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Friday, March 20, 2015

Henry Knox Carriage Thomaston Maine

Matthew Hansbury Collections Manager of the Knox Museum replied to my query on this article below. He sent another article from American Pleasure Wagon 1813 and a picture of the carriage at the museum now known as “Lucky Knox’s carriage" . Trying to match all this information or where is the original Knox carriage as the all seem to appear different. If you have any please post or e-mail. Thanks





                        Henry Knox, portrait by Constantino Brumidi.

1795 — Major General Henry Knox, Secretary of War under Washington, resigned his commission and moved to Thomaston. Probably no one man has done more for the town of his adoption than did Maj. Gen. Henry Knox for this town after he resigned as Secretary of War under Washington, and removed to Thomaston, where he engaged in so extensive business operations as to eclipse all others about him. In the army this man, by his great ability and moral worth, rose from a minor officer to a place next only to that of the great leader and deliverer of the nation. He won honors at Trenton, Princeton, Germantown, and Monmouth; as well as many earlier engagements. At the closing scenes of Yorktown he was rewarded by Congress with a commission of Major General. As a mark of Washington's appreciation of his services, Knox was selected to receive the sword of Cornwallis when that commander was forced to make the surrender that forever sealed the independence of America from the mother country; and, on the conclusion of peace he was entrusted with the difficult business of disbanding the American army at West Point. Gen. Knox became proprietor of the entire estate of the Waldo heirs, including most of the present Knox and Waldo counties, except that which had been disposed of previous to 1790. This he acquired partly by purchase and partly by his marriage with Lucy Flukner. Upon his arrival in Thomas ton, at the age of  43 years, he constructed a residence such as was scarcely rivaled in the County at the time. He built wharves and ships, manufactured lime very ex- tensively and, until his death was the leading spirit of the town. He also offered inducements to settlers to come to the place and furnished work for those of all classes. His sudden death in 1806, caused by swallowing a chicken bone, was a great blow to the community. He was much lamented by a people who had found in him a man ever in- terested in their welfare, and one who had made of Thomaston one of the most active towns in the state. He was buried the 28th of October, with military honors, his body being placed in a tomb not far from his residence. This has since been removed, and now lies in the cemetery on the hill behind the village. General Knox was beloved by all those who knew him, and took an active interest in the Church in town. He gave liberally to it support, and also gave the first bell that called this humble people to Christian worship. He also filled several places of honor and trust in political and state affairs being ever honored for his clear and broad intellect, his firm statesmanship, and his deep love of humanity. From the DAR Museum Knox’s Revolutionary War accomplishments include leading the expedition to transfer sixty tons of captured British cannon from Fort Ticonderoga to Boston, directing Washington’s famous Delaware River crossing, and taking charge of the placement of the artillery at Yorktown.
Knox’s service to the new nation particularly is distinctive in that he was both the last secretary of war under the Articles of Confederation and the first secretary of war under the United States Constitution.  His salary in 1793 was $3,000. Click the link above to read more

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