blog of correspondence

Portrait of an American Rifleman: Nate Champion

2011-10-03T23:00:00.001-04:00

In America, our national government was founded with the ideal of protecting the liberty and property of all in order that prosperity may flourish. As with all governments, men find ways to manipulate those systems of protection in order to assure their own prosperity at the cost of others. Brave souls who oppose these arrangements often become martyrs for liberty. The story of Nate Champion is the story of a martyr.

Nate had come from Texas 12 years earlier to the Wyoming Territory. He worked as a ranch hand and trail rider in the area for the large ranches and eventually became a successful ranch boss. Champion believed Wyoming to be a land of promise and decided to settle, going out on his own in 1892, operating the KC Ranch in Johnson County.

The two previous winters had been hard times for Wyoming cattle ranchers. Due to heavy losses from their herds, the large cattle outfits of the Wyoming Stock Grower's Association had formulated a plan to eliminate the smaller ranchers. The new outfits threatened the dominance of the Association and were staking claim on public land formerly occupied solely by the Association ranchers. Any local ranchers with growing herds were presumed to be rustling mavericks from the larger outfits. A hit list of presumed rustlers and other interferers was developed. Based on his dependable reputation and ranching successes, Champion had become the unofficial leader of the "interferers" and topped the list to be eliminated. The Association's powerful influence had retained Deputy US Marshall Frank Canton and a group of paid gun men from Texas. This mercenary army was known as the Regulators and became active in terrorizing and lynching ranchers in Johnson County.

On a cold wet dawn in April of 1892, Nate Champion was on the KC Ranch, in a cabin, with his business partner Nick Ray and two trappers who were lodging with them. Fifty of the Regulators, led by Canton, had rode all night to strategically position themselves outside of the cabin, which set in open prairie. Frank Canton had already made one failed attempt on Champion's life months earlier in a bushwhack and in the process lost the life of a stock detective and his own 1886 .38-56 Winchester rifle, calling Champion an, "expert shot." (1)

The fight began shortly after the two trappers went out for water and never returned. They had been silently captured by the waiting gun men. Champion's parter, Ray, left the cabin and was immediately shot down by 17 year old Starl Tucker, who liked to call himself the Texas Kid. Ray made it back to his feet and was immediately shot down again by a full volley. Reports say that Champion appeared in the door way firing the Winchester, reloading and then rescuing Ray, dragging him back in to the cabin. Tucker shouted, "By God, he may be a rustler, but he is also a he-man with plenty of guts!" (2)

The mercenary force fired continuously on the cabin. Champion fired back occasionally and by reports of the men, effectively enough to keep them well hidden. In addition to the captured rifle, he had his own .45 Colt, Winchester carbine and the guns of the trappers and Ray. Ray's wounds were lethal and Champion spent much time tending to Ray. Champion, amazingly, kept a diary throughout the gun fight. He lamented that the attackers were well positioned in the stable, river and behind the house and he couldn't, "get at them." (3) After several hours, his partner, Nick Ray, died.

The fight continued but during the afternoon, the Regulators were surprised by a wagon and rider approaching the ranch. It turned out that it was another local rancher who was also on the hit list, Jack Flagg with his son. Flagg realized what was happening and reversed course for the town of Buffalo, 60 miles away. Some riders made chase but were unable to apprehend the two who had abandond their wagon. Around 4 PM, the Regulators filled the wagon with hay and pushed it 75 yards across open ground, with rifles firing on the windows, and set it afire. There was a ravine 100 yards south of the cabin and Champion made a run for it, attempting to use smoke from the heavily involved cabin as cover. He made it all the way to the ravine and ran in to a group of six men who had been waiting since morning. Champion got off one round that never found its mark as he took 10 shots from the gunmen and staggered to his death. Deputy Marshall Canton reclaimed his rifle and a reporter traveling with the Regulators was given the journal kept by Champion. The journal was found in Nate's front pocket, stained with blood and shot through.

Over the course of the day, Nate Champion had wounded three of the Association men and bought the ranchers of Buffalo (next stop on the Regulator's ride) several hours to form a militia, which met them 14 miles south of Town at the TA Ranch. The Regulators dug in as the militia force swelled to over 300 men led by Sheriff William "Red" Angus. The sheriff requested aid from local troops only to find they were under orders not to assist the town of Buffalo from the governor, who was an Association member himself. The militia laid siege to the ranch. Four days later, 107 men of the US Calvary arrived, under direct orders from President Benjamin Harrison to immediately end hostilities, and evacuated the Regulators to Fort Russell in Cheyenne.

The day after Nate Champion and Nick Ray's funeral, a Johnson County Jury declared their deaths premeditated murder, naming Frank Canton and several members of the Regulators as their killers. Johnson County went bankrupt attempting to prosecute. No one was ever convicted for any of the killings in Johnson County associated with what came to be known as the Johnson County War. Some of the Regulators later repented of their deeds and some died by the gun. Many of the Regulators went on to long careers in law enforcement, including Frank Canton who said of Nate Champion, "He came out fighting and died game." (4)

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Mustering the Black Regiment

2011-05-28T00:37:00.005-04:00

From Dr. Chuck Baldwin's blog: "The Black Regiment was a group of patriot-preachers from virtually every protestant denomination located throughout Colonial America at the time of America’s fight for independence who courageously preached the Biblical principles of liberty and independence. The moniker stems from the tendency of these patriot-preachers to wear long, black robes in their pulpits."

I have received requests from readers who want to share my plea, The Golden Rule Applied to National Leadership, with their church leaders. Below are links to pdf files in two formats.

