During the American War of Independence, in 1776, an Irish trooper, M'Mullins, was riding alone when suddenly he was fired upon by four rebels. In those days it was customary for British cavalrymen to feign death by hanging down from the saddle to such an extent that the head nearly touched the ground. M'Mullins adopted this artful move immediately the shots had been fired.
The rebels, thinking they had killed the soldier, came up without reloading their rifles. When they had arrived within easy distance of him, M'Mullins suddenly raised himself erect again, shot one rebel with his carbine and another with his pistol, and attacked the other two with his sword. They were so completely taken by surprise that they speedily surrendered, and M'Mullins drove them before him into camp.
一七七六年，美國獨立戰爭期間，愛爾蘭騎兵麥馬林斯有一次乘馬獨行，突然遭四個叛軍開槍射擊。當時，英國騎兵常常裝死，坐在馬上，上身下垂，頭顱幾乎觸地。麥馬林斯一發覺遇襲，就用了這巧妙的一招。
那四個叛軍以為麥馬林斯已死，沒有再給來福槍裝上子彈，就走上前。麥馬林斯待他們走到方便動手的距離，突然挺起上身，用卡賓槍射殺一名叛軍，再用手槍射殺另一名，然後拔劍向另外兩人進擊。那兩人猝不及備，趕緊投降。麥馬林斯着他們走在前面，把他們押返軍營。