Found on the Trail: Henry Knox

In honor of the 4th of July, I am going to write about Revolutionary War hero, Henry Knox, who was found on the trail, serving his yet-to-be country.

The Revolutionary War began in April 1775.  Shortly thereafter, the British Fort Ticonderoga was captured by by the Americans in May 1775.  In July 1775, George Washington came into command in the Boston area.  He needed  heavy weaponry to use against the British occupiers, and so in November 1775, he appointed Henry Knox to go to Fort Ticonderoga and get the cannons there.

Henry Knox was young - just 25 years old.  He was a book seller, with an interest in military history.Knox accepted the charge began his journey in November, traveling from Massachusetts to upstate New York.  He reached the fort on December 5, 1775.

He and his men moved the heavy weaponry, first over Lake George, where their transport boat nearly sank and had to be bailed out, and then over land.

In all they were moving 60 tons of artillery.  The bigger cannons weighed over 5,000 pounds apiece.  Somehow, 80 yoke of oxen were acquired.  That was just one hurdle.  Knox couldn't go to a stockyard and say, "Yes, I'll take 160 of your strongest oxen.  And after they were obtained, these oxen then had to be fed and cared for all along the way, and their harnesses had to be maintained and repaired.  Knox also had 42 sledges built, to haul the heavy weaponry.  These were built by hand.  That was another challenge.  They couldn't just walk into a lumber store and order the wood and nails they needed

Their "road" was more of a rugged trail - not a smooth, super highway.  And remember, this was December.  At times they had to break a path through deep snow.  The men had to hike, and camp, and cook out in these cold and wet conditions.  There were no convenient Motel 6's and Country Kitchens to stop at.

They had to go over mountains, like the Berkshires.  They also had to cross rivers, including the Hudson.  The ice on the rivers was not completely frozen.  Many cannons fell through the weak ice, but amazingly, in each case, the cannons were retrieved.  Imagine how they went about doing that in the deep, freezing water.

Knox had discipline issues to deal with, as well.  He had men who refused to go any further.  Toward the end of the journey, he had to find new forces to complete the journey.  Finally, in late January 1776, after a trip of over 300 miles, he and the cannons arrived.  Can you imagine walking 300 miles, or even riding a horse 300 miles, in good weather, with modern conveniences - let alone carrying 600 tons of gear with you.  What these men did was amazing.

These cannons were used a short time later, in March 1776.  George Washington and his army used this weaponry to drive out the British from Boston - a major victory.

Where would we be without the dedication and ingenuity of Henry Knox and  his men?   They traveled a dangerous, backbreaking road in rough conditions for weeks in order to secure fire power for the newly formed Continental Army.  Today, and every day, my hat is off to the men and women who have won and preserved our freedom.  May we always find ourselves on such worthy paths.