Henry Knox

Henry Knox
Gilbert Stuart · Public domain · source
Name	Henry Knox
Caption	Portrait by Charles Willson Peale, 1784
Office	1st United States Secretary of War
President	George Washington
Term start	March 8, 1785
Term end	December 31, 1794
Predecessor	Office established
Successor	Timothy Pickering
Office1	Senior Officer of the United States Army
President1	George Washington
Term start1	December 23, 1783
Term end1	June 20, 1784
Predecessor1	George Washington
Successor1	John Doughty
Birth date	July 25, 1750
Birth place	Boston, Province of Massachusetts Bay, British America
Death date	October 25, 1806 (aged 56)
Death place	Thomaston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Party	Federalist Party
Spouse	Lucy Flucker
Children	13
Allegiance	United States
Branch	Continental Army, United States Army
Serviceyears	1772–1784
Rank	Major General
Battles	American Revolutionary War

Henry Knox was a senior general of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War and the first United States Secretary of War. A trusted advisor to George Washington, he is best known for his logistical triumph in transporting captured British Army artillery from Fort Ticonderoga to the Siege of Boston, a feat critical to forcing the British evacuation. After the war, he oversaw the peace-time military and, as Secretary of War, shaped the early defense policy of the United States.

Early life and education

Born in Boston in the Province of Massachusetts Bay, he was the seventh of ten children to William Knox and Mary Campbell Knox. His father, a shipmaster, died when he was nine, forcing him to leave the Boston Latin School to support his family. He became a clerk in a Boston bookstore named the London Book-Store, owned by Nicholas Bowes, and later opened his own shop, the London Book Store, which became a gathering place for British officers and local intellectuals. Largely self-educated through voracious reading, he developed a keen interest in military history, particularly artillery, from books like John Muller's A Treatise of Artillery. He joined a local artillery company called the Boston Grenadier Corps and was a witness to the Boston Massacre in 1770, later testifying at the trial of the British soldiers.

Military career

He aligned with the Patriot cause, and after the Battles of Lexington and Concord, he volunteered for service with the Massachusetts militia at the Siege of Boston. In November 1775, George Washington placed him in charge of an audacious plan to transport over 50 captured cannon from Fort Ticonderoga and Fort Crown Point in New York across the frozen terrain to Boston. This arduous winter journey, known as the "Noble train of artillery," provided the heavy guns needed to fortify Dorchester Heights and compel the British Army under General Gage to evacuate the city in March 1776. He was formally commissioned a colonel in the Continental Army and commanded the regiment of Continental Artillery throughout the war, seeing action at the Battle of Long Island, the Battle of Trenton, the Battle of Princeton, the Battle of Brandywine, the Battle of Germantown, the Battle of Monmouth, and the Siege of Yorktown. He was promoted to brigadier general and later major general, and was a founding member of the Society of the Cincinnati.

Secretary of War

Following the Treaty of Paris, he served as the senior officer of the United States Army before succeeding Benjamin Lincoln as the Secretary at War under the Congress of the Confederation in 1785. When the new United States Constitution was ratified, President George Washington appointed him as the first United States Secretary of War. In this role, he was instrumental in creating a permanent navy, advocated for a national militia system, and oversaw the early campaigns of the Northwest Indian War, including Harmar's defeat and the subsequent victory of Anthony Wayne at the Battle of Fallen Timbers. He also played a key role in negotiating the Treaty of New York (1790) with Creek leader Alexander McGillivray. His tenure was marked by advocacy for a strong federal military establishment, aligning with the policies of the Federalist Party.

Later life and legacy

He resigned his cabinet post in December 1794 and moved to the District of Maine, where he constructed a grand estate called Montpelier in Thomaston. He remained active in business, land speculation, and local politics, serving in the Massachusetts General Court. However, poor financial investments left him deeply in debt. He died suddenly at his home in 1806 from an infection after swallowing a chicken bone and was buried in Thomaston. His legacy endures through numerous namesakes, including Fort Knox in Kentucky, the city of Knoxville, Knox County in Illinois, and Knox College. His role as the founder of the United States Army's artillery branch and his foundational work in establishing the War Department cement his place as a pivotal figure in early American military history.

Category:1750 births Category:1806 deaths Category:Continental Army generals Category:United States Secretaries of War Category:People from Boston Category:Federalist Party members