Thompson's Rifle Battalion: Capt. John Lowdon's Company
Sunbury, Northumberland County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
Recruited from nearby points in June 1775, Lowdon's Company was a part of the first battalion in the colonies authorized by Congress. Among those who entered Continental service in this company was Timothy Murphy, whose many feats of marksmanship were to make him a hero of the Revolution.
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
In June 1775, as war with Britain began, men recruited around Sunbury joined Captain John Lowdon's Company—part of Thompson's Rifle Battalion, the first battalion Congress authorized in all the colonies. Among its riflemen was Timothy Murphy, whose extraordinary marksmanship would later make him a legend of the Revolution.
Why it matters
This company stood at the very founding of the Continental Army, and the frontier marksmen it sent to war helped forge the reputation of the American rifleman.
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Related people
- · Timothy Murphy
- · John Lowdon
Themes & tags
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