Noble train of artillery
Encyclopedia
The noble train of artillery, also known as the Knox Expedition, was an expedition led by Continental Army
Colonel Henry Knox
to transport heavy weaponry that had been captured at Fort Ticonderoga
to the Continental Army camps outside Boston, Massachusetts during the winter of 1775–1776.
Knox went to Ticonderoga in November 1775, and, over the course of 3 winter months, moved 60 tons of cannons and other armaments by boat, horse and ox-drawn sledges, and manpower, along poor-quality roads, across two semi-frozen rivers, and through the forests and swamps of the lightly inhabited Berkshires to the Boston area. Historian Victor Brooks has called Knox's feat "one of the most stupendous feats of logistics" of the entire American Revolutionary War
.
The route by which Knox moved the weaponry is now known as the Henry Knox Trail
, and the states of New York
and Massachusetts
have erected markers along the route.
broke out with the Battles of Lexington and Concord
in April 1775, Benedict Arnold
, a militia leader from Connecticut
who arrived with his unit in support of the Siege of Boston
, proposed to the Massachusetts Committee of Safety that Fort Ticonderoga
, on Lake Champlain
in the Province of New York
, be captured from its small British garrison. One reason he gave to justify the move was the presence at Ticonderoga of heavy weaponry. On May 3, the committee gave Arnold a Massachusetts colonel's commission and authorized the operation.
The idea to capture Ticonderoga had also been raised to Ethan Allen
and the Green Mountain Boys
in the disputed New Hampshire Grants
territory (present-day Vermont
). Allen and Arnold joined forces, and on May 10 a force of 83 men captured the fort
without a fight. The next day a detachment of men captured the nearby Fort Crown Point
, again without combat.
Arnold began to inventory the two forts for usable military equipment. Hampered by a lack of resources and conflict over command of the forts first with Allen, and later with a Connecticut militia company sent to hold the fort in June, Arnold eventually abandoned the idea of transporting the armaments to Boston and resigned his commission.
assumed command of the forces outside Boston. One of the significant problems he identified in the nascent Continental Army
there was a lack of heavy weaponry, which made offensive operations virtually impossible. While it is uncertain exactly who proposed the operation to retrieve the Ticonderoga cannon (biographers tend to credit either Knox or Arnold with the giving Washington the idea), Washington eventually chose the young Henry Knox
for the job.
Knox, a 25-year-old bookseller with an interest in military matters, served in the Massachusetts militia, and become good friends with Washington on his arrival at Boston. When Washington gave Knox the assignment, he wrote that "no trouble or expense must be spared to obtain them." On November 16 Washington issued orders to Knox to retrieve the cannon (and authorized £1000 for the purpose), and wrote to General Philip Schuyler
asking him to assist Knox in the endeavour. Washington's call for the weapons was echoed by the Second Continental Congress
, which issued Knox a colonel's commission in November that did not reach him until he returned from the expedition.
Knox departed Washington's camp on November 17, and after traveling to New York City for supplies, reached Ticonderoga on December 5. The night before his arrival, at Fort George
at the southern end of Lake George, he shared a cabin with a young British prisoner named John André
. André had been taken prisoner during the Siege of Fort St. Jean and was on his way south to a prison camp. The two were of a similar age and temperament, and found much common ground to talk about. It was not to be their last meeting; the next time they met Knox presided over the court martial that convicted and sentenced André to death for his role in Benedict Arnold
's treasonous behavior.
) of those parts are based on what is known about roads across Massachusetts at the time.
The equipment was first carried overland from Ticonderoga to the northern end of Lake George
, where most of the train was loaded onto a scow
-like ship called a gundalow
. On December 6, the gundalow set sail for the southern end of the lake, with Knox sailing ahead in a small boat. Ice was already beginning to cover the lake, but the gundalow, after grounding once on a submerged rock, reached Sabbath Day Point. The next day they sailed on, again with Knox sailing ahead. While he reached Fort George in good time, the gundalow did not appear when expected. A boat sent to check on its progress reported that the gundalow had foundered and sunk not far from Sabbath Day Point. While this at first appeared to be a serious setback, Knox's brother William, captain of the gundalow, reported that she had foundered, but that her gunnels were above the water line, and that she could be bailed out. This was done, the ship was refloated, and two days later the gundalow arrived at the southern end of the lake.
