Knox, Henry (1750-1806), was an American Revolutionary War general and the nation’s first secretary of war. He was one of George Washington’s most trusted officers.
Knox was born on July 25, 1750, in Boston. He joined the Boston Grenadier Corps in 1772 and studied military science and engineering. In 1775, he became a colonel in charge of the artillery of the Continental Army. Knox directed Washington’s troops when they crossed the Delaware River in December 1776 and then marched on Trenton, New Jersey. Washington commended him publicly for his role in the campaign, and Knox was promoted to brigadier general. Knox fought in various battles around New York City, and at Brandywine, Pennsylvania; Germantown, Pennsylvania; Monmouth, New Jersey; and Yorktown, Virginia.
In 1779, Knox suggested establishing a military academy at West Point. He sat on the court-martial that condemned British Major John André in 1780. Knox became a major general in 1781. In 1783, he and other officers founded the Society of the Cincinnati. This organization was made up of American officers who had fought during the Revolutionary War (see Cincinnati, Society of the).
Knox became secretary of war in 1785, before the adoption of the Constitution. Washington reappointed him in 1789. In 1790, Knox proposed that a national militia (later the National Guard) be organized, but Congress rejected the plan. Knox died on Oct. 25, 1806.
