Fairfield ( ?)

–? Caulfield (1942, 51) notes a severe epidemic, but gives no indication of mortality.[1]

New London (>1)

— >1 Rev. Eliphalet Adams, Oct 4. Caulkins. History of New London. Chapter XXVIII, p. 486.[2]

— ? Caulfield (1942, 51) notes a severe epidemic, but gives no indication of mortality.

Norwich (27)

–27 Jabez Fitch, Jr., cited by Caulfield 1942, p. 51.[3]

— 2 Mary and Elizabeth Arnold (sisters of Benedict Arnold, who was away at school).[4]

Narrative Information

Caulfield (Dysentery section of paper): “There were…severe epidemics in Fairfield during June and July, 1753 (Which was a little off-season for a New England epidemic), in New London and Norwich during the mid-summer and autumn of 1753… Concerning the Norwich epidemic Jabez Fitch, Jr., noted in his diary in 1753: ‘ye Later Part of this Sumer & ye Foll was ye Most Remarkable for Sickness that Ever was Known in the Plais In About 2 months 27 Persons Died of ye Camp Distemper in Our Society.’

“After 1753 the name ‘camp distemper’ became increasingly popular because of the prevalence of dysentery among troops [fighting French & Indian War].” (Caulfield, Ernest. “Some Common Diseases of Colonial Children.” Transactions…Colonial Society of Mass., V35, Apr 1942, p. 51.)

Sources

Caulfield, Ernest. “Some Common Diseases of Colonial Children.” Transactions of the Colonial Society of Massachusetts, Vol. 35, April 1942, pp. 4-65. Accessed 1-17-2018 at: https://www.colonialsociety.org/node/865

Caulkins, Francis Manwaring. History of New London, Connecticut: From the First Survey of the Coast in 1612 to 1860. Carlisle, MA: Applewood Books, (originally published in 1895 in New London by H. D. Utley). Google preview accessed 1-30-2018 at: https://books.google.com/books?id=HgIPz4OPYNoC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false

Powell, Walter Louis. Benedict Arnold: Revolutionary War Hero and Traitor. New York PowerPlus Books, Rosen Publishing Group, 2004. Google preview accessed 1-30-2018 at: https://books.google.com/books?id=vuaJAhm9ztIC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false

[1] Cites, in footnote 149: Black Rock, Seaport of Old Fairfield, Conn., 1644-1870, Cornelia P. Lathrop, Editor (New Haven), 1930, 25; Coll. New London Hist. Soc., I. 612-616.

[2] Caulkins notes he preached his last service on Sep 9. “Immediately after this he was seized with an epidemic disorder which then prevailed in the town, and expired Oct. 4^th.”

[3] In footnote 150, notes Mayflower Descendant, I (January, 1899), p. 38.

[4] Powell. Benedict Arnold: Revolutionary War Hero and Traitor. P. 100.

1753 — Late Summer-Fall (~2 mo.), Dysentery (“Camp Distemper”), esp. Norwich, CT– 28