On December 17 Knox wrote to Washington that he had built "42 exceeding strong sleds, and have provided 80 yoke of oxen to drag them as far as Springfield
", and that he hoped "in 16 or 17 days to be able to present your Excellency a noble train of artillery".
Knox then set out toward Albany ahead of the train. At Glens Falls
, he crossed the frozen Hudson River
, and proceeded on through Saratoga
, reaching New City (present-day Lansingburg), just north of Albany, on Christmas Day. Two feet (0.6 m) of snow fell that day, slowing his progress as the snow-covered route needed to be broken open. The next day, again slowed by significant snow in the ground, he finally reached Albany. There he met with General Philip Schuyler
, and the two of them worked over the next few days to locate and send north equipment and personnel to assist in moving the train south from Lake George. While the snowfall was sufficient for the use of sleds to move the train overland, the river ice was still too thin to move it over the Hudson. Knox and his men tried to accelerate the process of thickening the river ice by pouring additional water on top of existing ice. By January 4, the first of the cannon had arrived at Albany. On the route toward Albany, and again on crossing the Hudson heading east from there toward Massachusetts
, cannons crashed through the ice and fell into the river. In every instance the cannon was recovered. On January 9 the last of cannons had crossed the Hudson, and Knox rode ahead to oversee the next stage of the journey.
on January 9, and proceeded through the Berkshires, reaching Blandford, Massachusetts
two days later. There the lead crew refused to continue owing to a lack of snow and the upcoming steep descent to the Connecticut River
valley. Knox hired additional oxen and persuaded the recalcitrant crew to continue. As the train moved further east, news of its travel spread, and people from area towns came out to watch it pass. In Westfield
, Knox loaded one of the big guns with powder and fired it to the applause of the assembled crowd.
At Springfield Knox had to hire new work crews, as his New York-based crews wanted to return home. John Adams
reported seeing the artillery train pass through Framingham
on January 25. Two days later, Knox arrived in Cambridge and personally reported to Washington that the artillery train had arrived. According to Knox's accounting he spent £521 on an operation he had hoped would take two weeks, that instead took ten weeks to complete.
. Pursuing this plan, he placed cannon from Ticonderoga at Lechmere's Point
and Cobble Hill in Cambridge
, and on Lamb's Dam in Roxbury. These batteries opened fire on Boston on the night of March 2, while preparations were made to fortify the Dorchester Heights
, from which cannon could threaten both the city and the British fleet in the harbor. On the night of March 4 Continental Army troops occupied this high ground.
British General William Howe
first planned to contest this move by assaulting the position, but a snowstorm prevented its execution. After further consideration, he decided instead to withdraw from the city. On March 17, British troops and Loyalist
colonists boarded ships and sailed for Halifax, Nova Scotia
.
Henry Knox went on to become the chief artillery officer of the Continental Army, and later served as the first United States Secretary of War
.
Continental Army
The Continental Army was formed after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War by the colonies that became the United States of America. Established by a resolution of the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775, it was created to coordinate the military efforts of the Thirteen Colonies in...
Colonel Henry Knox
Henry Knox
Henry Knox was a military officer of the Continental Army and later the United States Army, and also served as the first United States Secretary of War....
to transport heavy weaponry that had been captured at Fort Ticonderoga
Capture of Fort Ticonderoga
The Capture of Fort Ticonderoga occurred during the American Revolutionary War on May 10, 1775, when a small force of Green Mountain Boys led by Ethan Allen and Colonel Benedict Arnold overcame a small British garrison at the fort and looted the personal belongings of the garrison...
to the Continental Army camps outside Boston, Massachusetts during the winter of 1775–1776.
Knox went to Ticonderoga in November 1775, and, over the course of 3 winter months, moved 60 tons of cannons and other armaments by boat, horse and ox-drawn sledges, and manpower, along poor-quality roads, across two semi-frozen rivers, and through the forests and swamps of the lightly inhabited Berkshires to the Boston area. Historian Victor Brooks has called Knox's feat "one of the most stupendous feats of logistics" of the entire American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
.
