Today in Johnson City History, Sunday, October 26, 2025
A bad car wreck, Johnson City Steam Laundry and more
October 26, 1775: Two hundred and fifty years ago today, Henry Knox wrote the following letter to John Adams. As usual, the original spellings and punctuations have been preserved.
“Encourag’d by your kindly mentioning my name in your Letters to several Gentlemen this way I now take the liberty of writing to you.
“A number of the Generals desir’d me to act as engineer and said that when the delegates from the Continental Congress came here the matter should be settl’d—myself as cheif engineer with the rank and pay of Colonel and a Lt. Col. Putnam as second also with the rank of Col.—but the Gentlemen (two of them, Dctr. Franklin was of another opinion) delegates did not see proper to engage for any other rank than that of Lt. Col. and I believe have recommended us in that order to your Congress.