a hero in Schoharie County, New York
where he resided. In the cemetery there, an annual walk is named in his honor.
Sniper
A sniper is a marksman who shoots targets from concealed positions or distances exceeding the capabilities of regular personnel. Snipers typically have specialized training and distinct high-precision rifles....
in the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
. At the Battle of Bemis Heights (Second Battle of Saratoga) on October 7, 1777, Murphy is reputed to have shot and killed Sir Francis Clerke and General Simon Fraser. Murphy's life is the subject of John Brick's 1953 novel, The Rifleman.
Early life
Relatively few details of Murphy's early life are known. He was born in 1751 near the Delaware Water GapDelaware Water Gap
The Delaware Water Gap is on the border of New Jersey and Pennsylvania where the Delaware River cuts through a large ridge of the Appalachian Mountains...
. His parents were immigrants from County Donegal
County Donegal
County Donegal is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Ulster. It is named after the town of Donegal. Donegal County Council is the local authority for the county...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, and moved to Shamokin Flats (now Sunbury, Pennsylvania
Sunbury, Pennsylvania
Sunbury is a city in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, United States. The city is located on the east bank of the Susquehanna River, just downstream of the confluence of its main and West branches. The population was 9,905 at the 2010 census...
) in 1759, when Murphy was eight years old. A few years later, Murphy became an apprentice to a Mr. van Campen, and moved with the van Campen family to the Wyoming Valley
Wyoming Valley
Wyoming Valley is a region of northeastern Pennsylvania. As a metropolitan area, it is also known as the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre area, after its principal cities, Scranton and Wilkes-Barre....
, which was then the frontier.
Revolutionary War
On June 29, 1775, shortly after the start of the Revolutionary War, Timothy Murphy and his brother John enlisted in the Northumberland County Riflemen, specifically Captain John Lowdon's Company. Their unit saw action in the Siege of BostonSiege of Boston
The Siege of Boston was the opening phase of the American Revolutionary War, in which New England militiamen—who later became part of the Continental Army—surrounded the town of Boston, Massachusetts, to prevent movement by the British Army garrisoned within...
, the Battle of Long Island
Battle of Long Island
The Battle of Long Island, also known as the Battle of Brooklyn or the Battle of Brooklyn Heights, fought on August 27, 1776, was the first major battle in the American Revolutionary War following the United States Declaration of Independence, the largest battle of the entire conflict, and the...
, and "skirmishing in Westchester". After this, Murphy was promoted to the rank of sergeant
Sergeant
Sergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent....
in the Continental Army
Continental Army
The Continental Army was formed after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War by the colonies that became the United States of America. Established by a resolution of the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775, it was created to coordinate the military efforts of the Thirteen Colonies in...
's 12th Pennsylvania Regiment
12th Pennsylvania Regiment
The 12th Pennsylvania Regiment also known as Northumberland Defense Battalion was raised August 23, 1776 at Sunbury, Pennsylvania as a state militia regiment and later for service with the Continental Army. The regiment would see action during the Battle of Brandywine, Battle of Germantown and the...
and fought at the battles of Trenton
Battle of Trenton
The Battle of Trenton took place on December 26, 1776, during the American Revolutionary War, after General George Washington's crossing of the Delaware River north of Trenton, New Jersey. The hazardous crossing in adverse weather made it possible for Washington to lead the main body of the...
and Princeton
Battle of Princeton
The Battle of Princeton was a battle in which General George Washington's revolutionary forces defeated British forces near Princeton, New Jersey....
. Murphy was an "expert marksman", defined as being "able to hit a seven inch target at 250 yards". In July 1777 this skill led to Murphy joining Daniel Morgan
Daniel Morgan
Daniel Morgan was an American pioneer, soldier, and United States Representative from Virginia. One of the most gifted battlefield tacticians of the American Revolutionary War, he later commanded troops during the suppression of the Whiskey Rebellion.-Early years:Most authorities believe that...
's newly formed "Sharpshooter Corps".
Later that year, he was selected as one of 500 handpicked riflemen to go with General Daniel Morgan to Upstate New York to help stop General John Burgoyne
John Burgoyne
General John Burgoyne was a British army officer, politician and dramatist. He first saw action during the Seven Years' War when he participated in several battles, mostly notably during the Portugal Campaign of 1762....
and the British Army. As the battles around Saratoga raged, the British, having been pushed back, were being rallied by Brigadier General Simon Fraser. Benedict Arnold
Benedict Arnold
Benedict Arnold V was a general during the American Revolutionary War. He began the war in the Continental Army but later defected to the British Army. While a general on the American side, he obtained command of the fort at West Point, New York, and plotted to surrender it to the British forces...
rode up to General Morgan, pointed at Fraser and told Morgan the man was worth a regiment. Morgan called on Murphy and said: "That gallant officer is General Fraser. I admire him, but it is necessary that he should die, do your duty." Murphy climbed a nearby tree, took careful aim at the extreme distance of 300 yards, and fired four times. The first shot was a close miss, the second grazed the General's horse, and with the third, Fraser tumbled from his horse, shot through the stomach. General Fraser died that night. British Senior officer Sir Francis Clerke, General Burgoyne's chief aide-de-camp
Aide-de-camp
An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...