The route by which Knox moved the weaponry is now known as the Henry Knox Trail
Henry Knox Trail
The Henry Knox Trail, also known as the Knox Cannon Trail, is a network of roads and paths that traces the route of Colonel Henry Knox's "noble train of artillery" from Fort Ticonderoga to the Continental Army camp outside Boston, Massachusetts early in the American Revolutionary War.-History:Knox...
, and the states of New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
have erected markers along the route.
Background
Shortly after the American Revolutionary WarAmerican Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
broke out with the Battles of Lexington and Concord
Battles of Lexington and Concord
The Battles of Lexington and Concord were the first military engagements of the American Revolutionary War. They were fought on April 19, 1775, in Middlesex County, Province of Massachusetts Bay, within the towns of Lexington, Concord, Lincoln, Menotomy , and Cambridge, near Boston...
in April 1775, Benedict Arnold
Benedict Arnold
Benedict Arnold V was a general during the American Revolutionary War. He began the war in the Continental Army but later defected to the British Army. While a general on the American side, he obtained command of the fort at West Point, New York, and plotted to surrender it to the British forces...
, a militia leader from Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
who arrived with his unit in support of the Siege of Boston
Siege of Boston
The Siege of Boston was the opening phase of the American Revolutionary War, in which New England militiamen—who later became part of the Continental Army—surrounded the town of Boston, Massachusetts, to prevent movement by the British Army garrisoned within...
, proposed to the Massachusetts Committee of Safety that Fort Ticonderoga
Fort Ticonderoga
Fort Ticonderoga, formerly Fort Carillon, is a large 18th-century fort built by the Canadians and the French at a narrows near the south end of Lake Champlain in upstate New York in the United States...
, on Lake Champlain
Lake Champlain
Lake Champlain is a natural, freshwater lake in North America, located mainly within the borders of the United States but partially situated across the Canada—United States border in the Canadian province of Quebec.The New York portion of the Champlain Valley includes the eastern portions of...
in the Province of New York
Province of New York
The Province of New York was an English and later British crown territory that originally included all of the present U.S. states of New York, New Jersey, Delaware and Vermont, along with inland portions of Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Maine, as well as eastern Pennsylvania...
, be captured from its small British garrison. One reason he gave to justify the move was the presence at Ticonderoga of heavy weaponry. On May 3, the committee gave Arnold a Massachusetts colonel's commission and authorized the operation.
The idea to capture Ticonderoga had also been raised to Ethan Allen
Ethan Allen
Ethan Allen was a farmer, businessman, land speculator, philosopher, writer, and American Revolutionary War patriot, hero, and politician. He is best known as one of the founders of the U.S...
and the Green Mountain Boys
Green Mountain Boys
The Green Mountain Boys were a militia organization first established in the 1760s in the territory between the British provinces of New York and New Hampshire, known as the New Hampshire Grants...
in the disputed New Hampshire Grants
New Hampshire Grants
The New Hampshire Grants or Benning Wentworth Grants were land grants made between 1749 and 1764 by the provincial governor of New Hampshire, Benning Wentworth. The land grants, totaling about 135 , were made on land claimed by New Hampshire west of the Connecticut River, territory that was also...
territory (present-day Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
). Allen and Arnold joined forces, and on May 10 a force of 83 men captured the fort
Capture of Fort Ticonderoga
The Capture of Fort Ticonderoga occurred during the American Revolutionary War on May 10, 1775, when a small force of Green Mountain Boys led by Ethan Allen and Colonel Benedict Arnold overcame a small British garrison at the fort and looted the personal belongings of the garrison...
without a fight. The next day a detachment of men captured the nearby Fort Crown Point
Fort Crown Point
Crown Point, was a British fort built by the combined efforts of both British and Provincial troops in North America in 1759 at narrows on Lake Champlain on the border between modern New York State and Vermont...
, again without combat.
Arnold began to inventory the two forts for usable military equipment. Hampered by a lack of resources and conflict over command of the forts first with Allen, and later with a Connecticut militia company sent to hold the fort in June, Arnold eventually abandoned the idea of transporting the armaments to Boston and resigned his commission.
