June 24, 1763

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Martin Antonenko

A Fixture
Joined
Jul 11, 2008
Messages
8,994
Biological Warfare - For the First Time ...

Today is the anniversary of a date of shame, namely the day on which, for the first time in history, biological pathogens were consciously and planned used as warfare agents.

To stop the so-called "Pontiac uprising" in their North American colonies ...



... a rebellion of the Delaware, Shawnee, Mingo and Ottawa under their leader Obwandiyag (whom the British call "Pontiac") ...



... against British rule, orders the British commander, General (later Field Marshal) Sir Jeffrey Amherst, 1st Baron Amherst ...



... to give blankets to the indigenous people as a "gesture of goodwill" who are infected with smallpox pathogens, against which the indigenous people - unlike Europeans - have no defenses, as smallpox is so far unknown on the American continent.

The contaminated blankets were collected in Fort Pitt (now Pittsburgh), where smallpox broke out during a siege by the indigenous people - presumably by rats.



British Captain Simon Ecuyer, commander of Fort Pitt ...



... received on June 16, 1763 from his superior in Philadelphia, Colonel Henri Bouquet ...


... forwarded General Amhearst's written order for the murder.

On June 24th, 1763, Ecuyer set about carrying out the murderous order - and handed over several military blankets to the residents - like this one, which is now kept in a museum ...:





He triggers a devastating epidemic among the indigenous people ...:





Ecuyer feels - like his superiors - no scruples. Rather, he notes in his diary:

"I hope it will have the desired effect."


 
Shameful episode. Impossible to put a positive slant on this. Makes one think, Britain condemned Saddam Hussein for using nerve agents on the Kurds (and ultimately assisted in his downfall), but it was our ball that kicked the game off all those years ago.

That blanket in the photo is a typical "Witney" blanket, made just up the road from where I live. The company, Charles Earley and Marriott is now sadly defunct.

Phil
 
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