Timothy Murphy (sniper)

Timothy Murphy
The Timothy Murphy Memorial Monument in Middleburgh, New York
Born	1751 Pennsylvania, British America
Died	1818 Fultonham, New York, U.S.
Occupation	Marksman
Spouse(s)	Margaret Feeck Mary Robertson
Children	Five sons and four daughters with Margaret Feeck Four sons with Mary Robertson

Timothy Murphy (1751–1818) was a rifleman 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.

Relatively few details of Murphy's early life are known. He was born in the year 1751 near the Delaware Water Gap. His parents were Presbyterians from County Donegal, Ireland, who 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.

On June 29, 1775, shortly after the start of the American 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 Boston, 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 Morgan's Riflemen.