Myths and Realities of Col. Henry Knox’s Mission to Lake Champlain

In November 1775, Gen. George Washington gave Henry Knox a mission to travel to New York and bring back cannons for the Continental Army. Knox was a 25-year-old bookseller with no military rank. His trek back to Cambridge has become a beloved part of the American saga. This talk digs deeper into that story, examining such questions as who first had the idea to fetch cannon from Lake Champlain, how Knox had contributed to the Patriot movement, the ways weather affected the mission, and how much those cannon changed the British army’s plans.

J. L. Bell is the author of The Road to Concord: How Four Stolen Cannon Ignited the Revolutionary War and the National Park Service study General George Washington’s Home and Headquarters, Cambridge, Massachusetts. He maintains the Boston1775.net website, offering daily updates of history, analysis, and unabashed gossip about the people of Revolutionary New England. Bell is now working on a book about the troubled first year of the Continental artillery regiment.

Support for the Fall Lecture Series is provided by Friends of Saratoga Battlefield. Reservations are required due to limited space. Email us (SARA_Reservations@nps.gov) to reserve your seat!