Henry Knox led the Continental Army’s Noble Train of Artillery from Fort Ticonderoga to Boston.
During the winter of 1775–1776, Knox directed the movement of heavy weapons captured at Fort Ticonderoga to the American siege camps outside Boston. The expedition covered about 300 miles using boats, horses, ox-drawn sledges, and manpower across difficult winter terrain.
The train transported approximately 60 tons of cannon and other armaments. Once the guns reached the Boston area, American forces placed them on Dorchester Heights overlooking the city and harbor.
The artillery position made the British occupation of Boston untenable. British troops evacuated the city in March 1776. Knox later became the Continental Army’s chief artillery officer and the first United States secretary of war.