Page:History of Delaware County (1856).djvu/329

DELAWARE COUNTY. 305 CHAPTER XIY. The following sketch of the services of the late Timothy Murphy in the border warfare of the Revolution, were kindly furnished the author, and although in some respects they deviate from what he conceives to be truth, in the main he has ascertained them to be correct. LIFE AND ADVENTURES OF TIMOTHY MURPHY. Timothy Murphy^ the hero of this narrative^ was born in the town of Minisink, in the county of Sussex and State of New Jersey, in the year 1751. His parents emigrated to this country from Ireland, and settled in New Jersey some years previous to the commencement of the French and Indian war; where they remained until the year 1757 ; they then removed to the State of Pennsylvania. Of his history previous to the commencement of the Revolution, we know hut little, and have not been able to collect any thing that will in the least interest the reader. He had very little or no education, except such as was obtained from the pure study of nature. * In the year 1776, when at the age of twenty-four, he en- listed in the United States service under Col. Morgan, the well known ^ old waggoner,' as the British used to term him. In the year 1778, he was engaged in the battle of Monmouth in New Jersey, and escaped unhurt. After the battle of Mon- mouth, two companies, detachments from Morgan's riflemen, were sent to the northward under the command of Captain Long, to which Murphy was attached. After the battle of Saratoga and capture of Burgoyne, they were ordered to old Schoharie, where the Indians and tories were murdering and carrying off in concert captives to Canada. 26*