The British evacuation of Boston which ended the 11-month Siege of Boston. Achieved after General George Washington successfully fortified Dorchester Heights, forcing British General William Howe to sail his troops to Halifax, Nova Scotia.

In the winter of 1775–1776, Colonel Henry Knox led the legendary "Noble Train of Artillery," transporting 59 captured British cannons and mortars nearly 300 miles from Fort Ticonderoga to General George Washington's army outside Boston. Weighing nearly 60 tons, the artillery was hauled on ox-drawn sledges across frozen lakes, rivers, and the snow-covered Berkshire Mountains during a grueling 56-day journey.

Arriving in January 1776, the cannons were later positioned on Dorchester Heights, overlooking Boston Harbor. Their commanding position forced the British to evacuate Boston on March 17, 1776, marking one of the Continental Army's first major strategic victories of the American Revolution.

In 1926, the 150th anniversary of Knox's march, the states of New York and Massachusetts began installing commemorative plaques at 56 locations which trace the route that the expedition passed through. The work was completed in 1927. Henry James Albright, and the Massachusetts reliefs by Henry L. Norton designed the New York markers' bronze reliefs.

On March 17, 1776, George Washington stood on Dorchester Heights alongside fifty-nine captured cannon high above the city of Boston, Massachusetts, and watched as British troops peacefully evacuated the city after an eleven-month siege.&nbsp;It was a remarkable moment for many reasons. The siege had begun in April 1775, in the days after the Revolution’s opening battles at Lexington and Concord, when local militias cut off the peninsular city from surrounding towns. A twenty-five-year-old Continental Army officer and former Boston bookseller named Henry Knox suggested that cannon might be used to drive the British from the town. Washington sent Knox to Crown Point and the recently captured Fort Ticonderoga in northern New York to retrieve fifty-nine cannon and mortars and bring them to Boston.&nbsp;On December 17, 1775, Knox wrote to Washington from Lake George, New York, describing the difficulty of transporting the cannon and mortars: “It is not easy [to] conceive the difficulties we have had in getting them here over the Lake owing to the advanc’d Season of the Year &amp; contrary winds, but the danger is now past; three days ago it was very uncertain whether we could have gotten them untill next spring, but now please God they must go – I have had made forty two exceeding Strong Sleds &amp; have provided eighty Yoke of oxen to drag them as far as Springfield.”&nbsp;Knox and his men moved the cannon 300 miles in fifty-six days with the help of oxen and ice sledges and arrived outside Boston on January 25, 1776. When powder for the cannon finally arrived, the Americans began firing on Boston on March 2, and on March 4 mounted the largest guns on Dorchester Heights. British fire couldn’t reach Washington’s forces, and the British loaded their ships and withdrew to Halifax, Nova Scotia, on March 17.

Final Destination - Thomas Park, Dorchester Heights

Starting Point - Fort Ticonderoga

The Battle of Trenton, which occurred on December 26, 1776, in Trenton, New Jersey, was a crucial turning point in the American Revolutionary War. General George Washington led his Continental Army across the icy Delaware River on Christmas Day, launching a surprise attack on a Hessian garrison stationed in Trenton. Despite being outnumbered, the Americans initiated the attack and achieved a decisive victory. This victory not only boosted the morale of the American troops but also paved the way for another triumph at Princeton a week later. The battle resulted in the capture of essential supplies, including food and clothing. The success at Trenton showcased Washington’s leadership skills, secured the loyalty of his soldiers, and revitalized the Continental Army.

Trenton

Site of Battle of Trenton

Battle of Trenton

The Battle of Yorktown, which unfolded in 1781, marked a pivotal moment in the American Revolutionary War. This was where General George Washington, leading American troops, and Comte de Rochambeau, commanding French forces, joined together to confront the British Army, led by Lieutenant General Charles Cornwallis. The Franco-American forces successfully besieged Cornwallis’s troops in Yorktown, Virginia, leaving them with no choice but to surrender. This significant victory essentially brought an end to the war’s military operations. It also set the stage for the Treaty of Paris in 1783, which officially ended the conflict.

Yorktown

Site of Battle of Yorktown

Battle of Yorktown

A New York State History Month 2000 ProjectThe Knox Trail website was created by Philip Lord Jr. and Joseph Meany and formerly maintained by the office of Museum Services, New York State Museum, New York State Education Department, Albany, NY.

Noble Train of Artillery

Henry Knox was a bookseller turned military officer who became the Continental Army's chief of artillery. Born in Boston, Knox demonstrated remarkable ingenuity by transporting heavy artillery from Fort Ticonderoga to Boston, a feat that helped drive British forces out of the city. He served alongside Washington in key battles, including Trenton and Yorktown. After the war, Knox became the first U.S. Secretary of War, shaping the nation's early military policies.

Henry Knox

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Noble Train of Artillery ALBUM

Related Sites

Henry Knox

IMAGE ALBUMS

1Noble Train of Artillery ALBUM

Related Sites

1
Noble Train of Artillery ALBUM