8.5" x 17" handbill

Two sided letter-size

Cover letter to pastor

The Committees of Correspondence

2011-05-26T00:38:00.003-04:00

"The colonists did not have e-mail, smart phones, Facebook or blogs, so the Committees of Correspondence served as a means of communication on issues that needed collective attention. The committee in Boston wrote to other colonies to rally united opposition to the Sugar Act and the Currency Act, sparking anti-government protests among the colonists...

Two of the men behind the movement were Samuel Adams and James Otis Jr.

Mr. Otis was an attorney who had gained notoriety for his pro bono representation of colonial merchants challenging the authority of the writs of assistance in 1761. These writs enabled British authorities to enter any colonist’s home with no advance notice, no probable cause and no reason given. (Today these writs are called national security letters and are authorized under the Patriot Act.) John Adams said of Otis’ five-hour oration in the Boston State House that

“the child independence was then and there born, [for] every man of an immense crowded audience appeared to me to go away as I did, ready to take arms against writs of assistance.”

The Golden Rule Applied to National Leadership

2011-05-19T18:30:00.002-04:00

I wrote this as a plea to my Christian brothers and sisters. Please read it with an open heart, pray and share it far and wide. Please feel free to comment or ask questions.

Every four years, pundits, pollsters and Christians seek out the presidential candidate to whom "evangelical Christians" will flock. In 2000, it was George W. Bush. His personal testimony of faith, solid pro-life stance and campaign based on personal responsibility convinced conservative Christian voters that he was one of us. In 2008, former Arkansas Governor and Baptist Pastor Mike Huckabee, joined on the campaign trail by a born again Chuck Norris, was the natural choice. Huckabee, of course, didn't win the nomination. John McCain, the nominee, firmed up his formerly weak pro-life position and brought Sarah Palin in to smooth over his own less than conservative credentials. Many of us felt that supporting McCain/Palin in the final election was our only choice. Prominent christian leaders, whom we trust, endorsed these candidates. And, many christians, including our pastors, flocked to them as the right choice. But, as a nation are we fulfilling Christ's Greatest Commandment at the voting booth?

So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets. Matthew 7:12

Look at the scripture again. Christ said, "in everything" follow the Golden Rule. He told us that this rule was as important as God's revelation through the law and prophesy. As Americans, we consider the right to vote sacred. When voting, we are literally using our individual judgement to choose those who will lead our nation. When performing this act should we not allow scripture to direct us? And, should we not expect our chosen leaders to direct our country in accordance with this Greatest Commandment? We hold that America was at the founding a Christian nation or at least founded upon the concept of liberty in law in accordance with general Christian values. The aforementioned leaders, who have gained the support of Christians, have not proposed to lead our nation in the way which Christ said is God's way for us: treating others the way we wish to be treated. This should concern us.

During the Bush years, we began two wars. No, I have not forgotten 9/11. I have rejected the idea that it was an attack on our freedoms and way of life and come to realize it was an outrageous counter-attack of America's past interventions in the Arab world. Beyond the issue of Just War Theory, these wars are being waged outside of Constitutional requirements. The US Constitution says that the Congress has the authority to declare war, not the president. A declaration of war has not been made since 1942. All of the above "Christian endorsed" candidates supported the prosecution and advancement of these wars which have caused immeasurable suffering by innocents. Our chosen leaders have also all supported a system that provides foreign aid to brutal, oppressive and pagan regimes. Of course we should support the troops. We should support them as Christian soldiers, not foreign crusaders but protectors of all the innocent. We should not allow our leaders to use them as a mercenary force for the interests of nation building, world policing and profit.

All of our chosen leaders have endorsed the corrupt financial system of price inflation that lead to the 2008 financial crisis and is leading to the next even bigger crisis and possible economic collapse. George W. Bush and John McCain even orchestrated and approved the bailouts of the responsible parties in 2008. Many Americans accept the cost of rising prices in groceries, fuel, automobiles, homes and household goods as a natural economic process. The real issue is not that the prices are rising but American dollars are becoming worth less and able to buy less goods which makes prices higher. This is not a natural process but an orchestrated scheme by the US Treasury Department and Federal Reserve (a private banking cartel, not an accountable government agency), which allow the Federal government to spend more money than it collects. The scheme works by increasing the supply of dollars, allowing the government and large private institutions to benefit from the new dollars, leaving the American people with less valuable money. The scheme increases prices of everything, discourages saving, encourages spending and the taking on of personal debt, and makes the purchasing of essentials harder for the poor.

Our leaders have endorsed the current police state consisting of the Patriot Act, which allows search and seizure without court issued warrants; the torture of American citizens; the current homeland security system, which institutionalizes the touching of children that would be considered molestation under any other circumstance; and imprisoning and killing American citizens without a trial as long as they are subjectively labeled enemy combatants. I can't even begin to describe how dangerous these precedents are for Christians. We are a people who have been warned by Christ that in this world we will have trouble and that we will be arrested, persecuted and killed for his sake (John 16:33 and Matthew 24:9).

By choosing the lesser of two evils, Christian voters are endorsing and giving a mandate for immoral war practices, economic servitude and a system of nationalized law enforcement that assumes the guilt of American citizens.

