In the course of our Nations Revolutionary War, seemingly
unrelated events transpired that when looked at from the distance
of time can be seen to have had a dramatic impact on the outcome of
our Nations history.
ETHAN ALLEN CAPTURES FORT TICONDEROGA: In the aftermath
of the French and Indian war, Fort Ticonderoga, still armed with an
array of cannon and mortar, sat neglected and quiet on the shore of
Lake Champlain. Strategically located at a choke point on
Champlain, it was believed that whoever had control of Fort
Ticonderoga also controlled the movement on this section of the
Lake Champlain waterway. At the time, this afforded a distinct
military advantage. Despite this fact, Fort Ticonderoga was only
guarded by a small garrison of British forces.
In the early morning darkness of May 10th, 1775 Ethan Allen and
a contingent of Green Mountain Boys silently stormed through an
open gate and captured the Fort with surprising ease.
GEN. GEORGE WASHINGTON MEETS HENRY KNOX: A few months
later, Washington arrived in Boston to find a city occupied by
British forces and even more worrisome, a demoralized Colonial
Army. While there, Washington had the good fortune of meeting a
former bookstore owner turned Patriot. A man named Henry Knox, who
is described as being a self taught expert in Military Artillery.
From their meetings, both men recognized the vital importance of
aquiring some heavy artillery to support there cause. In light of
this, Washington commissioned Knox a Colonel and assigned him the
task of retrieving the cannon from the recently captured Fort
Ticonderoga. In essence, THE KINGS IRON.
HENRY KNOX DELIVERS THE KINGS IRON: Knox arrived at Fort
Ticonderoga on the evening of December 5th, 1775 and quickly got to
work. After removing the artillery pieces from their rotted
carriages, the guns were then moved to the Forts Place
d’Arms where they were prepared for transport. On the morning
of December 6th, in the midst of winter conditions, Knox and his
men set out from the fort and began their Herculean trek to Boston.
Nearly two months and 300 miles later, Knox arrived in Cambridge
with The Kings Iron. An artillery package consisting of over
50 pieces of cannon, mortar and howitzers.
A short time later, in the early morning hours of March 17th,
1776 some 1,200 men under the cover of moonlight reassembled the
artillery pieces atop Dorchester Heights overlooking the City and
Harbor of Boston below. When dawn broke, British Commander General
Howe was stunned to see the newly erected artillery. Realizing the
overwhelming shift in tactical advantage and sensing an impending
bombardment, he ordered the immediate withdrawal of his troops from
the city. Thus providing a much needed morale boost to the Colonial
troops and giving Washington his first victory. All without ever
having had to fire a shot.
The hunt for this cache will take you on a short tour by
car(just over 2 miles) to two of the locations Knox and his men
passed while transporting The Kings Iron.
At the posted coordinates you will find a Knox Trail Monument.
While facing the monument look to the center of the Park(a heading
of about 105 deg.) and look for a large stone(Rock) monument
commemorating Carillon Park.
B= (Year Park was Dedicated) – 1402.
Now drive to N43 49.265 W73 25.478. At this location you
will find another Knox Trail Monument. Read the Monument and note
the number of letters in the final word at the lower right.
A= (Number of Letters) x 24.2
Final cache coord’s. are N43 49.A W73 25.B.
The final cache is very close by. If you approach the cache from
the available parking lot it’s less than 100 feet to the cache.
Good Caching!