The Henry Knox Expedition
The Noble Train of Artillery was an expedition led by Henry Knox to transport heavy weaponry from Fort Ticonderoga to Boston. Fort Ticonderoga had been previously captured by Benedict Arnold and the Green Mountain Boys in May of 1775. Henry Knox and his men set out for Fort Ticonderoga on November 17, 1775 and arrived on December 5, 1775. On November 27, Knox wrote to Washington, "I shall set out by land tomorow morning for Ticonderoga & proceed with the utmost dispatch as k⟨nowing⟩ our whole dependance for heavy cannon will be from that part".Upon arrival, Knox selected 59 pieces of heavy weaponry to transport to Boston. The weaponry ranged from 4-24 pound cannons, mortars, and howitzers. Knox estimated the weaponry to weigh 119,000 pounds with the largest pieces being the 24 pound "Big Berthas" which were about 11 feet and estimated to weigh over 5,000 pounds. The expedition was about 300 miles and took the men several weeks to transfer the weaponry from Fort Ticonderoga to Boston. This route is now known as the Henry Knox Trail. (shown to the right)
The equipment was, at first, transported on land from Fort Ticonderoga to the northern end of Lake George, where most of the weaponry was loaded onto a gundalow ship, a bateau, and a pettiauger. By December 9th, the three boats had set sail for the southern end of Lake George, with Henry Knox sailing in front on a smaller boat. The ice was already beginning to cover the lake, but the gundalow reached Sabbath Day Point after grounding once on a submerged rock. The following day Knox and his men sailed onward. While Knox reached Fort George in good time, the gundalow didn't arrive when expected. A boat was sent to check on the gundalow's progress and reported that it had filled with water and sunk close to Sabbath Day Point. While this appeared to be a serious setback at first, Knox’s brother William, captain of the gundalow, reported that it was filled with water, but that its gunnels were above the water line, meaning that it could be bailed out. After this was completed, the ship was resurfaced, and after two more days, the gundalow arrived at the southern end of the lake.
After this, on December 17, Knox wrote to Washington, “I have made forty two exceeding strong sleds & have provided eighty yoke of Oxen” and he predicted, “I hope in 16 or 17 days to be able to present to your Excellency a Noble train of Artillery. (Henry Knox to George Washington, December 17, 1775) Then, Knox worked towards Albany ahead of the train. At Glens Falls, he ventured across the Hudson River (which was frozen), and continued through Saratoga, reaching New City (present-day Lansingburg), which is just north of Albany, on December 25, Christmas Day. Two feet (0.6 meters) of snow fell on christmas, slowing Knox's progress because the route, which was covered in snow, needed to be broken open. The following day, Knox was again slowed by the snow on the ground, but finally reached Albany. While there was enough snow for the sleds to carry the train overland, the river ice was still too thin to transfer the train over the Hudson River. Knox and his men tried to quicken the process of deepening the river ice by adding water to the ice so that more water would freeze on the river. Henry Knox wrote to George Washington saying,
"the want of Snow detain’d us some days & now a cruel thaw, hinders from Crossing Hudsons River which we are oblig’d to do four times from Lake George to this Town—the first severe night will make the Ice on the river sufficiently strong ’till that happens the Cannon & mortars must remain where they are most of them at the different crossing places & some few here—these inevitable delays pain Me exceedingly as my mind is fully sensible of the importance of the greatest expedition in this Case—In eight or nine days after the first severe frost they will be at Springfield from which place we can get them easily transported Altho there should be no snow—but to that the roads are So excessively bad Snow will be necessary" (Henry Knox to George Washington, January 5th, 1776)
By January 4, the first cannons had arrived at Albany. However, many of the cannons were still crossing the Hudson on the route toward Albany with many casualties. Many of the cannons had crashed through the ice and fell into the river. Each of these cannons were recovered the following mornings. On January 9, the rest of the cannons crossed the Hudson, and Knox rode in front to see what lied ahead. Henry Knox wrote, "Went on the ice about 8 O'clock in the morning & proceeded so carefully that before night we got over 23 sleds & were so lucky as to get the Cannon out of the River, owing to the assistance the good people of the City of Albany gave".
They arrived at the area of Claverack, New York, on January 9, and continued through the Berkshires and reached Blandford, Massachusetts a couple days later. The lead crew then refused to continue because of the lack of snow and the steep descent that followed to the Connecticut River valley. Henry Knox obtained additional oxen and convinced the crew to continue. As the train of artillery trekked further east, people spread news about it, and people watched them pass. In Westfield, Knox gave a show to an assembled crowd when he loaded one of the bigger guns with gun powder and fired it.
On January 25, John Adams reported seeing the artillery train pass by Framingham. John Adams wrote that he saw, "the Train of Artillery brought down from Ticonderoga, by Coll. Knox. It consists of Iron—9 Eighteen Pounders, 10 Twelves, 6. six, four nine Pounders, Three 13. Inch Mortars, Two Ten Inch Mortars, one Eight Inch, and one six and an half. Howitz, one Eight Inch and an half and one Eight.
