[pwg]

> Ie oversized mosquitoes (where swamps were not completely drained hundred years ago).

The native mosquitoes of the DC area can grow to a body length of about 1 inch or a bit longer (~3cm). They were the ones that were nocturnal (or at least dusk active). This variety is likely what revolutionary soldiers would have been writing about.

They have largely been out competed by the invasive "black fly" version (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aedes_albopictus) that is active all day (and so, is much more a nuisance, even if they are only about 3/8 inch (~1cm) body length).

[cafard]

The area that is now Washington, DC, was not a scene of operations during the Revolutionary War. There were a couple of small port towns, Alexandria and Georgetown, and various farms.

[IAmBroom]

The mosquitoes were probably not averse to crossing county lines to get at that succulent British blue blood.

[cafard]

There wasn't anything particularly important there--capturing Alexandria and Georgetown would have been as effective as capturing Havre de Grace or Port Deposit. And I think that what is now Washington, DC, was part of Prince George's County, which extends east to the Patuxent.