Henry Knox - George Washington's Confidant, General of Artillery, and America's First Secretary of War
- Author: Thomas J. Lonergan
- SKU: 2067
- ISBN: 0897255151
- Our Price:
$24.95
-
Description:
Henry Knox - George Washington's Confidant, General of Artillery, and America's first Secretary of War, by Thomas J. Lonergan. 240 pp
illustrations; paperback. 2003
Much has been written down through the years about George Washington but precious little about his right-hand man, General Henry Knox. His masterful feat of dragging heavy cannons all the way from Fort Ticonderoga, New York, to Dorchester Heights through the winter snow is fairly well known. However, knowledge of his other military maneuvers and expertise are much less known. From humble beginnings as a Boston bookseller he rose to become commander of Washington's artillery and our nation's first Secretary of War. He later had a retirement estate built in Thomaston, Maine which he called "Montpelier". Although the original building is no longer in existence, a replica was constructed in later years not far from the original site and still stands today as a museum.
A biography of General Knox was begun in mid-1800's first by Charles S. Davies of Portland who never completed the task and then continued by Joseph Willard of Harvard College. He was not able to complete it due to his untimely death in 1865. Since then, his papers have rested in the Massachusetts Historical Society.
Tom Lonegran has resurrected the facts of a life made unusual by circumstances almost unparalleled in the history of the world. He has brought Henry Knox out of the obscurity of only being found in the footnotes of biographies of his comrades and afforded him his rightful place in history.
Anyone interested in history will find this book a good read, bringing our nation's early history to life.
