I was a bookseller turned general, and I moved mountains for the cause of liberty.

I was born on July 25, 1750, in Boston, the seventh of ten children. My parents had come from Northern Ireland, and after my father passed away, I left school to help support my family. I found work in a Boston bookstore, where I read every military history and artillery manual I could get my hands on. Eventually, I opened a bookshop of my own. While I never trained as a soldier, I studied war like a professional.

In 1774, I married Lucy Flucker. Her family remained loyal to the British, but I stood with the colonies. When the Revolution began, I joined the Boston Grenadier Corps and fought at the Siege of Boston. That’s where I caught the attention of General George Washington. Impressed by my understanding of artillery, he gave me a commission and soon tasked me with retrieving cannons from Fort Ticonderoga.

It was winter. My men and I hauled more than sixty tons of cannon across 300 miles of frozen terrain using sleds and oxen. We brought every last piece to Boston without a single loss. Once those guns were in place on Dorchester Heights, the British fled the city. That was just the beginning.

I directed artillery during the battles of Trenton and Princeton, and Washington promoted me to brigadier general. I remained his top artillery officer for the rest of the war. I fought in the Philadelphia Campaign, helped convict the spy John André, and led the artillery at Yorktown during the final siege.

In 1782, I became the army’s youngest major general. When the British left New York City in 1783, I led the American forces into the city and stood beside Washington as he gave his farewell address at Fraunces Tavern. I was the first officer to step forward and embrace him.

After the war, I became the first Secretary of War for the United States. I served in that role until 1794, helping shape the foundations of the American military.

I passed away in 1806 after an infection caused by a chicken bone. My final years were spent in Thomaston, Maine, where I was buried with full military honors. Though my path began in a bookshop, I gave my life to the fight for freedom and helped turn a young army into a lasting force.