There is one Christian candidate who has made the opposition of these evils his platform. The candidate is a firmly pro-life Obstetrician and Congressman from Texas named Dr. Ron Paul. He ran for president in 2008 and though he had a passionate support base, he was not permitted to participate in all of the debates because he was not considered a mainstream candidate. This may change in 2012. CNN has recently reported, that of all the Republican primary contenders, Ron Paul polls the strongest against President Obama. Christians in 2008 did not flock to Ron Paul like they did to George W. Bush and Mike Huckabee. The presumption is that the lack of Ron Paul's support among Christian voters is driven by his past lack of mainstream media coverage, his radical and steadfast defense of liberty and support for individual freedom and the view that voting for such a principled candidate is a wasted vote.

The lack of media coverage is changing. Ron Paul has become a popular guest in the past two years on cable and financial news networks. He is virtually the only political leader who predicted the 2008 financial crisis, when mainstream economists did not see it coming. He is also warning of an even greater crisis to come due to increasing government expenditures and liabilities, while mainstream economists are heralding a false recovery.

Christian voters must not be afraid of individual freedom and liberty. God created us to be free. We were created with rational minds that are inclined, without his gift of grace, to reject him. It is foundational that as Christians, we allow fellow mankind that same freedom. There is no forced righteousness. And, in order to remain in a legal framework where we are free to worship as we believe and to fulfill the Great Commission, we must allow others to be free in all their endeavors that do not harm the life or property of others. We should not take from others the freedom that God created for all of us and Christ assured on the cross. We must not legislate a false righteousness but pray for mankind and live a worthy life of witness. Individually, we should strive to live by the Golden Rule and choose leaders who will lead our country on the same path in accordance with Christ's example.

Candidates must be judged not by their words but by their past actions. Ron Paul, like Samuel Adams or Patrick Henry, has been a radical and steadfast defender of the principles of liberty and individual freedom. An old Barry Goldwater slogan, "In your heart, you know he's right" has begun to become popular among Dr. Paul's supporters. Search your heart and decide for yourself if a vote for liberty and peace is a "wasted" vote. For the constitution and the rights of man to stand against evil, the slippery slope to tyranny, which is only steepened by voting for the lesser of two evils, must be reversed. Christians must stop the back door endorsement of evil. The lesser of two evils is still evil.

In C.S. Lewis' The Last Battle, the last book in the Chronicles of Narnia, the forces of evil are overcoming the world. The noble warrior Roonwit sends a last message to the good king, "to remember that all worlds draw to an end and that noble death is a treasure which no one is too poor to buy." Let us Christians always stay focused on eternity, remembering that winning is not as important as doing the right thing, even in the face of likely defeat.

If you would like to learn more about Ron Paul's candidacy, liberty and peace, I would suggest watching the following three minute YouTube video of Ron Paul speaking in Congress:

http://youtu.be/FqAF-Alc7CM

and pursue the following links:

http://www.ronpaul2012.com/

http://www.campaignforliberty.com/

http://www.meetup.com/Ron-Paul-Meetup-2012/

Siempre, un Fusil!

2011-04-29T12:48:00.001-04:00

I just learned, and committed to memory, a quote made by Emiliano Zapata, who was a prominent figure in the Mexican revolution of 1910, which sought to overthrow a very corrupt government and reclaim the lands that had been given to wealthy associates of the men in power.

"Para ser Libre, un Hombre debe tener tres cosas. La Tierra, una Educacion, y un Fusil. Siempre, un Fusil!"

I find it of great interest that the love of Liberty knows no ethnicity, no time, and no certain place – it is embedded into the human DNA. The right to Freedom is a “Natural Right”, and not the province of mere mortals.

Oh, by the way, the quote is of course Spanish and translates to

“For his Liberty, a man must have three things: the Land (meaning a place of his own), an Education, and a Rifle – Always a Rifle!!"
Trey Dawson

What is your Greatest Fear?

2011-04-19T23:59:00.001-04:00

http://durablefaith.com/2011/04/18/what-is-your-greatest-fear/

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2011-04-11T20:12:00.001-04:00

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704050204576219073867182108.html

Scary isn’t it? Government will not self-police - ever. I learned from a couple men I respect greatly that there is no such thing as “limited government” – it is an oxymoron. There is only self-government, as in each of us governing ourselves. In the words of Thomas Jefferson (before he was seduced by the power of the Presidency). “In matters of power, let us speak no more of the goodness of man, but let him be bound down by the chains of the Constitution”. That dog has slipped its chain long ago and it will take a tremendous effort to get it back into cage where it belongs forever more. Our ancestors died to give us the Freedoms we are now handing over to the government like sheep!

I know a man, a good man, who says that American is now run by, and owned by bureaucrats, and as a contractor, I know he is correct in his assertion.

In Atlas Shrugged, author Ayn Rand said that there are two kinds of people in the world – “producers” and “looters”. These are the terms she used to describe the people who create wealth and the people who do not. In the book, Ayn Rand (a woman well acquainted with the evils of Socialism, having defected from the USSR) delineates America’s decent into Socialism and the logical conclusion of that system of government – collapse and anarchy.

I don’t need to smoke crack to know it will kill me, as there is plenty of evidence upon which to base an intellectual decision, negating any need for a personal “experience”. I don’t need to taste dung to know it tastes badly, as the smell alone is all the proof I require. And, I don’t need to see my country lose its sovereignty to know that Socialism always fails, simply because you will eventually run out of other people’s money to spend.

In the book, just as we are now seeing in America, the producers are eventually outnumbered by the looters. The ugly difference is that in the book, there is a happy ending that American will not enjoy.

Less government is always better than more. Self-reliance is the foundation upon which Liberty must be constructed. When you are afforded the increasingly rare opportunity to vote for or against a new law or a new tax – no matter how many times they use the word “children” or “schools” – just say NO!
PHenry

Like the President said, get used to higher gas prices.

