Historic New York

Timothy Murphy was Schoharie County's Revolutionary hero. Owner of one of the first double-barreled rifles, he was a sharpshooter known to the Indians as the magic man whose gun would shoot without reloading. As a member of Morgan's Rifles, Murphy fired the shot which killed British General Simon Fraser at the Battle of Saratoga on October 7, 1777. This deprived the English of leadership during the crucial battle which was the turning point of the Revolution.
In 1780, while Murphy was stationed at the Middle Fort the Tories and Indians swept down the Schoharie Valley plundering and killing. Major Woolsey, the commander, was ready to surrender, but Murphy, in the face of a threat to shoot him for insubordination, fired at the enemy and drove them off. He saved the day and the valley and won himself a place in the heart of every Schoharian.

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Bouck's Island
Here Col. John Harper
Indian Trail
The Upper Fort 1777
Timothy Murphy
Indian Trail
Vroman's Land
Smoke Generator
Indian Village
1st Reformed Church

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