The Irish rifle team journey to the USA began on Sunday 6 September 1874. The party arrived in New York harbour about noon on 16 September and were greeted by a deputation consisting of members of the National Rifle Association and Amateur Rifle Club.
Category: The Creedmoor Era
In the latter part of the 19th century the Creedmoor Rifle Range, Long Island, New York, USA, was the venue for a number of international long range rifle matches that received widespread public interest and much press coverage.
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American Team Trials, 1874
In December 1873 the Amateur Rifle Club (ARC) of New York accepted, on behalf of American riflemen, a challenge from Irish riflemen for a long range rifle competition. The ARC appeal for native-born Americans seeking to be considered for the team was published nationwide. When the 1 July 1874 deadline for submissions was reached, none but members of the ARC had expressed interest.
The New York Times, 12 July 1874, published details of the trials for the initial selection of US riflemen to form the team and reserve that would compete against the Irish riflemen at Creedmoor during the coming September.
American Team Selection and the Amateur Rifle Club
In March 1874 the Amateur Club circulated an appeal to the riflemen of America. This was in anticipation that they would receive from the whole nation sufficient support to enable them to produce a creditable team to compete against a team from Ireland. The appeal was published in newspapers throughout the country. Native-born Americans interested in rifle shooting, and desiring to be considered for the team, were requested to forward scores on or before the 1st day of July 1874. Despite the publicity, the renowned ‘riflemen of the plains’ failed to materialise.
The Amateur Rifle Club Long Range Badge
On 30 May 1874 (#onthisday) competition began for the Long Range Badge of the Amateur Rifle Club of New York. Eighteen contestants were entered for the match, twelve used rifles by Sharps and six used rifles by Remington.
Amateur Rifle Club Gold Badge
On 12 July 1873, the Amateur Rifle Club of New York held at Creedmoor their first contest for the Club’s Gold Badge. The competition was fired at 500 yards, seven shots to count, and with rifles not over ten pounds in weight. Matches were to continue monthly, and once won by someone three times, the badge would belong to them forever.
To The Riflemen Of America
On 11 March 1874 a meeting of the Executive Committee of the Amateur Rifle Club was held to consider the programme of the proposed match with Irish riflemen. The Committee accepted the programme with a single exception. It was intended to organise an American team of picked riflemen, and the Secretary of the Club, Frederick P. Fairbanks, issued a circular to all native-born Americans.
Planning the International Rifle Match
In February 1874 Arthur Leech wrote to George Wingate, with the programme of the proposed international rifle match between Ireland and America. Leech confirmed that the 1,100 yards range had been omitted – owing to lack of such at Creedmoor. He also sought to reserve the right of limiting the team to not less than four men or more than eight.
Irish Challenge Accepted by the Amateur Rifle Club of New York
On 20 November 1873 the ‘New York Herald’ published a letter from Arthur B. Leech, founder of the Irish Rifle Association, with a challenge to the riflemen of America from the riflemen of Ireland for a long range competition. It was the Amateur Rifle Club of New York City that accepted the challenge on behalf of American riflemen.
Creedmoor Chronology
Key dates and events charting the rise and demise of Creedmoor Rifle Range.
Challenge from Ireland to America, 1873
Buoyed by their success in 1873 by beating England and Scotland in the Elcho Shield match, Ireland wanted further laurels. Unaware of the existence of the American NRA (established in 1871), a challenge to the ‘Riflemen of America’ for a long range rifle match was sent on behalf of Irish riflemen to the editor of the New York Herald. It was published on 22 November 1873.
Rifle Volunteers vs National Guard (1882 & 1883)
A shooting competition between the Rifle Volunteers of Great Britain and the National Guard of America was agreed for 1882. On 14 and 15 September the teams of twelve met at Creedmoor in the USA. The match was fired at 200, 500 and 600 yards on the first day, and at 800, 900 and 1000 yards on the second. In 1883 the American National Guard team had a return match against the British Volunteers at Wimbledon, England, on 20 and 21 July. The rifles used were of military pattern, although not necessarily one authorised for service. Each man fired seven shots at each distance, and no cleaning between shots was permitted.
Creedmoor and the International Rifle Matches
To trace the origins of the Creedmoor rifle range one needs to go back to the immediate post Civil War years in America. Understandably, at the time there was little interest in marksmanship or military matters from the general public, and although the US National Guard received plenty of drill and marching instruction there was scant, if any, marksmanship training. The impetus for the development of marksmanship skills within America’s National Guard units came from the pages of the Army and Navy Journal. The editor was William Church, and a kindred spirit was George Wingate, whose “Manual for Rifle Practice” appeared in six instalments in the Journal in late 1870 and early 1871. Reprinted in book form in a number of editions the manual became the standard work upon which rifle practice was developed in America.