Henry Knox ’ s parents were William Knox and Campbell Knox. His parents pioneers from North Ireland. Because of all the stress and money difficulties of being a shipmaster William Knox died of all the stress at the age of 50. He had a few siblings but still he quit school to help and support his mother. Henry ’ s job was a clerk at a Boston bookstore and eventually opened his own. He loved books and history but his main interest later on became the Artillery.

Henry married Lucy Flucker on June Their parents refused at first but the couple fought back and young love triumphed. Their children were Henry Jackson Knox, Marcus Camillus Knox, George Washington Knox, Marcus Bingham Knox and Julia Wadsworth Knox.

Henry was the youngest General in the Continental Army. He matured into a big man, over 6 ft. tall and weighed 280 pounds. When the American Revolution broke out in 1775, Knox became acquainted with General George Washington during the Siege of Boston and received appointment as a colonel of Artillery. The Pastwar years were also active for Knox. In May 1783, he founded the society of the Cincinnati composed of former continental officers, in wich he also served as a secretary. That same year, congress elected him to replace Benjamin Lincoln as the nation ’ s first peacetime as a secretary of war.

As a member of the Army of Observation, Knox met and impressed General George Washington when he took command. Knox offered his services to Washington, who had commissioned a colonel and gave him command of the Continental Regiment of Artillery. Washington and Knox soon became good friends.

Two separate American forts, Fort Knox (Kentucky) and Fort Knox (Maine) were named after him. Knox hall at Fort Sill (Oklahoma) home of the Field of Artillery center and school is also named after him. Knoxville Tennessee, is named in his honor. There are counties named after Knox in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Missouri, Nebraska, Ohio, Tennessee and Texas.

Knox supported the American Rebels, The Sons of Liberty and was present at the Boston Massacare. He voulenteered as a member of the Boston Grenadier Corps in 1772 and served under General Artemas Ward at the Battle of Bunker hill in 1775.

Knox also bid the foundation for the U.S. Navy by authorizing Philadelphia shipbuilder Joshua Humphreys to desighn six frigates before resigning as secretary of war in December Knox retired to his estate at Tomaston, Maine, emerging briefly in 1798 to serve as a Major General during the crisis with France. He died on his estate on October 25, 1806, apparently from swallowing a chicken bone.