2011-04-06T17:31:00.001-04:00

http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/nbc-s-brokaw-saudis-so-unhappy-obama-adm

Banking Explained in 1957 by British Humorists

2011-04-03T21:48:00.001-04:00

http://www.institutionaladvisors.com/pdf/081024-PRIMER_ON_FRACTIONAL_RESERVE_BANKING.pdf

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Radiation Exposure Information

2011-03-14T14:21:00.001-04:00

In light of the current crisis in Japan, here is some information in regards to radiation exposure:

Map of US with current radiation levels uploaded from various sources and locations of nuclear facilities:
http://www.radiationnetwork.com/RadiationNetwork.htm

What to do in a nuclear emergency:
http://www.ki4u.com/guide.htm

Potassium Iodide tablets, under the brand name Thryosafe, are sometimes available at CVS. They were cheap and have no real expiration date. The only issue that arises is that they don't dissolve as well when they are old but you can crumble and mix with liquid for administration.

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Nobody Wants to Hear the Truth

2011-03-09T17:23:00.001-05:00

I had the inestimable pleasure of watching the new Senator from KY speak today in the Senate on CSpan. He’s a slightly better speaker than his father, but the message was no less accurate and no less unpopular.

He showed a chart of our yearly deficit juxtaposed against the proposed budgets now being floated in Congress. They are both a joke and Senator Paul blasted both sides for their refusal to tackle our looming debt crisis.

He made a simple argument. We can do it now, or wait until it is a full blown crisis as witnessed recently in Greece. He spoke of how everyone is insistent on not cutting critical programs, but in reality all of these so-called critical programs will very soon be unfunded, bankrupt, kaput making the point moot.

The United Stated is now borrowing 5 Billion dollars per day. The Democrats want to cut borrowing (not spending) by 6 billion per year and the Repubs want to cut borrowing 65 billion per year. Both plans would be laughable if not so totally dangerous in the long run, as the yearly deficit is more than a trillion dollars!

Our nation is headed for oblivion and our children will pay the price. If drastic spending cuts are implemented now, there will be hard times ahead. If we continue to ignore the coming financial crisis, such “hard times” will pale in comparison to our entire way of life coming to an end.

The vast majority of the Dems are in total denial and the same % of Repubs are running an agenda – neither side is doing anything to fix the problem.

We must demand frugality from our elected employees now! This is not about left or right, but about survival of our nation. It’s about living within our means, from the personal level to the federal level.

It was refreshing to hear Senator Paul speak, to hear an honest man speak in Congress with no concern for his own popularity or electability. The Senator to speak after him immediately set about saying how ridiculous the thought of drastic spending cuts would be in our current economy – that we must ease into the cuts slowly. That is exactly how we got here in the first place.

End deficit spending now, or our children’s children will surely pay a high price for our sins.

Trey Dawson

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Defending Liberty and Faith in Dark Days

2011-03-07T16:11:00.004-05:00

For liberty to prevail, individuals, families and small communities must be self reliant (one of the hallmarks of liberty). In recent years, it has become evident that our national government and culture have little restraint and in bad times are likely to become useless and dangerous. Families must be prepared to meet their own needs in any situation. Character and faith will be more important than ever.

Imagine the following scenario:
You decide to stop at the store on your way home from work to pickup some toilet paper and milk. You notice the store is busy but don't think much of it. It's five on Friday. Inside you see the lines are very long. You find no toilet paper and no milk, settling for some high fructose corn syrup laden fruit juice. In line, you ask the guy next to you, "what's going on?" He says something about the bond market and the Chinese that you don't really understand. After a long wait with other frustrated customers you head home. You notice gas is now over $5/gallon.

In the next few days, you learn that due to growing unrest in the Middle East, including the fall of the Saudi government, oil prices have rapidly risen. The impact on the price of oil has further threatened the US economy, crashing the international value of the dollar. The weak dollar combined with the burgeoning US debt has shaken the market for US Treasury bonds.
China's growing influence in the Mideast and their growing economy's demand for oil, in combination with the dollar's decline, has pushed them to seize the moment for a strategic move; dumping their investment in US debt and providing support for the fledgling governments rising in the Mideast.

These events push the price of an unleaded gallon of gas over $10, if you can find it at all. Prices for all products and services rapidly rise in accordance without corresponding rises in wages. Families can't pay their bills or put food on the table. The average family's 3 days worth of food in their pantry is depleted. Worse, truck drivers are striking due to high fuel costs and the
inability of suppliers to meet the new costs of shipping.

(Have you been in the back of a grocery store or Walmart? There is no stock room like in the old days. The only stock you'll find is what has been unloaded off of trucks that day.)

Food prices sky rocket. Within another three days, grocery store shelves are empty. No new deliveries are being made or are at least limited. Those that have money to afford the new prices are buying whatever is being delivered. Those who can't afford to support their families begin rioting and looting. Those who are on public assistance are hit hard and are not dealing well with
the new reality. Good people are desperate after several days without food. The public service systems are overloaded. As in the Katrina aftermath, the employees that provide government services are taking care of their own. People stop going to work and stay home to protect their families or search for food. The power grid becomes unreliable with rolling blackouts. This is the
reality in all of urban and suburban America.

The near future goes in one of two directions at this point: America descends in to chaos, unlike anyone in modern times has ever seen. Or, strong leadership, using martial law and elements of the police state (already in place), secure the power grid and day to day security. In either outcome, the lifestyles we are accustomed to living are gone.

