▁the ▁white ▁man , ▁whom ▁he ▁had ▁previously ▁treated ▁as ▁brothers , ▁for ▁deliber ately ▁bringing ▁the ▁disease ▁to ▁his ▁people . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁Seven ▁Years ' ▁War , ▁British ▁milit ia ▁took ▁blank ets ▁from ▁their ▁small po x ▁hospital ▁and ▁gave ▁them ▁as ▁g ifts ▁to ▁two ▁neutral ▁L ena pe ▁Indian ▁dign itar ies ▁during ▁a ▁peace ▁settlement ▁neg ot iation , ▁according ▁to ▁the ▁entry ▁in ▁the ▁Captain ' s ▁led ger , ▁" To ▁convey ▁the ▁Small po x ▁to ▁the ▁Indians ". ▁In ▁the ▁following ▁weeks , ▁the ▁high ▁commander ▁of ▁the ▁British ▁forces ▁in ▁North ▁America ▁consp ired ▁with ▁his ▁Colonel ▁to ▁" Ext ir p ate ▁this ▁Exec re ble ▁Race " ▁of ▁Native ▁Americans , ▁writing , ▁" Could ▁it ▁not ▁be ▁cont riv ed ▁to ▁send ▁the ▁small ▁po x ▁among ▁the ▁dis aff ected ▁tribes ▁of ▁Indians ? ▁We ▁must ▁on ▁this ▁occasion ▁use ▁every ▁strat agem ▁in ▁our ▁power ▁to ▁reduce ▁them ." ▁His ▁Colonel ▁agreed ▁to ▁try . ▁Most ▁sch ol ars ▁have ▁assert ed ▁that ▁the ▁ 1 8 3 7 ▁Great ▁Pla ins ▁small po x ▁ep ide mic ▁was ▁" start ed ▁among ▁the ▁tribes ▁of ▁the ▁upper ▁Missouri ▁River ▁by ▁failure ▁to ▁quar antine ▁steam bo ats ▁on ▁the ▁river ", ▁and ▁Captain ▁Pr att ▁of ▁the ▁St . ▁Peter ▁" was ▁guilty ▁of ▁contrib uting ▁to ▁the ▁death s ▁of ▁thousands ▁of ▁innoc ent ▁people . ▁The ▁law ▁calls ▁his ▁off ense ▁criminal ▁neg