Donald Whitbeck drove by a slab of stone sticking out of the ground in Colonie for 75 years before his curiosity finally got the best of him and he stopped to see what it was. He soon discovered he was standing on the grounds of one of the most daring feats of the Revolutionary War.

After returning to his home in the Town of Providence, Don did a bit of investigating. He learned that the granite rock near New Loudon Road (then called New Loudoun Ferry Road) belongs to one of the nation’s earliest heritage trails, The Henry Knox Trail, also known as the Knox Cannon Trail, which traces the route of Colonel Henry Knox's "Noble Train of Artillery” through upstate New York and Massachusetts. This monument, erected in 1938 by the New York State Education Department, City of Cohoes, and Cohoes Historical Society, currently had no caretakers, so Don volunteered to cut back the overgrown grass and paint the fence surrounding it.

“It’s a chance to be a hero and relive the bold journey that helped America win its freedom,” said Don. “I did it so people can remember our history. I want more people to become aware of what our forefathers went through so we could have freedom in our country.”

A Perilous Journey

Five years after Henry Knox, a Boston bookseller, witnessed the Boston Massacre, at the age of 25, he left his new wife, Lucy Flucker, the daughter of wealthy British Loyalists, to haul cargo for the American Army.

In May 1775, Ethan Allan and a militia of Green Mountain Boys captured Fort Ticonderoga, commandeering their supplies and equipment. Knox left Fort Ticonderoga on November 16, 1775, expecting the 300-mile winter expedition to take less than 20 days. The cargo was shipped by boat down Lake George, but hauling 120,000 pounds of guns, mortars, cannons, and other armaments across challenging terrain proved difficult.

It took 56 days to lead a caravan of horses and oxen pulling massive sleds on poor-quality roads and through dangerous river crossings. During the journey, a blizzard dumped three feet of snow on Knox, who nearly froze in the severe cold.

A Pivotal Moment

In late January 1776, Knox and the train of artillery finally arrived at a Continental Army encampment in Boston. Now able to fortify their position, the Americans' commanding presence caused British General William Howe, in March 1776, to give the order to evacuate Boston. British soldiers, dependents, and Loyalists fled the city. A fleet of 120 ships withdrew to Halifax, Nova Scotia, enabling General George Washington’s forces to capture Boston and secure a crucial early victory for the Continental Army.

Each of the markers on the Henry Knox Trail designates one day on this journey, but today, driving between them can be done in mere minutes.  Almost a century has passed since 1927, when the Henry Knox Trail monuments were first placed, and some are not faring as well as others.

∅The Knox Cannon Relay and Festival, scheduled for December 12-14, will span Warren, Washington, Saratoga, and Albany counties, encouraging local communities to reconnect with the Revolutionary War. For more information and to volunteer, visit saratoga250.com