This is not a prediction, but a look at what might possibly happen. Most Americans have not seriously considered such a scenario and virtually none are prepared to endure it. There are some very easy steps any family can take to better prepare themselves for harder times. Below are a few links to help you get started being more self reliant today. Those who can not take
care of themselves will have to submit to the government and what assistance it can provide (remember the Super Dome?). When those systems quickly fail, otherwise good people will sell their souls and sacrifice their principles in an attempt to surivive if they have not prepared.

The best strategy to deal with such a future would be to avoid such a scenario by encouraging a more self reliant culture that restrains it's government. James Ostrowski has written a strategy manual for liberty in America, Direct Citizen Action.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0974925349?ie=UTF8&force-full-site=anyMore

Many people will probably be startled by the actual level of emergency preparation our government currently recommends for citizens(that is largely ignored). You can read online or order a free bookelt from FEMA. http://www.fema.gov/areyouready/ The guide leaves out a lot in regards to personal safety, security, and food storage but is a good starting point.

Every self reliant family should take the following, in regards to food, seriously: Visit an old farm house. You'll see large pantries and root cellars. Our past generations have kept food for the hard times on hand. Why have we stopped? Anyone can start storing a little extra food on their next trip to the grocery store. You can take advantage of BOGOs and other sales to actually
save money. By having a stock of your regular items on hand, you only have to buy them when they are on sale. See the following article on food storage, which covers the basics to more advanced. http://www.lewrockwell.com/shirtz/shirtz20.1.html

Each member of your family should have a 3 day bag. Some people call this a "Go Bag", "GOOD (Get Out of Dodge) Bag" or "Bug Out Bag." In the Southeast it's often known as a hurricane supply kit. The following link has some ideas on how to do it right. http://www.thesurvivalpodcast.com/the-bug-out-bag

Personal preparedness and self reliance have become of interest to me in the wake of 9/11 and even more so following the financial panic of 2008. Our government's continued willingness to prop up the failed system is evidence of the sickness of our nation. I will be posting items from time to time on being more self reliant. I hope the above scenario serves as a wake up call and the links provide some direction.

Changes

2011-02-20T23:36:00.001-05:00

I'll be using BlogPress to update with new articles and as a source to send information to facebook and twitter. New Portrait of an American Rifleman articles will be coming quarterly.

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Portrait of an American Rifleman:Theodore Roosevelt

2009-11-22T10:14:00.006-05:00

Theodore Roosevelt was a sickly child, plagued by asthma and poor eyesight. However, with the encouragement of his father, the future 26^th and youngest president embarked on a vigorous lifestyle to improve his health. Born to an affluent New York family with a mother of Savannah, Georgia aristocracy, Roosevelt used his advantages to pursue fully what he coined the “strenuous life.” Taking up boxing to increase his strength and health as a boy was the beginning of a lifelong adventurous and sporting lifestyle. He engaged in athletics of all sorts, went west to become a rancher (when the west was still somewhat wild), went on Safari in Africa, and a South American expedition. While president, Roosevelt completely lost vision in his left eye boxing a young artillery captain at the White House.¹ Perhaps Roosevelt’s most famous adventure was leading the Rough Riders during the Spanish American War. In Cuba, with the Rough Riders, he attained the nickname, “The Colonel,” a moniker he retained the rest of his life. Close friends never referred to him as “Teddy.”
As Assistant Secretary of the Navy and an ardent supporter of war with Spain, Roosevelt used his connections to form the First United States Volunteer Cavalry, which became known as the Rough Riders. The regiment was formed in Texas and was composed of cowboys, Indians, Indian fighters, Ivy League College boys, lawmen, and outlaws. The conflict in Cuba inspired ten American men to fight for every one position available and brought northerners and southerners together again for a common cause.² Lt. Colonel Roosevelt deferred the actual top command of the regiment to a more experienced officer, but gained the respect of his men and national notoriety from his exploits with the Rough Riders. Roosevelt’s experience with the Rough Riders also strengthened his belief in the importance of rifle marksmanship. In his second annual message as Governor of New York he remarked “…it should be remembered that target practice proper is the alphabet of the soldier's marksmanship. In a battle the only bullets that count are those that hit.” As president, he remarked in his annual message to Congress of 1906, “if a soldier has the fighting edge, and ability to care for himself in the open, his efficiency on the line of battle is almost directly proportionate to excellence in marksmanship.”

We cannot know for sure how good a shot Roosevelt was himself but he was often called a fine shot in spite of his poor vision. When asked if he was a good marksman, according to his grandson, Tweed, Theodore Roosevelt would reply, “I don’t shoot well, but I shoot often.”³ Roosevelt is still known today for favoring Winchester repeating rifles. He is reported to have owned at least 20 of them and given more as gifts.⁴ The naturalist Alden Loring, who accompanied Roosevelt on safari in Africa reported, “…the Colonel is a good marksman…In hunting dangerous game, such as buffaloes, elephants, rhinoceroses, and lions he exhibited the courage of a veteran big-game hunter, and the quickness with which he mastered the situation when in dangerous places, and the accuracy of his shooting, showed that he never got excited.” Loring surmised that ten times the amount of game taken could have been killed if the expedition had not been fully scientific in nature.⁵

