11To George Washington from Colonel Henry Knox, 10 June 1776 (Washington Papers)
Your Excellency will please to observe by the above summary that there are now mounted and fit for action in this City and the neighbouring posts one hundred and twenty one heavy and light Cannon. To each Cannon it will be necessary to have ten men including the mortar and contingent Services. this would make twelve hundred an[d] ten men. we have in the regiment six hundred officers included,...
12To George Washington from Colonel Henry Knox, 9 July 1776 (Washington Papers)
From a view of the present important contest with Great Britain it appears that the war is but in its infancy. To carry it on with vigour and success a well regulated and numerous body of Artillery will be necessary. The present number of officers and men of the Regiment of Artillery here are not sufficient for the posts in and round about this City. To supply this deficiency a number of men...
13To John Adams from Henry Knox, 29 July 1776 (Adams Papers)
Mr. Paine has done me the honor to write to me on the subject of casting cannon, in consequence of which Mr. Byers a Cannon founder from this place has proceeded to Philadelphia. I take the liberty to beg he may be set to work immediately and if upon a large scale the advantages must be proportionate. As every hint to a Gentleman in Acting in your important Station may be attended with good...
14To George Washington from Colonel Henry Knox, 19 August 1776 (Washington Papers)
I understood that some few Cannon were to be taken from Mount Washington for Kings Bridge for the present—we find great difficulty in procuring the Carriages for General Fellowss encampment—the Greatest part of which I hope will be Completed to day and tomorrow after which we will turn our whole endevors to Complete those for Kings Bridge. I am with Great Respect Your Excellencys Most Obt &...
15To John Adams from Henry Knox, 21 August 1776 (Adams Papers)
I received your favor by the post for which please to accept my thanks. I hope the Copper you mentioned will be purchas’d as speedily as possible, as it appears to me to be matter of the utmost consequence. I have purchas’d about two tons but this is nothing equal to what I wish was collected. We ought at least to have enough to cast an hundred Mortars, Howitzers, and feild peices. A numerous...
16To John Adams from Henry Knox, 25 September 1776 (Adams Papers)
Thro’ the hurry and confusion of one retreat after another I have omitted to answer your last favor. You are pleas’d to desire a list of the Officers from Massachusetts Bay noting such as bid fair to rise superior to the commonality. I have endevor’d to procure the whole list but in vain. The General sometime since order’d a list to be given in of the Officers of evry Regiment in Order to go...
17To George Washington from Colonels Henry Knox and Rufus Putnam, 6 October 1776 (Washington Papers)
Agreable to your directions, we view’d the hill, East of Mount Washington, & the camp in general, & beg leave to make the following report Viz. That the highest part of said hill, be secured by a fort, principally made of the timber now standing there, strengthened with a good abattis, form’d of the tops of the trees, which are to be cut down; And that on the North part of the hill, a redoubt...
18To George Washington from Brigadier General Henry Knox, 1 February 1777 (Washington Papers)
After my Letter to General Greene from Springfield of the 26th of January I sat out for this place in order to provide such materials as were necessary to carry on the various branches connected with the Laboratory and ordnance establishment. Upon my arrival here I was much surpriz’d at the very extrordinary bounty offer’d by this state for Recruits for the service. I wrote to General Greene...
19To John Adams from Henry Knox, 3 May 1777 (Adams Papers)
It is a long time since I have had the pleasure of a Line from you. I was in hopes to have seen you when I went to Boston but you had previously set out for Congress and I miss’d you on the road. Since my return from thence the duties of my department have taken up the whole of my time, which together with the fear of trespassing on your more important engagements has prevented my writing to...
20To John Adams from Henry Knox, 10 May 1777 (Adams Papers)
I am obliged to you for your two favors, one of the 25 Ultimo and the other of the 6 instant both of which I have received. I know not in what condition the Furnace at Salisbury is, but, from the reports which I have had of the Ore, I should suppose they must be bungling workmen indeed if they do not succeed. Shall I enquire into the management of it, and, if practicable, endeavor to get some...