HISTORY OF VERMONT. 67 



which only seven hiindied and seventy two 

 were privates fit for duty. With this small ad- 

 dition they were so much encouraged as to ad- 

 vance, and begin works against Quebec, bu 

 their artillery made no impression. One of the 

 loyal Canadians, a Mr. Beanjeu, had collected a 

 body of above three hundred men, with a de- 

 sign of dispersing the Americans and raising 

 the siege ; with this party, eighty of the Ameri- 

 cans had an encounter on March the twenty 

 fifth, and soon and easily dispersed them. 



When the American Congress received in- 

 formation of the disaster at Quebec, they order- 

 ed four battalions to Canada ; and in April 

 they increased the number to ten, and genera^ 

 Thomas was sent to take the command. The 

 most of these troops were on their march, and 

 by the first of May, general Thomas arrived 

 in the camp, but the number that had arrived 

 in the vicinity of Quebec, amounted lo n» 

 more than nineteen hundred men. An event 

 however had taken place, which reduced them 

 to a state of impotence and inactivity ; the small 

 pox, the scourge and terror of the English col- 

 onies, had broke out and was carrying destruc- 

 tion and dismay through the American camp. 

 Whether casual or through design, a girl who 

 had been a nurse in the hospital at Quebec came 

 out from the city, and gave this distemper to 

 some of the continental soldiers. It was impos- 

 sible to prevent the disorder from spreading, 

 and the soldiers regardless of all orders to the 

 contrary, consulted their own safety, and innoc- 

 ulated themselves. The re'a.forcements whi6h 

 were daily arriving did the same ; and as they 



