John Knox

John Knox (died 8 February 1778) was an officer in the British Army who took part in the Austrian War of Succession and the Seven Years' War. He served in North America between 1757 and 1760 and is notable for providing historians with the most complete account of these campaigns. Knox narrowly avoided being killed in 1759 when a French soldier's musket twice misfired, and he went on to fight in the Battle of the Plains of Abraham, where he performed in one of the most devastating volleys in military history. Knox also took part in the Battle of Sainte Foy and was present when Montreal surrendered on 8 September 1760. Early life Very little is known about his early life. He was born in Ireland, the third son of a Sligo merchant, and served as a volunteer in the British Army before distinguishing himself at the Battle of Lauffeld in 1747. Consequently, he was awarded an ensigncy in the 43rd Regiment of Foot by the Duke of Cumberland. North America In 1754 Knox, still with the 43rd, purchased a lieutenancy and three years later left Ireland with his regiment for Halifax, Nova Scotia. The 43rd were initially intended to support the Earl of Loudon's operation against Louisbourg but this expedition never took place as a result of a combination of poor weather conditions and a strong French naval contingent. Nor did Knox's regiment take part in Amherst's successful campaign the following year. Instead, they spent those two years stationed at Fort Cumberland and around Annapolis. Knox noted in his diary that, "Though we are said to be in possession of Nova Scotia, yet it is in reality of a few fortresses only, the French and the Indians disputing the country with us on every occasion, inch by inch, even within range of our artillery; so that, as I have observed before, when the troops are not numerous, they cannot venture in safety beyond their walls".