Pulling a 5000 Pound Cannon Across the Frozen Hudson River in 1775

They began slowly, hearing long groans punctuated by cracks in the ice. John Becker Sr. didn’t want to lose the oxen and kept his eyes on the thick corded rope that he would slash with the axe. He would have only seconds to separate the yoke of oxen from the heavy weight of a sinking cannon. The worst scenario was that the cannon would plunge through, cracks rippling outward, sending men, sleds, and animals under. The best case should the ice break was that they would lose only the cannon. Extra ropes had been tied around the neck of the cannon with an eye toward retrieval.

The wind blasted across the desolate river with the far pines frosted white. The oxen made their way, hooves clicking on the ice. Becker pulled back, calling out whoa! to the oxen, slowing them further. Knox had dismounted and guided his horse, staring ahead and then behind. The other men stood by their sleds on the near side of the river, watching to see if disaster would strike and their expedition would fall into the icy water below. Along with the Indians, the Tories, and the British, the ice was another foe that could obliterate the entire train.

Silent now in the middle of the frozen river. The creak of the ropes, the slide of shoes on thin snow. The grunt of heavy animals. Knox felt his heartbeat with every step. The far side of the Hudson drew closer and Knox turned, staring at the light grooves the sled left in the ice. Seven inches of ice must be beneath the oxen and the rails of the sled; other than a groan and an occasional heart-stopping rifle crack of shifting ice, the river seemed to be holding their weight. Knox felt the stiff wind pick at his scarf. His eyes watered. He led his horse off the ice and watched the oxen find their footing in the snow with the teamster following. Knox breathed out in relief. The worst had not happened.

Henry Knox's Noble Train

Five Things You Didn't Know About the First Victory of the American Revolution

The first victory of the American Revolution was over the British at Boston. George Washington had just taken command of the  American Army in June of 1775 and had just met a young bookseller named Henry Knox. Here are Five Things you Probably Didn't know.

1. George Washington had been running his plantation for fifteen years and had no experience on how to run a siege against Boston or how to run a large army. In fact he lamented taking command an complained about the stupidity of the troops. He wrote that if he had known the condition of the army he would have never taken command.

2. Henry Knox was a twenty five year old bookseller who had no military experience at all. George Washington made him a Colonel of the Artillery and sent him 300 miles in the middle of winter to retrieve 60 tons of cannons because they had no artillery to force the British out of Boston. Nobody thought Knox was capable of getting the 120,000 pounds of cannons that is the equivalent of 28 SUVS back to Boston.

3. Knox used oxen and sleds to transport the cannons.When he crossed Lake George a cannon fell through the ice and had to retrieved. He then crossed the Hudson river where a 5000 pound cannon went through the ice and it took the the whole town of Albany to pull it back to the surface. When he crossed the Berkshire mountains the men refused to go no further. It took Knox three hours of pleading with the men to get them to continue. It took two months to bring the cannon back.

4. Washington put Knox'x cannons up on Dorchester Heights overlooking Boston in one night and when the British woke up they found themselves under bombardment. General Howe tried to attack but a freak snowstorm drove him back and he opted to leave Boston, giving the Americans their first victory.

5. Henry Knox's journey of pulling the cannons to Washington in 1775 is referred to as the Noble Train because Henry Knox wrote Washington a letter from the wilderness stating he was bringing to him "his noble train of artillery."

Henry Knox Noble Train