, galloped onto the field with a message. Murphy's fourth shot killed him instantly. Murphy also fought at the battle of the Middle Fort in 1780.
Personal life
It was during this period the Murphy also became the terror of one of the more prosperous DutchNetherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
farmers of the valley, Johannes Feeck. Murphy took to scouting more frequently in the direction of his farm, and at first was highly welcome. However, when the farmer and his wife realized that the real reason was a growing attraction between the Irishman and their daughter Margaret (Peggy), Murphy was told not to return. Undeterred, Murphy secured leave from his sympathetic commander, and eloped with Peggy to Duanesburgh to be married by the nearest available Dominie
Dominie
Dominie is a Scots language and Scottish English term for a Scottish schoolmaster or a minister, usually of the Church of Scotland but sometimes of other presbyterian churches in Scotland...
. Peggy's father became reconciled to the marriage when Murphy let it be known he would otherwise take his new bride to Pennsylvania.
Shortly thereafter, when the British raided the Schoharie Valley, and Murphy's fame among his neighbors reached its zenith at the defense of the Middle Fort (see sidebar), Peggy was with him, molding bullets, loading muskets, and swearing to take up a spear when the ammunition ran out. Early in 1781, Murphy reenlisted in the Pennsylvania Line under General Wayne and was present for the final Battle of Yorktown. He returned to the Schoharie at the war's end.
Children
By his first wife, Murphy had five sons and four daughters. Several years after the death of his first wife in 1807, Murphy married Mary Robertson, and with her relocated to Charlottesville, New York and there by her had four more sons.Miscellaneous
Murphy never learned to read or write, nor applied for a veteran's grant or pension, but nonetheless was able to acquire a number of farms and a grist mill, and become a local political power. Later, he returned to Fultonham, where he died in 1818 of cancerCancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
.
Interment
Murphy was buried there next to his first wife. In 1872, he was reinterred at Upper Middleburgh CemeteryUpper Middleburgh Cemetery
Upper Middleburgh Cemetery is a historic cemetery located at Middleburgh in Schoharie County, New York. It was incorporated in 1865 and contains an estimated 4,000 internments. The most notable structure is the Foster mausoleum, designed by noted architect Henry Bacon in the early 1900s and...
at Middleburgh
Middleburgh, New York
Middleburgh is the name of some settlements in New York, United States:* Middleburgh , New York, in Schoharie County* Middleburgh , New York, also in Schoharie County...
, New York. Although the State Legislature voted to erect a monument to Murphy in 1819, none was built until some of his descendants purchased one to be placed in the cemetery in 1910. The bronze bas-relief plaque was designed by noted sculptress Evelyn Beatrice Longman
Evelyn Beatrice Longman
Evelyn Beatrice Longman was the first woman sculptor to be elected a full member of the National Academy of Design in 1919. Her allegorical figure works were commissioned as monuments and memorials, adornment for public buildings, and attractions at art expositions in early 20th-century America.-...
(1874–1954). In 1913 a marker was placed commemorating Murphy at the Saratoga Battlefield
Battle of Saratoga
The Battles of Saratoga conclusively decided the fate of British General John Burgoyne's army in the American War of Independence and are generally regarded as a turning point in the war. The battles were fought eighteen days apart on the same ground, south of Saratoga, New York...
, and the state put up its own marker there in 1929. In dedicating that monument, Governor Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt , also known by his initials, FDR, was the 32nd President of the United States and a central figure in world events during the mid-20th century, leading the United States during a time of worldwide economic crisis and world war...
said:
This country has been made by Timothy Murphys, the men in the ranks. Conditions here called for the qualities of the heart and head that Tim Murphy had in abundance. Our histories should tell us more of the men in the ranks, for it was to them, more than to the generals, that we were indebted for our military victories.
Legacy
Schoharie County, New York
As of the census of 2000, there were 31,582 people, 11,991 households and 8,177 families residing in the county. The population density was 51 people per square mile . There were 15,915 housing units at an average density of 26 per square mile...
where he resided. In the cemetery there, an annual walk is named in his honor.