The Liberty Pole

 “We are not to expect to be translated from despotism to liberty in a featherbed.” 

In each issue of our newsletter, we will be highlighting one of our events. In this issue, we want to showcase a recent event in Clintonville, NY on July 09, 2022.

Some words from the Shoot Boss (T. Wolf) –

“If there was any doubt whether the people of New York value their Liberty, that uncertainty does not tread far into the North Country! 

We were blown away by the level of support that Project Appleseed received from the Adirondacks.  A heartfelt Thank You to Chesterfield Fish & Game Club for reaching out to us last November, and then pulling out all of the stops to make this inaugural event such a success. ” 

Click HERE to view the full After Action Report.  

The first battle of Saratoga, also known as the Battle of Freeman’s Farm, occurred on September 19, 1777. The British were hoping that three different invasion forces would advance towards Albany, New York from the north, south, and west. However, the southern advance never truly materialized, and the western advance was driven back at Fort Stanwix and Oriskany. The only column left was the army under the command of British General John Burgoyne. Burgoyne had moved his army of 7,000 British redcoats, German auxiliaries, Loyalists, and Native American allies out of Canada in June of 1777. Burgoyne’s march ended up taking nearly a month.  

 

In the American camp in August, Congress replaced General Philip Schuyler with General Horatio Gates. His army numbered about 7,000 men and was encamped on a bluff on the west side of the Hudson River just south of Saratoga, New York. The American right flank was anchored on the Hudson River. On Gates’ left flank he placed General Benedict Arnold with 2,000 men including Colonel Daniel Morgan’s riflemen. On the morning of September 19, Burgoyne sent out three columns of troops heading south towards Bemis Heights. Meanwhile, in the American camp, Arnold begged to move his troops forward to engage the British. Gates relented and sent forward Arnold and Daniel Morgan’s troops north. The two armies converged in a clearing on John Freeman’s Farm a little after noon. Morgan’s Corps in the lead of the American line fired into the British scouts and charged into their lines. The British were sent backwards, but British reinforcements quickly came up and drove Morgan’s men back to the south end of Freeman’s Farm. British artillery came up to support the British, but they were being picked off by American riflemen and their cannonballs were doing more
damage to the trees than to Arnold’s men. The commander of the 62nd Regiment, Lieutenant
Colonel John Anstruther decided he would use the bayonet to drive the Americans back. His men charged into the woods after the Americans four different times, and each time the Americans fell back, only to reform and return to their original positions, taking out more and more British soldiers. By 3:00 p.m. the fighting was raging all along Arnold’s line. At that time, Burgoyne’s final column on the extreme British left, under the command of Baron von Riedesel with mostly German troops were marching on towards Gates’ main position at Bemis Heights. As the fighting intensified at Freeman’s Farm, Riedesel halted and waited for orders on what he should do.  

  

The day ended with the British holding Freeman’s Farm, but it had been an incredibly bloody affair. Nearly 600 British soldiers had been killed, wounded, or captured and more than 300 Americans had been killed, wounded or captured.  One of the hardest hit regiments was the 62nd Regiment of Foot which lost more than half their strength, 210 men, in the fighting around Freeman’s Farm.  While a British tactical victory, it had been a Pyrrhic victory.  They had lost more men and had been halted on their attempt to strike at Gates’ main force on Bemis Heights.  

One of my favorite things about Appleseed is the unshakeable "run what ya brung" attitude that runs down into the marrow of the program.

My favorite rifle is a 452 Varmint, so that's what I've been bringing.

I finished up my second Appleseed this past weekend (requalified), and I thought it might help some other people who are preparing for their first or second event with a bolt-action rifle if I shared some of my observations. Some of it probably isn't news to AQT veterans, many of
which are far better informed than me, and to be honest most of this was probably absorbed from them in a few dozen threads scattered across the forum (and across a few years), but at least it is in one place here. And some of it would go for any rifle, not just a bolt - most of my AQT runs have been made with a bolt-action, so if I'm saying obvious things, I apologize.

I don't consider myself a good shooter, and I am really far from an expert. But these are my thoughts. If I'm wrong about anything please say so - one thing I still keep on-hand is my teachable attitude!
(Read more HERE)  

Friends,

We recently began offering scopes for rimfire rifles and they've been well-received.

Today, we're excited to announce we're offering scope packages for centerfire rifles!

The following Vortex scope packages are now available! We've assembled scope packages with a variety of features at a range of price points for every shooter! Every scope we offer is capable of centerfire marksmanship excellence at 25m events and Known Distance clinics out to 500 yards

Each package includes a mount ideal for field shooting, so a shooter doesn't have to pick between comfortable shooting position and excellent eye relief. Of course, all products are backed by Vortex's lifetime warranty.
 

We have TONS of upcoming events lined up all across the country. Below are just a few of the special interest events that we want to mention. Reserve your spot today!  

This issue, we especially want to highlight our upcoming Instructor Boot Camps.

Do you shop at Amazon? Did you know that when doing so, you can donate to Project Appleseed at absolutely NO COST to you?

Help keep Appleseed growing into the future!  Change your bookmark for shopping at Amazon now to Use Amazon Smile  and RWVA receives a small donation for each purchase you make. Just designate RWVA as your charity of choice, and shop as usual!  You get the same great prices and you don't even need to be a member of Amazon Prime to participate.  Tell everyone you know and let's take advantage of this great program to help generate some funds for Appleseed! It's not a ton of money, but every little bit helps! 

I hope you enjoyed this issue of Project Appleseed's, "The Liberty Pole". Please follow us on the social media links below and keep an eye on our schedule for future events to stay up to date about Project Appleseed. Lastly, if you would like to reach out to the editor, please send an email to newsletter@projectappleseed.net.  Thank you again for taking the time to read this newsletter and especially for being a part of Project Appleseed

In Liberty,

Roswell "Ross" Crutchfield
Project Appleseed - a 501(c)3 Organization
Lead Newsletter Editor
Designated Shoot Boss 

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