Amherst's Troops Camp on Boston Common
On this day in 1758, 4,500 British troops under the command of Jeffrey Amherst camped on Boston Common before setting off to fight the French. Newly promoted to Major-General, Amherst had recently engineered an important British victory at Louisburg in Nova Scotia. He would go on to win battles at Ticonderoga and Crown Point on Lake Champlain and play a critical role in dislodging the French from North America. Amherst's accomplishments made him a hero on both sides of the Atlantic. He was given the highest rank in the British Army, as well as a title. American colonists honored him by naming towns and schools after him, including the town of Amherst, Massachusetts, and the college founded there in 1821. However, "Lord Jeff," as he is often called, also has the dubious distinction of being involved with the first documented attempt at biological warfare. His role in the effort to "reduce" the Native population through smallpox via infected blankets during Pontiac's Rebellion has led to reappraisal of his place in history.
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