Brass Cannon. Eight Three Pounders, one four Pounder, 2 six Pounders, one Eighteen Pounder, and one 24 Pounder. One eight Inch and an half Mortar, one Seven Inch and an half Dto. and five Cohorns." (John Adams January 1776)
Two days later, Knox arrived in Cambridge and personally reported to Washington that the artillery train had arrived.
The equipment was, at first, transported on land from Fort Ticonderoga to the northern end of Lake George, where most of the weaponry was loaded onto a gundalow ship, a bateau, and a pettiauger. By December 9th, the three boats had set sail for the southern end of Lake George, with Henry Knox sailing in front on a smaller boat. The ice was already beginning to cover the lake, but the gundalow reached Sabbath Day Point after grounding once on a submerged rock. The following day Knox and his men sailed onward. While Knox reached Fort George in good time, the gundalow didn't arrive when expected. A boat was sent to check on the gundalow's progress and reported that it had filled with water and sunk close to Sabbath Day Point. While this appeared to be a serious setback at first, Knox’s brother William, captain of the gundalow, reported that it was filled with water, but that its gunnels were above the water line, meaning that it could be bailed out. After this was completed, the ship was resurfaced, and after two more days, the gundalow arrived at the southern end of the lake.
After this, on December 17, Knox wrote to Washington, “I have made forty two exceeding strong sleds & have provided eighty yoke of Oxen” and he predicted, “I hope in 16 or 17 days to be able to present to your Excellency a Noble train of Artillery. (Henry Knox to George Washington, December 17, 1775) Then, Knox worked towards Albany ahead of the train. At Glens Falls, he ventured across the Hudson River (which was frozen), and continued through Saratoga, reaching New City (present-day Lansingburg), which is just north of Albany, on December 25, Christmas Day. Two feet (0.6 meters) of snow fell on christmas, slowing Knox's progress because the route, which was covered in snow, needed to be broken open. The following day, Knox was again slowed by the snow on the ground, but finally reached Albany. While there was enough snow for the sleds to carry the train overland, the river ice was still too thin to transfer the train over the Hudson River. Knox and his men tried to quicken the process of deepening the river ice by adding water to the ice so that more water would freeze on the river. Henry Knox wrote to George Washington saying,
"the want of Snow detain’d us some days & now a cruel thaw, hinders from Crossing Hudsons River which we are oblig’d to do four times from Lake George to this Town—the first severe night will make the Ice on the river sufficiently strong ’till that happens the Cannon & mortars must remain where they are most of them at the different crossing places & some few here—these inevitable delays pain Me exceedingly as my mind is fully sensible of the importance of the greatest expedition in this Case—In eight or nine days after the first severe frost they will be at Springfield from which place we can get them easily transported Altho there should be no snow—but to that the roads are So excessively bad Snow will be necessary" (Henry Knox to George Washington, January 5th, 1776)
By January 4, the first cannons had arrived at Albany. However, many of the cannons were still crossing the Hudson on the route toward Albany with many casualties. Many of the cannons had crashed through the ice and fell into the river. Each of these cannons were recovered the following mornings. On January 9, the rest of the cannons crossed the Hudson, and Knox rode in front to see what lied ahead. Henry Knox wrote, "Went on the ice about 8 O'clock in the morning & proceeded so carefully that before night we got over 23 sleds & were so lucky as to get the Cannon out of the River, owing to the assistance the good people of the City of Albany gave".
They arrived at the area of Claverack, New York, on January 9, and continued through the Berkshires and reached Blandford, Massachusetts a couple days later. The lead crew then refused to continue because of the lack of snow and the steep descent that followed to the Connecticut River valley. Henry Knox obtained additional oxen and convinced the crew to continue. As the train of artillery trekked further east, people spread news about it, and people watched them pass. In Westfield, Knox gave a show to an assembled crowd when he loaded one of the bigger guns with gun powder and fired it.
On January 25, John Adams reported seeing the artillery train pass by Framingham. John Adams wrote that he saw, "the Train of Artillery brought down from Ticonderoga, by Coll. Knox. It consists of Iron—9 Eighteen Pounders, 10 Twelves, 6. six, four nine Pounders, Three 13. Inch Mortars, Two Ten Inch Mortars, one Eight Inch, and one six and an half. Howitz, one Eight Inch and an half and one Eight.
Brass Cannon. Eight Three Pounders, one four Pounder, 2 six Pounders, one Eighteen Pounder, and one 24 Pounder. One eight Inch and an half Mortar, one Seven Inch and an half Dto. and five Cohorns." (John Adams January 1776)
Two days later, Knox arrived in Cambridge and personally reported to Washington that the artillery train had arrived.
A cannon that was used in the fortification of Boston and taken from Fort Ticonderoga by Henry Knox