Expedition planning
In July 1775 George WashingtonGeorge Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
assumed command of the forces outside Boston. One of the significant problems he identified in the nascent Continental Army
Continental Army
The Continental Army was formed after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War by the colonies that became the United States of America. Established by a resolution of the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775, it was created to coordinate the military efforts of the Thirteen Colonies in...
there was a lack of heavy weaponry, which made offensive operations virtually impossible. While it is uncertain exactly who proposed the operation to retrieve the Ticonderoga cannon (biographers tend to credit either Knox or Arnold with the giving Washington the idea), Washington eventually chose the young Henry Knox
Henry Knox
Henry Knox was a military officer of the Continental Army and later the United States Army, and also served as the first United States Secretary of War....
for the job.
Philip Schuyler
Philip John Schuyler was a general in the American Revolution and a United States Senator from New York. He is usually known as Philip Schuyler, while his son is usually known as Philip J. Schuyler.-Early life:...
asking him to assist Knox in the endeavour. Washington's call for the weapons was echoed by the Second Continental Congress
Second Continental Congress
The Second Continental Congress was a convention of delegates from the Thirteen Colonies that started meeting on May 10, 1775, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, soon after warfare in the American Revolutionary War had begun. It succeeded the First Continental Congress, which met briefly during 1774,...
, which issued Knox a colonel's commission in November that did not reach him until he returned from the expedition.
Knox departed Washington's camp on November 17, and after traveling to New York City for supplies, reached Ticonderoga on December 5. The night before his arrival, at Fort George
Fort George, New York
Fort George, New York was the name of five forts in the state of New York.The first Fort George was built in 1626 in New Amsterdam and named Fort Amsterdam. The British Army occupied it as Fort James from 1664 to 1687. Briefly re-occupied by the Dutch from 1673-1674 as Fort Willem Hendrick, it was...
at the southern end of Lake George, he shared a cabin with a young British prisoner named John André
John André
John André was a British army officer hanged as a spy during the American War of Independence. This was due to an incident in which he attempted to assist Benedict Arnold's attempted surrender of the fort at West Point, New York to the British.-Early life:André was born on May 2, 1750 in London to...
. André had been taken prisoner during the Siege of Fort St. Jean and was on his way south to a prison camp. The two were of a similar age and temperament, and found much common ground to talk about. It was not to be their last meeting; the next time they met Knox presided over the court martial that convicted and sentenced André to death for his role in Benedict Arnold
Benedict Arnold
Benedict Arnold V was a general during the American Revolutionary War. He began the war in the Continental Army but later defected to the British Army. While a general on the American side, he obtained command of the fort at West Point, New York, and plotted to surrender it to the British forces...
's treasonous behavior.
Sources
The primary sources for much of the daily activity in this journey are Knox's diary and letters. While his description of some of the events and dates is detailed, there are significant gaps, and significant portions of the journey, especially much of the Massachusetts section, are poorly documented. Some of these gaps occur because Knox did not write about them, and others because pages are missing from the diary. While there are other sources that confirm some of Knox's details or report additional details, parts of the route are not known with certainty, and modern descriptions (including the placement of markers for the Henry Knox TrailHenry Knox Trail
The Henry Knox Trail, also known as the Knox Cannon Trail, is a network of roads and paths that traces the route of Colonel Henry Knox's "noble train of artillery" from Fort Ticonderoga to the Continental Army camp outside Boston, Massachusetts early in the American Revolutionary War.-History:Knox...
) of those parts are based on what is known about roads across Massachusetts at the time.
Albany
Knox arrived at Ticonderoga on December 5, and immediately set about identifying the equipment to take, and organize its transport. He selected 59 pieces of equipment include cannons ranging in size from four to twenty-four pound, mortars, and howitzers. He estimated the total weight to be transported at 119,000 pounds (about 60 tons, or 54 metric tons). The largest pieces, the twenty-four pound "Big Berthas", were 11 feet (3.4 m) long and estimated to weigh over 5000 pounds (2,268 kg).The equipment was first carried overland from Ticonderoga to the northern end of Lake George
Lake George (New York)
Lake George, nicknamed the Queen of American Lakes, is a long, narrow oligotrophic lake draining northwards into Lake Champlain and the St. Lawrence River Drainage basin located at the southeast base of the Adirondack Mountains in northern New York, U.S.A.. It lies within the upper region of the...
