THOMAS, John, soldier, born in Marshfield, Massachusetts, in 1725; died in Chambly, near Montreal, Canada, 2 June, 1776. He was educated in his native town, studied medicine under Dr. Cotton Tufts, of Med-ford, and practised in his native town and afterward at Kingston, Massachusetts, where he attained note in his profession. In 1746 he was appointed surgeon to a regiment that was sent to Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia, and in 1747 he served on the medical staff of General William Shirley's regiment, but changed this post for that of lieutenant. In 1759 he became a colonel of provincials, and was employed with his corps in Nova Scotia. In 1760 he commanded a regiment under General Jeffrey Amherst at Crown Point, headed the left wing of the detachment that Amherst sent under Colonel William Haviland from Lake Champlain in August, 1760, to cooperate with the other division of the army moving against Montreal, and was present at the capture of that city. He then returned to his practice in Kingston, where he remained until the beginning of the Revolution. He joined the Sons of liberty, raised a regiment of volunteers, and on 9 February, 1775, was appointed a brigadier-general by the Provincial congress. Being overlooked in promotion, he withdrew, but, on the receipt of letters from General Charles Lee and General Washington and a resolution from congress that he should have precedence of all brigadiers in the army, General Thomas returned to his command. General Washington in his letter to congress, under date of 10 July, 1775, said:" General Thomas is much esteemed, and most earnestly desired to continue in the service; and, as far as my opportunities have enabled me to judge, I must join in the general opinion that he is an able, good officer, and his resignation would be a public loss." During the siege of Boston he commanded a brigade on the Roxbury side, nearest the British lines. On the evening of 4 .March, 1776, with 3.000 men and a supply of intrenching tools, he took possession of Dorchester heights, and before dawn formidable works had been thrown up, which movement caused the British to evacuate the town on 17 March, 1776. On 6 March, 1776, he was appointed major-general. After the death of General James Montgomery he was intrusted with the command in Canada, and joined the army before Quebec on 1 May; but as he found the force less than 1,000 men, 300 of whom, being entitled to discharge, refused to serve, and as the small-pox was raging among the troops, and the enemy had been re-enforced, he determined that they were not in a condition to risk an assault. The disabled soldiers were removed to Three Rivers, and the American troops retreated from one post to another until by 18 June they had evacuated Canada. Before reaching Chambly, on the river Sorel, General Thomas was fatally attacked by small-pox.