The Liberty Pole

Thomas Jefferson,
Extract from Thomas Jefferson to Archibald Stuart
Philadelphia Dec. 23. 1791. 

In each issue of our newsletter, we highlight one of our events. In this issue, we want to showcase a recent 25m Rifle Marksmanship Clinic on Patriots' Day Weekend in Kodiak, Alaska on May 20-21, 2023. 

Sometimes people ask us, "What do you do if it Rains? Or if it is really Windy? Or really cold? Or...?" The answer is of course that, "We shoot!" Take it from this month's event Shoot Boss (Oldmikey), all the way up in Kodiak Alaska –

Click HERE to view the full After Action Report.  

This event actually occurred in April at the end, but the Report didn't come in until the First week of May. I wanted to make sure the readers didn't miss out on hear about this amazing event. I'll leave it up to the Shoot Boss (Ghostring) to tell you more about it. - 

"Nestled in the mountains of Colorado, near the town of Grand Junction, lies the Cameo Shooting and Education Complex - a world-class shooting range run by Colorado Parks and Wildlife.  There, on this last weekend in April, close to 1,000 extremely motivated and exceptionally talented ladies of the A Girl & A Gun Women's Shooting League held their 11th annual National Conference.  What an amazing event!!!

Project Appleseed was there with a van-load of rifles, plenty of targets, three Senior instructors (JustKim, Mrs. Smith and Steck) and yours truly to staff six events in three days - Four "Half-Day" Appleseeds, and two events for prior Appleseeders to work on Rifleman. To say that we were busy would be an understatement - but the camaraderie, fun, and infectious enthusiasm of the attendees more than made up for the long hours at the range!

As a reminder, a Half-Day Appleseed concentrates on prone position shooting, and we shoot the hits count (aka Redcoat) target for score - five rounds per silhouette (score per shot is 1 point per 100yds - so a hit on the 100 yard silhouette is 1 point, on the 400 yard silhouette is 4 points) for a possible total of 50 points. The shingle is a bonus shot worth 5 points by itself.

Every day started with an historical speech on what makes our Nation so amazing - inspirational quotes by George Washington, Adams and Jefferson really roused the group, and got our shoots started the right way! We presented Safety rules, Safe Rifle, Ammo Malfunctions and then got down to the business of the day."

Click HERE to read the Full After Action Report.

By early 1775 tensions between Britain and her colonies had escalated. The colonists began to mobilize for war, while the British Army secured gunpowder and cannon in anticipation of an uprising. On April 19, it all came to a head in the Massachusetts towns of Lexington and Concord. After that historic engagement, the British retreated to their camp in Boston, and local militias prepared for future British attacks. Militiamen marched to defend Boston, some from as far away as Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, and what is now the state of Vermont.

British Commander-in-Chief General Sir Thomas Gage was under pressure to quash the colonial rebellion. The British Army planned to launch an attack against the Americans on the heights north and south of Boston. Details of the attack were leaked to the Colonials, however, and a detachment of 1,000 Massachusetts and Connecticut soldiers, including enslaved and free African Americans gathered to defend a hill in Charlestown. The violent clash of these forces on what is mistakenly known as “Bunker Hill” signaled that the colonial revolt would not be easily extinguished.

The sheer number of militiamen gathered on the hills outside of Boston deeply troubles General Thomas Gage and his newly arrived subordinates, Generals William Howe, Henry Clinton, and John Burgoyne. On June 15th and 16th, the Patriots moved forward to Breed’s Hill on the Charlestown peninsula, where they prepared a fortified position that all but invites a British response. 

June 17, 1775

On this sultry afternoon, Gage and his commanders ordered the British regulars and grenadiers to move across Boston Harbor and disembark in lower Charlestown, where Gage forced the rabble’s hand with an assault. As the British moved into position, the fatigued but spirited defenders were on the alert inside their hastily built fortifications.

Led by General William Howe, King George’s troops climbed Breed’s Hill in perfect battle formation. Legend has it that as they advanced, American officer William Prescott cautioned his men not to waste their powder, exclaiming “don’t fire until you see the whites of their eyes.” When British troops neared the redoubt, the patriots unleashed a withering volley, creating an absolute slaughter. It is a veritable bloodbath as the British retreated back to their lines.

Once more the British pushed up the hill, stepping over the bodies of their dead and wounded comrades who lay “as thick as sheep in a fold,” and again they received another patriot volley. Finally, on the third try –and just when the patriots ran out of powder and shot—the British succeeded in breaking through the patriot works. Intense hand-to-hand fighting began inside the fortification. The British are victorious but at a cost. At some point in the struggle, a “black soldier named Salem” is credited with killing British Major John Pitcairn.

“Our three generals,” a British officer wrote of his commanders in Boston, “expected rather to punish a mob than fight with troops that would look them in the face.” The King’s troops count 282 dead and another 800 wounded. Patriot casualties were less than half of the British total. British General Sir Henry Clinton appalled at the carnage, called it “a dear bought victory.” Badly depleted, the British abandoned their plans to seize another high point near the city and, they are ultimately forced to evacuate Boston.

Though defeated, the Patriots were not demoralized by their loss. Those who choose to stay and keep the British bottled up in Boston become the nucleus of the Continental Army. The task of transforming the mob into a fighting force falls on the shoulders of Virginian George Washington, who assumes command in Cambridge, Massachusetts, within two weeks of the erroneously named Battle of Bunker Hill.

Click HERE if you want to join in the discussion on the forum.

Getting better at being 'on target' after a transition is one of the best uses for your dry fire practice sessions.  In situations where the shooter must quickly transition from one firing position to another, such as stages 2 & 3 of the AQT, the inexperienced shooter must make considerable adjustments to their positions directly after transitioning, in order to bring their sights onto the target.  This effort unnecessarily wastes precious time; if your dry practice can reduce, or eliminate this unnecessary movement, you will find yourself in a position to engage your target(s) quicker, and thus you will be leaps and bounds ahead of your competition. 

Read the full thread HERE. And please, I urge you to take part in the discussion yourself and share your own experiences.

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!  

If you'd like to support Project Appleseed, there are plenty of ways to do so.. You can buy tickets, buy store items, or make a 100% tax deductible donation. We accept and are appreciative of all donations. Of course, the thing valued above all is time. Volunteers; those that can give up their time and help us out, in whatever capacity it may be, are what this program runs on. 

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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