As president, Roosevelt was concerned about the marksmanship abilities of both American troops and the civilian population: “. . . it is unfortunately true that the great body of our citizens shoot less and less as time goes on. To meet this we should encourage rifle practice among schoolboys, and indeed among all classes, as well as in the military services, by every means in our power. Thus, and not otherwise, may we be able to assist in preserving the peace of the world. Fit to hold our own against the strong nations of the earth, our voice for peace will carry to the ends of the earth. Unprepared, and therefore unfit, we must sit dumb and helpless to defend ourselves, protect others, or preserve peace. The first step in the direction of preparation to avert war if possible, and to be fit for war if it should come is to teach our men to shoot.”⁶

As president, “The Colonel” took steps to make sure Americans had the ability to remain free through practice with the rifle and the development of marksmanship skills. In his first term as president, Roosevelt established the National Board for the Promotion of Rifle Practice. An annual national marksmanship competition was created and Roosevelt instituted the long standing presidential tradition of writing a congratulatory letter to the winner. Roosevelt also said the Congress should “encourage the formation of rifle clubs throughout all parts of the land.”⁷ The national board evolved into the federally chartered, non-profit Civilian Marksmanship Program. Today, American civilians can purchase surplus military rifles and ammunition from the Civilian Marksmanship Program through participation in marksmanship training with a rifle club. As Roosevelt once wrote, “The rifle is the free man’s weapon.”⁸ Once upon a time, free men like Theodore Roosevelt took steps to preserve liberty for future generations. Those generations must continue to defend that hard-earned liberty through rifle and marksmanship practice.

The Life of Theodore Roosevelt, WM Draper Lewis, 1919.
The Rough Riders, Theodore Roosevelt, 1899.
Roosevelt Hunt Honors Military and Helps Fight Cancer, 119^th Wing North Dakota Air National Guard News, Senior Master Sgt. David H. Lipp, 2008.
Theodore Roosevelt Outdoorsman, R.L. Wilson, 1994.
Tells of Roosevelt’s Hunt, The New York Times, August 25, 1910.
State of the Union Message, 1908.
Theodore Roosevelt, American Rifleman, May, 1958.
Ibid.

Portrait of an American Rifleman:Robert Rogers and his Rangers

2009-09-19T13:50:00.004-04:00

In the early days of America's history, before independence, wily frontiersmen formed community militias to provide protection from the native Indians and French-Canadian settlers. By the 1760s, peace resulted in militia training reaching a low point. For example, during militia training, a common salute to an officer consisted of a militiaman's firing a blank shot at an officer’s feet. A general sense of humor and neglect existed among the colonists toward formal military discipline. However, marksmanship and weapon handling remained important as a part of daily life and thus was regularly practiced. Many of the other practices of the colonial militia can be traced back to Robert Rogers and the early American frontiersmen that were his “Rangers.”

Robert Rogers was born in Massachusetts, pioneering to New Hampshire as a boy. There he served with both scouting parties and the New Hampshire militia. While still a young man, Rogers became involved with a counterfeiting scheme for which he was indicted the year before the beginning of the French and Indian War. Character not withstanding, the British Army recognized the need for experienced frontiersmen in a wilderness war, so the counterfeiting charges were dropped and Rogers was appointed to recruit men for a company of his own. This company came to be popularly known as Rogers’ Rangers. Though possibly disliking the whole idea, the stiff British command was practical enough to give the able, but unorthodox Rogers the independent command and training of his Rangers. The Rangers were guerilla fighters who consisted of frontier settlers, Indians and freed slaves. Rogers selected his men based on merit and drilled rigidly, though in an unconventional manner for the times. Training consisted of mock skirmishes, target practice (the British regular command considered target practice a waste of ammunition), and strict adherence to Rogers’ Rules for Ranging. The Rules for Ranging, extracted from the journals that Rogers kept of his exploits (published in 1765), are still a part of training for United States Army Rangers.

Rogers’ Rangers were sent on long-distance missions to places regular regiments could not go. They were active from Nova Scotia through New England, to modern-day Ohio and Michigan. Rangers wore green in contrast to their red-coated allies and were required to be “equipped each with a firelock, sixty rounds of powder and ball, and a hatchet” and to be ready “. . .to march at a minute’s warning.” Many of these practices were carried on by the militia and minutemen of the American Revolution. During the fighting at Lexington and Concord, a false rumor spread among the British soldiers that the colonial men, known for their tomahawks, were scalping the British wounded. Because many British soldiers considered the colonists brutes on a similar level as the Indians, the rumor spread quickly, instigating actual British atrocities. The Rules for Ranging also said to “fall or squat down” when engaging an enemy. Rangers often shot and reloaded from this prone position, “while lying on their bellies” which is a firing position known to marksmen for its accuracy. The British soldiers referred to this peculiar technique as “Indian style.”

It has been reported that no less a military man than Britain’s General Gage found Rogers lacking the qualities of an officer and a gentleman. Gage also distrusted Rogers for his dealings with the Indians, the fact that he was a colonist, and his close friendship with one of Gage’s primary rivals, General Jeffrey Amherst. As another testament to Rogers’ tarnished reputation, 20 years later at the outset of the American Revolution, George Washington had Rogers arrested as a spy when Rogers, apparently in good will, wrote to Washington for an appointment in the Continental Army. Rogers had previously turned down an appointment in the Continental Army from the Continental Congress on the grounds that he was a British officer. Rogers later served with the British and participated in the capture of American patriot Nathan Hale. Not only did Rogers end up on the wrong side of the fight for American liberty, he suffered from alcoholism, was divorced by his wife, and ended his life as a broken man, having spent a considerable portion of his own wealth equipping his Rangers.

