Hospital to be erected for smallpox inoculation in Taunton, Massachusetts, in 1777

During the smallpox epidemic in 1777, the townspeople of Taunton, Massachusetts voted to build a hospital for inoculation for the smallpox. One of the members of the town committee was Dr. David Cobb, an illustrious Revolutionary War soldier and aide-de-camp to General George Washington, speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives and President of the Senate, physician, judge, Member of Congress, and Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts. He graduated Harvard College in 1766 and studied medicine with Dr. Perkins of Boston.

The letter reads:

At a meeting of the inhabitants of the Town of Taunton on Wednesday the 9th day of April AD 1777

On the 2nd article mentioned in the warrant voted that there be a Hospital Erected or Procured in some suitable place in said Town for the inoculating for the Small Pox and be under such regulations as the Court of General Sessions of the peace for this county may order

Doc[tor] David Cobb Mr. Elijah Lincoln and Capt. Job Smith was chosen a committee to make application for a Court of Sessions to be convened for the purpose aforesaid and said committee to recommend to a Court a suitable House or Houses, or place for a Hospital and Desire said Court to give Directions & Regulations respecting the same.

A True Copy of the Vote aforesaid

Attest James Williams

Contributed by anonymous