Henry Knox Delivers the Noble Train of Artillery to George Washington in Cambridge on January 24, 1776
On January 24, 1776, Bostonian Henry Knox (1750-1806) arrived at General George Washington's Colonial Army headquarters in Cambridge, Massachusetts, with news that some 60 tons of weapons, including 58 cannons and assorted artillery, had been successfully transported from Fort Ticonderoga in New York to the outskirts of Boston. The weapons were being used to fortify American defenses against the British occupying forces during the Siege of Boston.
Historian J.L. Bell suggests that the bulk of the weaponry may have been held at Framingham, MA, and that Knox was simply reporting to General Washington about the successful mission on January 24.
The plan was hatched the previous summer, shortly after the Battle of Bunker Hill, when it became clear that the American forces would need more weapons and ammunition to break the British Siege of Boston.
On March 5,1776, British General Howe realized he had been out maneuvered, and by March 17, 1776, the British troops, along with their sympathizers, evacuated Boston, ending the eleven month Siege of Boston. The daring standoff was known as Evacuation Day, and is still celebrated in Boston each March 17th. Read more about Dorchester Heights.
Born on July 25, 1750, Knox was the seventh of ten sons born to William Knox and Mary Campbell, who had emigrated from the Provence of Ulster in Ireland. The family was among the original Ulster Scots, also known as Scots-Irish, who emigrated to Boston starting around 1717. The family belonged to the Church of Presbyterian Strangers established on Federal Street by Reverend John Moorhead in 1729.
Knox’s father and uncles were original members of the Charitable Irish Society, formed in 1737 to help other Irish immigrants settle in Boston. Knox himself joined the Society in 1772, when he was 22 years, and later, he became a member of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick in Philadelphia.
According to the Massachusetts Historical Society, "Major General Henry Knox's formidable artillery regiment continued to exhibit skill, precision, and valor through all the major battles in the North. After the Revolution, Knox was appointed first secretary of war under the Constitution, drew up plans for the military academy at West Point, and was founder of the Society of the Cincinnati."
After his service, Knox retired to his home in Thomaston, Maine. He died suddenly on October 25,1806,
Knox was the mastermind and commander of what became known as the Noble Train of Artillery, a 300 mile trek across a frozen landscape in the dead of winter. Knox and his men dragged the arsenal across hills and mountains, frozen lakes and fields, on boats and sleds, with horse and oxen, through dozens of small villages in eastern New York and across all of Massachusetts until they arrived at their destination. His younger brother John Knox, age 19, was also on the expedition.
Image of Dorchester Heights courtesy of National Park Service
After the weapons were safely arrived in Cambridge, they were secretly taken to Dorchester Heights in South Boston, where they were aimed at the British fleet in Boston Harbor.
Image of Colonel Henry Knox Courtesy of American Battlefield Trust
Born on July 25, 1750, Knox was the seventh of ten sons born to William Knox and Mary Campbell, who had emigrated from the Provence of Ulster in Ireland. The family was among the original Ulster Scots, also known as Scots-Irish, who emigrated to Boston starting around 1717. The family belonged to the Church of Presbyterian Strangers established on Federal Street by Reverend John Moorhead in 1729.
Knox’s father and uncles were original members of the Charitable Irish Society, formed in 1737 to help other Irish immigrants settle in Boston. Knox himself joined the Society in 1772, when he was 22 years, and later, he became a member of the Friendly Sons of St. Patrick in Philadelphia.
Portrait of Henry Knox by Painter John Peale
President Washington later wrote of Knox, “there is no man in the United States with whom I have been in habits of greater intimacy; no one whom I have loved more sincerely, nor any for whom I have had a greater friendship.”
After his service, Knox retired to his home in Thomaston, Maine. He died suddenly on October 25,1806,
"when a sharp chicken bone perforated his bowels and produced a mortification," wrote the Boston Gazette.
Today the Henry Knox Museum, located at 30 High Street Thomaston, ME 04861, is devoted to the life and military service of Knox and his important connections to Maine. It is opened seasonally between Memorial Day and Columbus Day.
For more about Boston Irish history, visit IrishHeritageTrail.com.
Read more about the Irish and Scots-Irish role in the American Revolution.
Research + Text, Michael Quinlin
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