While Rogers may not have possessed all the virtuous characteristics we expect from an American Rifleman, his life, like many others in the American story, was a paradox, an uneasy truth of virtue mixed with vice. A man with both his talents and vices exposed to history, Robert Rogers’ legacy can still be found in the unorthodox tactics of the fight for American liberty. Both Continental Army General Israel Putnam and Colonel John Stark, a hero of Bunker Hill, had been captains in the Rangers. Certainly, Rogers cannot be given credit for all of the tactical ingenuity of the revolutionary generation, but many of the Massachusetts militia who routed the British on the day of “the shot heard round the world” are reported to once have been Rogers’ Rangers. Regarding the devastating British retreat from Lexington and Concord, Lord Percy of the British officer corps remarked about the colonial militia, held in low regard by the British troops, that “there were men amongst them who knew very well what they were about.” Lord Percy further attributes the skill of the militia men to their “having been employed as Rangers.”

The Complete "Rules for Ranging"

Portrait of an American Rifleman:Samuel Woodfill

2009-08-18T12:39:00.006-04:00

It was a humble Christian man, adopted as Kentucky's own, who was known to French Field Marshall Ferdinand Foch as “the first soldier of America” and known to General Pershing “as America's greatest doughboy” (a nick-name American soldiers of that generation picked up during the dusty marches of the Spanish American War). Until Pershing selected Samuel Woodfill as one of three American soldiers to be honored at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in 1921, Woodfill had lived in the same obscurity his name and story would return to generations later. At the time, a Congressional Medal of Honor winner with decorations from six other nations, Woodfill held more medals than any other soldier in the army. He received standing ovations when spotted at public events; he even met with the president. Congress and the New York Stock Exchange both interrupted business to honor him. Today it is speculated that he is most well known as the namesake of Woodfill Elementary School.

During Samuel Woodfill's own elementary years, hunting with the musket his father carried in the Mexican and Civil Wars, he was already considered a good shot by age 10 and later was know in the Army for his exceptional marksmanship. In Alaska, before The Great War, he honed his skill as a rifleman and is reported to have once taken 3 caribou from 1800 yards. In comparison to many of the other troops of the American Expeditionary Force that were rushed to Europe, Woodfill had what must have seemed magical skill with a rifle from his years of practice on American soil. It's been said that in his hands a rifle was as steady as if on a tripod or locked in a vise.

On October 12, 1918, at Cunel, France, during the Meuse-Argonne Offensive, Lieutenant Woodfill eliminated five machine gun nests and 21 German soldiers with 21 rifle rounds, his sidearm, and a pickaxe. The 35 year old lieutenant's company came under machine gun fire while moving towards the village of Cunel under foggy conditions. Woodfill dispatched himself, followed by two soldiers at 25 yards, to stalk out the machine guns. Seeing flashes from a church bell tower, he killed five German machine gunners from 300 yards with five shots. He then eliminated another machine gun from a barn loft. Next, taking cover in a shell hole, he was overcome by mustard gas; recovered, he moved to the rear of a gravel pile. From this vantage point he took out a third machine gun nest from 40 yards. His rifle now empty, he killed an escaping soldier with his pistol and another after moving to the machine gun's position. After that, Woodfill killed a German sniper who was spotted by one of his men. After passing through the village, he destroyed another machine gun crew, taking three prisoners. Spotting the fifth machine gun crew, he killed all five, then dove into a trench occupied by two German soldiers. The first he killed with his pistol, which then jammed, leaving him only a pickaxe to finish the other. Unofficial Army accounts of the events of the day state that most of Lt. Woodfill's kills were head shots. Removal of the machine guns allowed the company to advance through the village of Cunel, a skirmish in what has been billed as one of the bloodiest single battles in U.S. History and the battle that won the war.

Samuel Woodfill survived the war with only shrapnel wounds, re-enlisting in the Army to later retire as a sergeant. During his brief national fame, the humble Woodfill squashed congressional candidacy speculation and tired of being what he called a “circus pony.” He then returned home, slipping into poverty and obscurity. After the outbreak of World War II, the old soldier was commissioned as an Army Major at the age of 59 and spent most of the war as an Army instructor in Alabama.

After his second career in the Army, Samuel Woodfill retired to a farm in his native Indiana where he died at age 68. He was buried at Arlington National Cemetery. Years earlier, a few days after Woodfill performed the Medal of Honor winning attack, he wrote a message to his wife on the back of her picture that he carried in his shirt pocket: “I will prepare a place and be waiting at the Golden Gait [sic] of Heaven for the arrival of my Darling Blossom.” Later, Woodfill reportedly said, “I guessed wrong. There was no German ammunition with my name on it that day.”

Portrait of an American Rifleman:Isaac Davis

2009-08-02T21:25:00.009-04:00

After the renowned battle between the British Regular Army and the American Colonial Militia at Lexington and Concord, Lord Percy, an officer of the British Army remarked about the colonists that “there were men amongst them who knew what they were about.” Isaac Davis was a man who knew what he was about. Isaac Davis wasn’t just some farmer with a musket. A gunsmith by trade and a captain of the militia in Acton, Massachusetts (an organized group of able bodied men dedicated to the defense of their town), Isaac Davis played a significant role in supplying arms to his community and preparing for its defense. And on April 19, 1775, those preparations made history.

