1776
By February 17, Henry Knox’s massive sleds carrying the Ticonderoga cannons had reached the outskirts of Cambridge, Massachusetts. General Washington spent this day and the surrounding week inspecting the heavy ordnance and planning the secret nighttime fortification of Dorchester Heights. This was the tactical “checkmate” move of the Siege of Boston.
1778
While the exact date of his arrival at the Valley Forge camp is often cited as February 23, it was on and around February 17, 1778, that the Prussian officer Baron von Steuben was traveling through Pennsylvania to meet with the Continental Congress and General Washington.He carried letters of introduction from Benjamin Franklin. His arrival would shortly transform the starving, disorganized Continental Army into a disciplined force capable of matching the British in bayonet charges and complex maneuvers.
1781
Cornwallis used this day to attempt a political win where he failed a military one. He set up his headquarters in Hillsborough and raised the Royal Standard. However, his troops were so hungry that they began plundering the very “Loyalist” farms they were supposed to be protecting, effectively destroying any remaining support for the Crown in the region.