Lord Of The Rings: 10 Things You Didn't Know About Hobbits
8. Hobbits Were Excellent Archers
We don't often think of hobbits as great warriors. Although all four hobbit-members of the Fellowship performed acts of bravery, most times they got by on luck. You'd much rather an army of elves backing you, than an army of hobbits... , or so you think.
Although as a rule hobbits were not a warring people, they were nevertheless skilled archers, and throughout the history of Middle-earth took part in several important battles. Around a thousand years before the War of the Ring, The Witch-king of Angmar made war on the northern kingdom of Arnor - the ancestral home of Aragorn and the Dúnedain. At this time, the hobbits still recognised the northern king as their liege lord. They sent a company of archers to aid in the war, all of whom fought bravely but perished during the siege of Fornost.
Years later during the Scouring of the Shire - in which Frodo, Sam, Merry and Pippin led a hobbit rebellion to overthrow Saruman - it was the skill of the hobbit archers that won the battle and managed to drive Saruman's henchmen off.