"General William Howe lowered his spyglass in astonishment. He could not believe what he was seeing! Dorchester Heights, a rocky ridge overlooking Boston Harbor, was crowned with rebel artillery! Some of his admirals and captains had warned him that the position needed to be occupied, but Howe had shrugged off the threat. Washington and the rebels posed only limited danger because Washington and the rebels had no artillery. Until now. Howe is reported to have said to some of his staff officers, "These fellows have done more work in one night than I could make my army do in three months."
Washington's chief of artillery was a twenty-five-year-old bookseller named Henry Knox. Knox was a direct descendant of one of the brothers of the Scottish Reformer, John Knox. Henry's father, William Knox was an Ulster Scot who had immigrated from Derry to find a new life in Boston. He had become a shipbuilder, but had suffered financial loss and abandoned his family for the West Indies.
When word came that William Knox had died in the West Indies, Henry Knox had left school behind to become a clerk at a local bookstore in order to support his mother and siblings. Henry read all the books he could get his hands on, especially anything that had to do with history, military science, weaponry, engineering, and battlefield tactics. In a hunting accident, a shotgun went off accidentally that tore two fingers from his left hand. For the rest of his life, he wore a handkerchief tied around his left hand to conceal the missing fingers.
Henry was a decided patriot, and was witness to the "Boston Massacre." He joined a local artillery militia company and gained hands-on experience in handling big guns. By the time he was twenty, Henry was able to open his own bookshop. He married one of the pretty girls who came into his shop to read. Lucy Flucker was the daughter of a prominent Bostonian Loyalist – her brother served in the British army. Lucy abandoned all to follow the destinies of her husband. When shots were fired at Lexington and Concord, Henry Knox knew that he must leave Boston behind or be arrested. He and Lucy slipped quietly out of town. Lucy had sewn Henry's sword into her shawl to conceal it!
George Washington liked the stout young bookseller and was impressed by his expansive knowledge of tactics and engineering. Martha Washington took the pregnant Lucy under her wing. Henry Knox was a big man. During most of the war, he weighed over 250 pounds, sometimes approaching 300 pounds – even while on starvation rations. His booming voice and his massive bulk seemed to make him impervious to cold and bad weather of all sorts…"
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Armand
