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In one of the war's most audacious logistical feats, Henry Knox led an expedition to transport captured British cannons from Fort Ticonderoga over 300 miles through winter wilderness to Boston. Using ox-drawn sleds across frozen rivers and snow-covered mountains, they moved 59 pieces of artillery weighing over 120,000 pounds. Washington then secretly positioned these guns on Dorchester Heights overnight, shocking the British who awoke to find their fleet vulnerable to bombardment from the commanding position. This forced the British to evacuate Boston entirely—the Continental Army's first major strategic victory achieved through ingenuity rather than direct combat.
The Continental Navy's first major operation was an amphibious assault on the British stronghold of Nassau in the Bahamas. Commodore Esek Hopkins led eight ships carrying Marines to capture desperately needed gunpowder and military supplies. The fleet sailed south in a bold gambit, successfully surprising the lightly defended port. Though they missed the main powder magazine (which had been moved), they captured 88 cannons, 15 mortars, and other valuable military stores. This daring raid demonstrated that the fledgling American navy could project power far from home and strike British interests in unexpected places.
The Marines' actions at Princeton represent their evolution from the naval raids of 1776. Captain William Shippin's Marines, fighting alongside Washington's army, helped secure this crucial victory that revitalized the American cause after the desperate crossing of the Delaware. The Marines had spent much of 1776 learning to fight both at sea and on land—a versatility that would become their hallmark. Their performance at Princeton validated their dual role as both naval infantry and soldiers capable of supporting major land campaigns.
