[muawiyah]

People were already infected and near death BEFORE it was determined they'd been hit with anthrax.

It's fairly effective as a "sneak attack" weapon.

[TimesDomain]

That is true - I forgot these were "city-folks" with no experience in the real world ... :>)

You would not expect catching anthrax in Washington DC (then) - in comparison, if you lived on a working ranch, you would know the symptoms, when to see the doctor, no big deal if treated. There are still anthrax cases today in the southwest USA on ranches.