, where most of the train was loaded onto a scow
Scow
A scow, in the original sense, is a flat-bottomed boat with a blunt bow, often used to haul bulk freight; cf. barge. The etymology of the word is from the Dutch schouwe, meaning such a boat.-Sailing scows:...
-like ship called a gundalow
Gundalow
A gundalow is a type of flat bottom cargo vessel once common in Maine and New England rivers. Up to long, they characteristically employed tidal currents for propulsion, shipping a single lateen sail to harness favorable winds....
. On December 6, the gundalow set sail for the southern end of the lake, with Knox sailing ahead in a small boat. Ice was already beginning to cover the lake, but the gundalow, after grounding once on a submerged rock, reached Sabbath Day Point. The next day they sailed on, again with Knox sailing ahead. While he reached Fort George in good time, the gundalow did not appear when expected. A boat sent to check on its progress reported that the gundalow had foundered and sunk not far from Sabbath Day Point. While this at first appeared to be a serious setback, Knox's brother William, captain of the gundalow, reported that she had foundered, but that her gunnels were above the water line, and that she could be bailed out. This was done, the ship was refloated, and two days later the gundalow arrived at the southern end of the lake.
On December 17 Knox wrote to Washington that he had built "42 exceeding strong sleds, and have provided 80 yoke of oxen to drag them as far as Springfield
Springfield, Massachusetts
Springfield is the most populous city in Western New England, and the seat of Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. Springfield sits on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River near its confluence with three rivers; the western Westfield River, the eastern Chicopee River, and the eastern...
", and that he hoped "in 16 or 17 days to be able to present your Excellency a noble train of artillery".
Glens Falls, New York
Glens Falls is a city in Warren County, New York, United States. Glens Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 14,700 at the 2010 census...
, he crossed the frozen Hudson River
Hudson River
The Hudson is a river that flows from north to south through eastern New York. The highest official source is at Lake Tear of the Clouds, on the slopes of Mount Marcy in the Adirondack Mountains. The river itself officially begins in Henderson Lake in Newcomb, New York...
, and proceeded on through Saratoga
Saratoga, New York
Saratoga is a town in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The population was 5,141 at the 2000 census. It is also the commonly used, but not official, name for the neighboring and much more populous city, Saratoga Springs. The major village in the town of Saratoga is Schuylerville which is...
, reaching New City (present-day Lansingburg), just north of Albany, on Christmas Day. Two feet (0.6 m) of snow fell that day, slowing his progress as the snow-covered route needed to be broken open. The next day, again slowed by significant snow in the ground, he finally reached Albany. There he met with General Philip Schuyler
Philip Schuyler
Philip John Schuyler was a general in the American Revolution and a United States Senator from New York. He is usually known as Philip Schuyler, while his son is usually known as Philip J. Schuyler.-Early life:...
, and the two of them worked over the next few days to locate and send north equipment and personnel to assist in moving the train south from Lake George. While the snowfall was sufficient for the use of sleds to move the train overland, the river ice was still too thin to move it over the Hudson. Knox and his men tried to accelerate the process of thickening the river ice by pouring additional water on top of existing ice. By January 4, the first of the cannon had arrived at Albany. On the route toward Albany, and again on crossing the Hudson heading east from there toward Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
, cannons crashed through the ice and fell into the river. In every instance the cannon was recovered. On January 9 the last of cannons had crossed the Hudson, and Knox rode ahead to oversee the next stage of the journey.
