American Revolution in Massachusetts

Knox leading artillery train

A plan to break the siege of Boston centered on fortifying Dorchester Heights, a strategically valuable high point in what is now South Boston, using 60 tons of canons and other armaments from British-held Fort Ticonderoga in Upstate New York. The fort and all of its armaments were captured on May 10, 1775 in a mission led by Benedict Arnold along with Ethan Allen and the Green Mountain Boys.

It was decided that the armaments should not be moved until the winter, when the frozen ground and snow would make it easier to move the large and heavy artillery. Henry Knox was tasked with leading an expedition to bring the armaments from Fort Ticonderoga to Boston. The expedition left Ticonderoga on November 17, 1775 and began arriving in the Boston area on January 25, 1776.