- March 6, 1809, 217 years ago — Death of Thomas Heyward Jr..
- March 6, 1724, 302 years ago — Birth of Henry Laurens, President of the Continental Congress.
- March 7, 1707, 319 years ago — Birth of Stephen Hopkins, signer of the Declaration of Independence.
- March 7, 1699, 327 years ago — Birth of Susanna Boylston Adams, mother of John Adams.
Henry Knox
KNOX, Henry, soldier and patriot, born in Boston, Mass., 25 July, 1750; died in Thomaston, Maine, 25 October, 1806.
He was a bookseller by trade and a self-taught military strategist. At the outbreak of the Revolutionary War, Knox joined the Continental Army and impressed George Washington with his knowledge of artillery. He famously transported cannons from Fort Ticonderoga to Boston in the winter of 1775–76, enabling the American siege of the city.
Knox served as chief of artillery throughout the war, playing key roles at Trenton, Brandywine, Monmouth, and Yorktown. After the war, he became the first Secretary of War under the Articles of Confederation and continued in that role under the Constitution, appointed by President Washington.
He retired to Maine, where he promoted settlement and development. Knox was known for his loyalty, organizational skill, and contributions to the military foundations of the United States.
Source:
Wilson, James Grant, and John Fiske, eds. Appleton’s Cyclopædia of American Biography. New York: D. Appleton & Co., 1887. Patriot Echoes Archive
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