Morgan's Riflemen or Morgan's Rifles, previously Morgan's Sharpshooters, and the one named Provisional Rifle Corps, were an elite

light infantry Light infantry refers to certain types of lightly equipped infantry throughout history. They have a more mobile or fluid function than other types of infantry, such as heavy infantry or line infantry. Historically, light infantry often fought ...

unit commanded by General

Daniel Morgan Daniel Morgan (1735–1736July 6, 1802) was an American pioneer, soldier, and politician from Virginia. One of the most respected battlefield tacticians of the American Revolutionary War of 1775–1783, he later commanded troops during the sup ...

in the American Revolutionary War, which served a vital role executing his tasks because it was equipped with what was then the cutting-edge

rifle A rifle is a long-barreled firearm designed for accurate shooting, with a barrel that has a helical pattern of grooves ( rifling) cut into the bore wall. In keeping with their focus on accuracy, rifles are typically designed to be held with ...

instead of

musket A musket is a muzzle-loaded long gun that appeared as a smoothbore weapon in the early 16th century, at first as a heavier variant of the arquebus, capable of penetrating plate armour. By the mid-16th century, this type of musket gradually d ...

s, allowing for a Rifleman to have an effective range of double that of the average Infantryman.

History

Daniel Morgan got his start in the Revolutionary War in 1775 as the captain of a small rifle unit set up by the state of Virginia, one of 10 such units commissioned by Congress. Morgan recruited 96 men (80 men and 16 officers), marched 600 miles, arriving in Boston on August 6, 1775. They gave an exhibition as described in the Virginia Gazette of September 9, 1775 quoted; "A man held between his knees a board 5 inches wide and seven inches long, with a paper bulls-eye the size of a dollar. A rifleman at 60 yards without a rest, put eight bullets in succession through the bulls-eye." From the same source we are told that the rifleman gave an exhibition "in which a company, on a quick advance, placed their shots in 7 inch targets at 250 yards." The rifle or more properly, the

Pennsylvania Long Rifle The long rifle, also known as the longrifle, Kentucky rifle, Pennsylvania rifle, or American longrifle, a muzzle-loading firearm used for hunting and warfare, was one of the first commonly-used rifles. The American rifle was characterized by a ...

and later known as the Kentucky Rifle made by German immigrants was cutting edge at the time as it had grooves called rifling to spin the ball thereby greatly improving accuracy. Later Morgan's most significant action was support for the invasion of Canada, and the Battle of Quebec in which he was seen as a hero, despite General

Benedict Arnold Benedict Arnold ( Brandt (1994), p. 4June 14, 1801) was an American military officer who served during the Revolutionary War. He fought with distinction for the American Continental Army and rose to the rank of major general before defect ...

's overall failure and their subsequent capture. In early 1777, when Morgan was freed from captivity, he was commissioned as a colonel and assigned command of the

11th Virginia Regiment The 11th Virginia Regiment was a Continental Army regiment that fought in the American Revolutionary War. Authorized by the Second Continental Congress on 16 September 1776, it was organized on 3 February 1777 and consisted of four companies from ...

, and a few months later was also instructed by

George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of th ...

to form a Provisional Rifle Corps, men skilled with the use of the

long rifle The long rifle, also known as the longrifle, Kentucky rifle, Pennsylvania rifle, or American longrifle, a muzzle-loading firearm used for hunting and warfare, was one of the first commonly-used rifles. The American rifle was characterized by a ...

, from his and other nearby regiments.Daniel Morgan and His Sharpshooters
/ref> Having done so, his first assignment was to harass Colonel William Howe as he retreated through New Jersey. Morgan did so by having his 500 riflemen snipe the enemy troops as they moved, using their longer range to do so from safety, an unusual tactic for that day. Sent to join the northern army headed by General Horatio Gates, Morgan's Riflemen helped establish better conditions for the coming

Battle of Saratoga The Battles of Saratoga (September 19 and October 7, 1777) marked the climax of the Saratoga campaign, giving a decisive victory to the Americans over the British in the American Revolutionary War. British General John Burgoyne led an invasion ...

, by a series of quick attacks on their Indian allies, driving them back in order to interfere with British intelligence of the American troops' movements. His Riflemen proved pivotal in several engagements, including driving back an advanced unit all the way to the enemy's main forces, and later helping turn the main battle by attacking from the right flank, and is credited with forcing the British retreat. In the summer and fall of 1779, Morgan and his riflemen were part of

Sullivan's Expedition The 1779 Sullivan Expedition (also known as the Sullivan-Clinton Expedition, the Sullivan Campaign, and the Sullivan-Clinton Genocide) was a United States military campaign during the American Revolutionary War, lasting from June to October 1779 ...

into the

Southern Tier The Southern Tier is a geographic subregion of the broader Upstate New York region of New York State, consisting of counties west of the Catskill Mountains in Delaware County and geographically situated along or very near the northern border ...

and Finger Lakes regions of New York. After a series of similar successes, Morgan left active service for a year, then joined the southern army with Nathanael Greene. In the January 1781 Battle of Cowpens, Morgan led Continental troops to a major victory that resulted in the near-total destruction of Tarleton's force. Morgan retired shortly afterwards due to health issues.Golway (2005), p. 250

Popular Media

Morgan's Riflemen were a key model for the fictional unit portrayed in the movie The Patriot, by Mel Gibson. In Empire: Total War, Morgan's Riflemen was a unique unit to the United States via DLC.

References

Bibliography

* {{cite book , last1=Golway , first1=Terry , title=Washington's General: Nathanael Greene and the Triumph of the American Revolution , date=2005 , publisher=Henry Holt and Company, LLC , isbn=0-8050-7066-4 , url-access=registration , url=https://archive.org/details/washingtonsgener00golw Military units and formations of the United States in the American Revolutionary War