Crossing the Berkshires
Details of the remaining journey are sketchy, as Knox's journal ends on January 12. He reached the vicinity of Claverack, New YorkClaverack, New York
Claverack is a town in Columbia County, New York, United States. The population was 6,401 at the 2000 census. The town name is a corruption for the Dutch word for "Clover Fields" or "Clover Reach"....
on January 9, and proceeded through the Berkshires, reaching Blandford, Massachusetts
Blandford, Massachusetts
Blandford is a town in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 1,233 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is the home of the Blandford Ski Area.- History :...
two days later. There the lead crew refused to continue owing to a lack of snow and the upcoming steep descent to the Connecticut River
Connecticut River
The Connecticut River is the largest and longest river in New England, and also an American Heritage River. It flows roughly south, starting from the Fourth Connecticut Lake in New Hampshire. After flowing through the remaining Connecticut Lakes and Lake Francis, it defines the border between the...
valley. Knox hired additional oxen and persuaded the recalcitrant crew to continue. As the train moved further east, news of its travel spread, and people from area towns came out to watch it pass. In Westfield
Westfield, Massachusetts
Westfield is a city in Hampden County, in the Pioneer Valley of western Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 41,094 at the 2010 census. The ZIP Code is 01085 for homes and businesses, 01086 for Westfield State...
, Knox loaded one of the big guns with powder and fired it to the applause of the assembled crowd.
At Springfield Knox had to hire new work crews, as his New York-based crews wanted to return home. John Adams
John Adams
John Adams was an American lawyer, statesman, diplomat and political theorist. A leading champion of independence in 1776, he was the second President of the United States...
reported seeing the artillery train pass through Framingham
Framingham, Massachusetts
Framingham is a New England town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 68,318 as of the United States 2010 Census. -History:...
on January 25. Two days later, Knox arrived in Cambridge and personally reported to Washington that the artillery train had arrived. According to Knox's accounting he spent £521 on an operation he had hoped would take two weeks, that instead took ten weeks to complete.
Arrival
When the equipment began to arrive in the Boston area, Washington, seeking to end the siege, formulated a plan to draw at least some of the British out of Boston, at which point he would launch an invasion of the city across the Charles RiverCharles River
The Charles River is an long river that flows in an overall northeasterly direction in eastern Massachusetts, USA. From its source in Hopkinton, the river travels through 22 cities and towns until reaching the Atlantic Ocean at Boston...
. Pursuing this plan, he placed cannon from Ticonderoga at Lechmere's Point
Lechmere Square
Lechmere Square is located at the intersection of Cambridge Street and First Street in East Cambridge, Massachusetts. It was originally named for the Colonial-era landowner Richard Lechmere, a Loyalist who returned to England at the beginning of the American Revolution. His lands were later seized...
and Cobble Hill in Cambridge
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...
, and on Lamb's Dam in Roxbury. These batteries opened fire on Boston on the night of March 2, while preparations were made to fortify the Dorchester Heights
Dorchester Heights
Dorchester Heights is the central area of South Boston. It is the highest area in the neighborhood and commands a view of both Boston Harbor and downtown.-History:...
, from which cannon could threaten both the city and the British fleet in the harbor. On the night of March 4 Continental Army troops occupied this high ground.
William Howe, 5th Viscount Howe
William Howe, 5th Viscount Howe, KB, PC was a British army officer who rose to become Commander-in-Chief of British forces during the American War of Independence...
first planned to contest this move by assaulting the position, but a snowstorm prevented its execution. After further consideration, he decided instead to withdraw from the city. On March 17, British troops and Loyalist
Loyalist (American Revolution)
Loyalists were American colonists who remained loyal to the Kingdom of Great Britain during the American Revolutionary War. At the time they were often called Tories, Royalists, or King's Men. They were opposed by the Patriots, those who supported the revolution...
colonists boarded ships and sailed for Halifax, Nova Scotia
City of Halifax
Halifax is a city in Canada, which was the capital of the province of Nova Scotia and shire town of Halifax County. It was the largest city in Atlantic Canada until it was amalgamated into Halifax Regional Municipality in 1996...
.
Henry Knox went on to become the chief artillery officer of the Continental Army, and later served as the first United States Secretary of War
United States Secretary of War
The Secretary of War was a member of the United States President's Cabinet, beginning with George Washington's administration. A similar position, called either "Secretary at War" or "Secretary of War," was appointed to serve the Congress of the Confederation under the Articles of Confederation...
.