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The Edge of Epidemiology

Disease, movement, and military decisions

Revolutionary War Disease Atlas

Follow smallpox, troop movements, inoculation orders, and winter encampments through the American Revolution.

6 cited records

Markers have equal size. Color identifies evidence category; size does not imply disease burden or quality. Locations are approximate geographic anchors.

Boston: guarding against smallpox

1775–1776 · Boston

Disease deaths
Unknown
All-cause deaths
Unknown
Battle casualties (killed/wounded)
Not recorded in this dataset

What the record supports

Smallpox complicated the siege and Washington’s management of susceptible troops. Control measures and the military risks of inoculation shaped his early policy.

Limits of interpretation

The source describes policy and exposure. It does not supply a comparable disease mortality denominator or prove deliberate infection by an opposing force.

Evidence and sources

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Boston: guarding against smallpox 1775–1776

1775–1776 · Boston

Disease deaths
Unknown
All-cause deaths
Unknown
Battle casualties (killed/wounded)
Not recorded in this dataset

What the record supports

Smallpox complicated the siege and Washington’s management of susceptible troops. Control measures and the military risks of inoculation shaped his early policy.

Limits of interpretation

The source describes policy and exposure. It does not supply a comparable disease mortality denominator or prove deliberate infection by an opposing force.

Evidence and sources

Canada campaign: disease and retreat 1775–1776

1775–1776 · Canada campaign

Disease deaths
Unknown
All-cause deaths
Unknown
Battle casualties (killed/wounded)
Not recorded in this dataset

What the record supports

Smallpox was a serious constraint during the Continental Army’s Canada campaign. Contemporary correspondence treated it as a major military danger.

Limits of interpretation

A participant’s emphatic assessment is evidence of perception and concern, not a measured fraction of defeat attributable to disease.

Evidence and sources

Morristown: the inoculation decision 1777-02-06

1777-02-06 · Inoculation policy

Disease deaths
Unknown
All-cause deaths
Unknown
Battle casualties (killed/wounded)
Not applicable

What the record supports

Washington instructed William Shippen to arrange smallpox inoculation for troops in Philadelphia and those coming through.

Limits of interpretation

This was variolation using smallpox material, before Jennerian vaccination. An order establishes policy; implementation and outcomes need additional records.

Evidence and sources

Philadelphia: routing susceptible recruits 1777-03-12

1777-03-12 · Inoculation policy

Disease deaths
Unknown
All-cause deaths
Unknown
Battle casualties (killed/wounded)
Not applicable

What the record supports

Washington told Grier to send recruits who had not had smallpox to Philadelphia for inoculation, while those with prior infection could join the army.

Limits of interpretation

The letter specifies a workflow. It does not quantify how many recruits completed it or its causal effect on mortality.

Evidence and sources

Valley Forge: disease through the encampment 1777-12–1778-06

1777-12–1778-06 · Winter encampments

Disease deaths
Estimated: 2,000
All-cause deaths
Unknown
Battle casualties (killed/wounded)
Not applicable

What the record supports

The National Park Service estimates nearly 2,000 disease deaths during the encampment. Its account places many deaths in the warmer spring months.

Limits of interpretation

The figure is an approximate aggregate, not a diagnosis-specific count or a constant-risk population rate. “Winter encampment” includes spring; this is not a count of freezing deaths.

Evidence and sources

Morristown: a different winter 1779-12–1780-06

1779-12–1780-06 · Winter encampments

Disease deaths
Unknown
All-cause deaths
Estimated: 100
Battle casualties (killed/wounded)
Not applicable

What the record supports

The National Park Service gives about 100 deaths for the Morristown encampment.

Limits of interpretation

That summary reports deaths without a disease-only breakdown. Different army populations, exposure periods, and recording methods prevent a simple causal comparison with Valley Forge.

Evidence and sources

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