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“A Gallant Defence”

Behind the scenes of HSMC’s newest exhibit

Learn more about the attack on Andrew Knox and other related people, events, and places

Welcome to the supplemental page providing you with more information about our present “A Gallant Defence”: Knox’s Revolutionary Household exhibit located at the Historical Society of Montgomery County, Pa. Through this page you can learn about what sources located at HSMCPA we used for our research for this exhibit as well as some additional behind the scenes tidbits that we thought were interesting to share but could not put up on our displays. We hope that you find the information interesting and informative.

Sources found at the Historical Society of Montgomery County, Pa

Hover for a list of Bulletins

Bulletins

(Historical Sketches) Volume VI – “The Attach on Andrew Knox” by Major William M. Bean

Volume XVI, Nos. 3 & 4 – “Traitors by Choice of Chance” by Ellwood C. Parry Jr.

Volume XL, No. 1 – “The Attempted Tory Abductions of Lieutenant Colonel Jacob Reed and Squire Andrew Knox: Thereby Hang Some Tales” by Donald B. Lewis

Hover for a list of items in the family file

Knox Family File

Accounts of the Attack
  • Andrew Knox Obituary
  • Paper read by Mary K. Rittenhouse
  • Statements from assorted figures
  • Excerpts from books
Other Information
  • Old Cain
  • Property Records
  • Wills and other legal documents
  • Genealogy

Hover for a list of articles in scrapbooks

Scrapbooks

Assorted newspaper articles related to:

  • The Knox Farm
  • The Knox Family
  • Accounts of the Attack
  • Old Cain
  • Isaac McGlathery, the Knox’s neighbor

What is the truth?

One of the hardest parts about putting together information for an exhibit is finding the truth through all of the accounts of a specific event. Many of the accounts we came across in our collection about the attack on Andrew Knox were 3rd or 4th hand accounts. In fact, one of our sources claimed “that the reason why no account… was ever given… was that a certain Rev. Gentleman who was to furnish a history of the events of those days died before he had accomplished the object.” Take a look at some of the differing facts we uncovered below.

And then there was Henry W. Shoemaker, a folklore authority, who provided these embellished “facts” of the event.

✓ Attack occurred at the end of a long day

✓ Knox fought off the attackers with a gun

✓ Captain Wysong heard the shooting from his station and rushed to help

✓ The attackers were captured right there and any who were able to flee were captured later on