Great 1775 "appleseed" reference

[Cowdog]

I have been meaning to post this gem for while, reproduced in its entirety from Page Smith's 1976 two volume history of the Revolution (full cite below):

The  <British> soldiers encamped on the <Boston>  common held target practice by firing at a target in the bay. According to a story that went the rounds, a farmer who was watching them began to laugh.
"very heartily at the whole regiments' firing, and not being able to hit it"

A British Officer asked the man why he was laughing, "why then" the farmer was reported to have replied, I laugh to see how awkward they fire. Why I'll be bound, I hit it ten times running." 

"Ah, will you? Come try. Soldiers, go an bring five of the best guns and load them for this honest man".

"Why, you need not bring so many! Let me have any one that comes to hand, but I chuse to load it myself".

After he had loaded the gun, the farmer turned to the officer and asked which part of the target he should aim at. "The right." The farmer fired and hit the exact spot.

The farmer loaded his musket again and asked where he should fire.

"To the left." Again he hit the target on the designated spot.

"Come! Once more."

"Where shall I fire naow?"

"In the center"

Again he hit the mark and the soldiers and officers stared at him open mouthed. Then adding a final touch of bravado, the countryman declared, "Why I'll tell you naow. I have got a boy at home that will toss up and apple and shoot out all the seeds as its coming down."

Such a tale, to be repeated in a thousand forms .................was already a classic American Story,
If it was apocryphal,  it nonetheless contained, as all tall tales do, a substantial element of truth.  Many American Farmers were far better shots than the trained soldiers of His Majesty's regiments.

Page Smith A New Age Now Begins: A Peoples History of the American Revolution Volume One
Page 457

[AZRedhawk44]

Beautiful!  I love it!

Thank you, cowdog!

[Fred]

     Makes you even madder when you read 'US military history' as put out by the DoD for ROTC, and they have to dis the marksmanship of our boys back then...

     From a military organization which, last time I checked, expends 200,000+ rounds for each enemy casualty - not counting all the other ordnance sent their way...

     Pure hubris. And done only because these guys are dead and gone - and hence, can't defend themselves from these cowardly assertions.

     Put a minutemen in the room with the drafter of those comments, and he'd no doubt smile, and offer to have a little shooting contest with the scribbler, right there, on the spot, with a smooth-bore musket.

[Colorado Pete]

This is what the Redcoats got for using the command "Level" or "Present" instead of "Aim"! Wrong thinking=wrong training!