Daniel Morgan was born in 1736 in Hunter County, New Jersey. To Welsh immigrants Joseph Morgan and Elizabeth Lloyd, he was the 5th out of 7 children. He left home when he was 16 after a fight with his dad. Morgan was a large and poorly educated man who liked to drink and gamble. He served as a civillian teamster during the French and Indian War. In 1775 he was commisioned captian and raised a company of riflemen, because the Continental Congress called for the formation of 10 rifle companies to support the siege of Boston. He was chosen by the Virginia House of Burgesses. Morgan recuited 96 men in 10 days and marched them 600 miles in 21 days to join the Continental Army outside Boston, Massachusetts.
His sharpshooters distinguished themselves at the victory of Saratoga, and they were known as " Morgan's Rangers" or " Morgan's Riflemen." They were set apart from the others because of the technology they had with their rifles. They had barrels with thin walls and curved grooves inside the barrels which made them light and more accurate. He used these advantages to inforce guerrilla tactics. Morgan killed the British Indian guides first and then the British officers. Morgan and his company joined Benedict Arnold's Quebec campaign. When Arnold got injured, Morgan took command. He was captured by the British and was freed through a prisoner exchange in 1776. Early in 1777 he rejoined Washington and was promoted colonel and was assigned to raise and command a new regiment, the 11th Virginia Regiment. He retired in 1779, but was recalled and made a brigadier general in 1780. Morgan served as a Federalist Congressman from 1797 to 1799. On July 6, 1802, he died in Winchester, Virginia.
I think it is cool how Daniel Morgan created new technology for the rifles. That technology made the rifles better than everyone elses. Daneil Morgan was smart to pick off the Indian guides and then the British officers. In doing so it created chaos among the redcoats and inturn game the Americans advantage.
www.revolutionarywarachives.org/morgan.html
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