Knox, Henry (1750-1806) to George Washington
High-resolution images are available to schools and libraries via subscription to American History, 1493-1943. Check to see if your school or library already has a subscription. Or click here for more information. You may also order a pdf of the image from us here.
Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC02437.00215 Author/Creator: Knox, Henry (1750-1806) Place Written: Lake George, New York Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 5 December 1775 Pagination: 2 p. : docket ; 20.5 x 16.5 cm. Order a Copy
Discusses working with General Philip Schuyler to arrange to have artillery seized from the British earlier in the year forwarded from Fort Ticonderoga to Cambridge, Massachusetts. Describes the garrison at Ticonderoga as weak and "the Conveyance from the fort to the landing so indifferent & the passage across the lake so precarious that I am afraid it will be ten days at least before I can get them on this side the lake." Mentions potential problems with the sledding. Written from Fort George in Lake George, New York. Knox's retained working draft. Docket is written in Knox's hand.
Fort George - Dec. 5 1775
May it please Your Excellency
I arriv'd here yesterday and immediately got ready to go over the lake this morning but General Schuyler arriving here before day prevents my going for an hour or two - he has given me a list of those stores on the other side from which I am enabled to send [inserted: a Inventory of] those which I intend to forward to Camp - the Garrison is so weak at Ticonderoga, the Conveyance from the fort to the landing so indifferent & the passage across the lake so precarious that I am afraid it will be ten days at least before I can get them on this side the lake - when they are here the conveyance from hence will depend entirely on the sleding - if that is good they shall immediately move forward - without good sleding the roads are so much gullied it will be impossible [2] to move a step - General Schuyler will do every thing possible to forward this business.
I have the honor to be
with the greatest Respect
Your Excellencys Most
Obdt Humble Servant
Henry Knox
His Excellency General Washington
[docket]
Copy of a letter
to Genl Washington
Decr 8 1775
Fort George
Citation Guidelines for Online Resources
The copyright law of the United States (title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a photocopy or other reproduction. One of these specific conditions is that the photocopy or reproduction is not to be “used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research.” If a user makes a request for, or later uses, a photocopy or reproduction for purposes in excess of “fair use,” that user may be liable for copyright infringement. This institution reserves the right to refuse to accept a copying order if, in its judgment, fulfillment of the order would involve violation of copyright law.