HISTORY OF VERMONT. 205 



Vermont, asserting her rig'ht to independence^.', 

 and expressing his determinate resolution, to do o. 

 every thing in his power to establish it. Con- 

 scious of his own integrity, and sensible that his 

 activity and sufferings in the cause of his coun- 

 try, were known to all America, he wrote in 

 this style : " I am confident that Congress will 

 not dispute my sincere attachment to the cause 

 of my country, though I do not hesitate to say, 

 I am fully grounded in opinion, that Vermont 

 has an indubitable right to agree on terms of a 

 cessation of hostilities with Great Britain, pro- 

 vided the United States persist in rejecting her 

 application for an union with them : For Ver- 

 mont, of all people would be the most miserable, 

 were she obliged to defend the independence of 

 the United claiming States, and they, at the 

 same time, at full liberty to overturn and ruin 

 the independence of Vermont. I am persuaded, 

 when Congress consider the circumstances of" 

 this state, they will I^e more surprized that I 

 have transmiitted them the inclosed letters, than 

 that I have kept them in custody so long ; for 

 I am as resolutely determined to defend the in- 

 dependence of Vermont, as Congress are, that 

 of the United States ; and rather than fail, will 

 retire with the hardy Green Mountain Boys, into 

 the desolate caverns of the mountains, and wage 

 war with human nature at large."* 



An event took place in the spring of the year 

 1780, which furnished the British with an op- 

 portunity, to make a similar attempt from Can- 

 ada. A number of men had been made pris- 

 oners in a descent, which had been made by 



*- E. Allen's letter to the president o^ Congrest, lyiareh 9th, i;8l-. 