General Gage, commander of the British troops in Colonial America, predicted that local opposition to his troops might be “irregular, impetuous, and incessant” and the “bushmen” could be troublesome, men “who from their adroitness in the habitual use of the Firelock suppose themselves sure of their mark at a distance of 200 rods [1100 yards?].” But the British troops who marched to Concord from Boston to seize and destroy “. . . all military stores whatever” did not expect the organized opposition they met. Isaac Davis, a man of 30, with a wife and four children, was captain of Acton’s Minuteman Company. His men carried their muskets with them at all times. Davis’s men drilled twice weekly, practicing marksmanship in a field behind the Davis home since November of 1774, and were all outfitted with bayonets and cartridge boxes (which aided in increasing their rate of fire) provided by Davis himself. When the men were alerted of the British march, 37 of them rendezvoused at Davis’s house. Each man carried his musket, powder horn, cartridge box, bayonet and a ration of bread and cheese. Davis reportedly said before leaving his home, “I have a right to go to Concord on the King’s Highway and I will go to Concord.”

The Acton militia gathered with militia from Concord and other surrounding towns at a hill above Concord’s North Bridge. British troops were guarding the bridge to assure retreat of their fellow soldiers searching a nearby farm. As the militia officers were meeting, smoke was seen rising from Concord. Mistakenly believing that British troops were burning the town, the militia officers decided to take the bridge and go to the aid of the townspeople. Upon the approach of the militia men, the British Redcoats began retreating across the bridge towards Concord tearing planks off the bridge as they withdrew. For unknown reasons, Davis’s men were placed in the lead, a position normally reserved for a more senior officer. It is possible that Davis and the men of Acton led the formation due to their superior training and possession of bayonets. When asked if he was afraid to lead his men at the front, it is reported that Captain Davis replied “No, I am not and I haven’t a man that is.”

Reports of exactly what happened next are conflicting, but what is known is that as the militia moved toward the bridge with the orders, “Don’t fire first. . . don’t fire first!”, several volleys occurred between the British regulars and the colonists, with Isaac Davis being the first to fall by a fatal shot. The militia then crossed the bridge giving heavy fire with superior marksmanship. The militia pursued for a short distance and then took position on a hill while the “regulars” retreated. The rest of the day went as poorly for the British troops as they were routed by the “country people” all the way back to Boston.

Decades later, the famed Senator Daniel Webster spoke of Isaac Davis: “An early grave in the cause of liberty has secured to him the long and grateful remembrance of his country.” Today, every April 19th, proud New Englanders celebrate “Patriot’s Day” by retracing the “Line of March” from Acton to Concord, where a statue of a minuteman crafted in the likeness of Davis’s descendants stands. The statue is engraved with Emerson’s verse:

By the rude bridge that arched the flood,

Their flag to April's breeze unfurled.

Here once the embattled farmers stood,

And fired the shot heard round the world.

Portrait of an American Rifleman: John L. Burns

2009-07-18T21:27:00.009-04:00

When John Burns took to the battlefield at Gettysburg in 1863, he did so in the same spirit as many of the opposing Confederates on the field of battle, in defense of liberty and home. No, John Burns was not a soldier of the Union Army, he was a Pennsylvania farmer whose home, community, and life were under threat of an invading army. Like our forefathers of the American Revolution, who took up arms to defend the same at Lexington and Concord, Mr. Burns, a 72 year old farmer, took up arms to defend his life, family, property, and community. Now John Burns was no stranger to serving his country or community. A veteran of the War of 1812 and the War with Mexico, a constable for the town of Gettysburg, and a local farmer, Mr. Burns fit the image of the traditional American Rifleman, a true citizen soldier.

As constable of the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania (a position perhaps similar to a modern day sheriff), John Burns attempted to oppose the Confederate forces invading the town of Gettysburg by raising a party of volunteers. It has been said he “adamantly asserted his civil authority” in protecting the town. Overwhelming numbers of Confederate soldiers, under the command of General Jubal Early, arrested John Burns for his opposition. After destroying a bridge, rail and telegraph lines, Early's men moved on, leaving the town of Gettysburg and freeing John Burns. Burns immediately set to arresting Confederate stragglers until several days later when the Federal Cavalry arrived.

On the first day of fighting at the Battle of Gettysburg, John Burns left his home on foot with a musket and powder horn, dressed in dark trousers and a blue “swallow-tail” coat, and walked until he reached the fighting near McPherson's Farm. Along the way, Mr. Burns borrowed an Enfield rifle and cartridges from a wounded Union soldier. A skeptical Union major sent Burns in to the nearby woods, where he might find shelter from the heat and enemy fire. Burns there attached himself to the 24th Michigan Infantry as a sharpshooter and is reported to have served gallantly with the “Iron Brigade,” including shooting a charging Confederate officer from his horse. Another report states that a Union colonel, impressed with Burns' skillful shooting, sent the old man a favorite long range rifle. Burns is reported to have said he was certain of killing at least three of the rebels and years later he is reported to have remarked he would like “one more good chance to give them a rip.” But for the Battle of Gettysburg, Mr. Burns was finished. He had been wounded in the arm, leg, and breast and managed a precarious escape home after the Union forces began to retreat their position.

John Burns fully recovered from his wounds and President Lincoln, when in Gettysburg delivering his famous address, met with Burns. John Burns is believed to be the only civilian who took up arms at Gettysburg. Burns briefly became a national hero and was immortalized in poetry by Bret Harte: Brief is the glory that hero earns. . . John Burns--a practical man--Shouldered his rifle, unbent his brows, And then went back to his bees and cows.

Though you might not have heard of this American Rifleman in history class, a statue of him stands in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, honoring his service to his community and as a calling to future generations to honor the tradition of their riflemen forefathers.