Rifles The rifle had rarely been used as a military weapon prior to the Revolutionary War. Although it was fairly well-known in Europe, where it had been used for hunting since the early 1700s the rifle remained much less familiar to the Americans in 1775 John Adams wrote to his wife Abigail to express his fascination with 'a peculiar kind of musket called a nife" (Boatner. 935 The rifle was, indeed a kind of fintlock musket.the American Long Rifle, also known as the Kentucky Rifle was set apart from a normal musket by its grooved barrel, which caused the lead ball to spin as it exited the gun This momentum gave the rifle a vastly increased range, with most nilles achieving a range of 250 yards (228 m). This increased range and accuracy made the rifle a deadly weapon when placed in the right hands However, the rifle did have several disadv took more than twice as long to load as a standard musket and could not be fixed with a bayonet. As such nifemen were vulnerable in hand-to-hand combat and often could not withstand bayonet or cavalry charges For these reasons, rifles were used only in a limited capacity during the Amencan Revolutionary War, however their promising use in that conflict led to a wider use of military rifles in the wars of the 19th century At the start of the war, the Second Continental Congress ordered several companies of nillemen to be raised from Pennsylvania. Maryland, and Virginia These colonies were selected because of their frontersmen. some of whom had experience with rifles as hunting weapons. The rough and rugged frontier lifestyle meant that many frontiersmen were expent marksmen rumor had it that an average frontiersman could hit a target as small as an orange from a distance of 200 yards (182 m). These riflemen, commanded by men such as Daniel Morgan, were therefore utilized as sharpshoolers, meant to frighten and demoralize the enemy by picking off men and officers during battles and sieges. This tactic was used to great effect during the Batties of Saratoga (19 September and 7 October 11771,when Morgan's riflemen disorentated the British troops by targeting officers; once British General Simon Fraser was mortally wounded by one of Morgan's riflemen, the British soldiers panicked and fied winning the day for the Americans Aside from sharpshooling American riflemen were employed as scouts and skimishers and were often used to protect the flanks of the main army. the British and their alles utilized niles as well. The German auxiliary soldiers who fought for the British had companies of Jagers (literally hunters'). expert marksmen who used military niles that were 45 inches (114 cm) long with 30-inch (76 cm) barrels. The German Jager troops were particularly effective at striking fear into the hearts of Continental soldiers at the Battle of Long Island (27 August To a far lesser extent the British used the Ferguson Rifle, a 7-pound (3.1 kg) 48 -inch-long (121 cm) 650 caliber (1.65 cm) weapon Developed by the Scottish-born Major Patrick Ferguson in 1774,the Ferguson Rifle was loaded from the breech (a chamber located at the end of the gun barrel) rather than from the muzzle As a result. a solder could load the Ferguson Rifle while lying down, an impossibility with a muzzle-loaded Kentucky Rife Ferguson Rifles were first used by British soldiers at the Battle of Brandywine (11 September Ferguson himself used one to shoot an American officer that he falsely believed to be George Washington However, only about 100 Ferguson Rifles were issued during the war because the rifle was to manufacture and easily broke down in combat after Major Ferguson was killed at the Battle of Mountain (7 October 1780), the production of his nille stopped completely. 1. The word "pecular"in the sentence 'a peculiar kind of musket, called arifle is closest in meaning to A Unique B. Dangerous C Large D Familar 2 The word "momentum" in the sentence "This momentum gave the nite a vastil increased range is closest in meaning to A. Strength B Movement C Power D Direction 3. The word "disonentated"in the sentence Morgan's infemen disorientated the British troops is closest in meaning to A. Frightened B Distracted Surrounded 4. The word "austary'in the sentence The German auxilary soldiers who fought for the British is closest in meaning to A Temporary C Rebellious B Supporting D Foreign 5. Which of the following best describes the tone of the passage? B Neutral and descriptive A. Persuasive and critical C Enthusiastic and promotional D Argumentative and speculative 6. What is the primary purpose of the passage? A. To explain the technologica advancements of infles during the Revolutionary War B To compare and contrast rifes and muskets C To evaluate the effectiveness of rifles in modern warfare D To describe the use of rifles by both sides during the American Revolutionary War 7. According to the passage why were rifes not used as the main military weapon during the American Revolutionary War? A. They were heavier than muskets B. They were harder to load and unsuitable for close combat C They were not known to most American colonists