Glens Falls Chronicle Serving the Glens Falls/Lake George region; Warren, Washington and northern Saratoga counties since 1980
The Lake George Battlefield Park Alliance and the Warren County Historical Society are joining with Fort Ticonderoga to present an evening program…devoted to Henry Knox and the movement he led of over 60 tons of artillery equipment from Ticonderoga to Boston during the brutal winter of 1775-76.”
The 250th anniversary is fast approaching of this and other key Revolutionary War events.
The free program is set for Monday, Dec. 19, at 7 p.m. at the Holiday Inn Lake George, 2223 Canada Street (Route 9). If planning to attend you are encouraged to register at email address info@lakegeorgebattlefield.org for notifications in case of inclement weather.
Featured speaker will be Fort Ticonderoga Museum Curator Dr. Matthew Keagle. “His presentation will explore the patriots’ need for heavy cannon in 1775-76 and how it informed not only Henry Knox’s famous expedition from Ticonderoga to Boston, but also the broader plans for the overall campaign in the Lake George/Lake Champlain Theatre.”
The press release noted that the next morning, Tuesday, Dec. 20, there will be a related program at Lake George Jr.-Sr. High School as part of the 7th grade History curriculum.
Knox, just 25 years old, was a book seller in Boston who joined the Revolution.
“Knox’s epic ‘noble artillery train’ — ordered by Continental Army Commander in Chief George Washington to break a British stranglehold on Boston — covered approximately 300 miles over an eight-week period, the release said.
“It began in early December 1775 from Ticonderoga south the length of Lake George to the area that now encompasses Lake George Battlefield Park.
“Knox remained here for much of the remainder of December as he frantically made arrangements to secure sufficient oxen, horses, sleds and other means of moving the materiel over an unforgiving landscape.
“He ultimately succeeded in transporting the critical cargo south through Queensbury, Glens Falls, and points south to Albany, and then eastward crossing the width of Massachusetts before reaching greater Boston at the end of January.
“Washington used the newly gained equipment to cow British Commander William Howe into evacuating his troops from the area, a major early victory for the fledgling Continentals.”
Historian Bruce Venter, a trustee of the Lake George Battlefield Alliance, said Knox’s feat and the victory are particularly relevant “as we approach the 250th commemoration of his ‘Noble Train of Artillery,’ in three years….The mutual cooperation of Fort Ticonderoga and the Alliance in producing this program with the Warren County Historical Society bodes well for future 250th anniversary events in the Lake George area.”
The Lake George Battlefield Alliance said its members “from here and elsewhere…have an abiding interest in the Lake George Region’s critical role in the French and Indian War and the American Revolution. The Alliance manages the Battlefield Park’s Visitor Center and sponsors events throughout the year that educate the public about the site and its unique history.” For more information, visit www.lakegeorgebattlefield.org.
The Warren County Historical Society is focused on “providing support and programming on the importance of Warren County’s place in history. The Society maintains a museum at 50 Gurney Lane, Queensbury at which visitors can view, until May 2023, a tooth from the mammoth discovered in Queensbury circa 1870.” Info: www.wcnyhs.org.
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