The Noble Train of Artillery Returns to the Berkshires
January 10, 2026
Between December 1775 and March 1776, Henry Knox was ordered by General George Washington to do the unthinkable—transport artillery that had been captured at Fort Ticonderoga and Fort George in New York to the Continental Army in the outskirts of Boston in order to drive the occupying British forces out of the important port city. In the middle of winter, Knox found a way to drag fifty-nine cannons 300 miles, crossing Lake Champlain by boat and using teams of horses to pull sledges over the mountains of the Berkshires. Called the “Noble Train of Artillery,” this heroic trek was pivotal in securing one of the early victories in America’s war for independence.
On January 10, 2026, the Berkshires will celebrate the 250th anniversary of Knox crossing into Massachusetts with a series of events in Alford and Great Barrington.
10 am – State Line Crossing Ceremony
Meet the horse-drawn sledges coming from New York and crossing into Massachusetts at the state line in Alford. This short ceremony will include a wreath laying by the Daughters of the American Revolution, remarks from both New York and Massachusetts representatives and ceremonial volleys of cannons and muskets as the horses from New York are unhitched and Massachusetts team are hitched as a new party of re-enactors takes over as the train heads into the Berkshires.
FREE– Knox Trail historic marker, Route 71 at the New York/Massachusetts border in Alford, Massachusetts
Following the ceremony, the contingent will travel to Great Barrington Town Hall for brief remarks prior to the beginning of a 2 pm event at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center.
2 pm – Revolution 250 in partnership with Berkshires250 and MA250 present Henry Knox’s Noble Train of Artillery Commemoration
Join us at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center for an afternoon celebrating the men and Berkshire townspeople whose perseverance helped secure the Continental Army’s first great strategic victory. The towns through which the Noble Train of Artillery passed—Alford, North Egremont, Great Barrington, Monterey, and Otis—will be recognized, and a short video about the Knox Trail created by the Otis Historical Society will be shown. Light refreshments will follow.
FREE (reservations required) — Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center, 244 Main St., Great Barrington, 413-528-0100
These events are supported by
And organized by
