HISTORY OF VERMONT. 207 



bringing any thing to a decision, the British 

 concluded, they were in a fair way to effect their 

 purposes ; but unfortunately for themselves and 

 for Vermont, in the month of October, a party 

 of Indians made a descent, and did much mis- 

 chief at Royalton. 



Th e next year, the British entered upon the 

 business^ with high expectations of success ; 

 and it was the interest of Vermont, not to un- 

 deceive them« New York had withdrawn their 

 troops, from the post at Skeensborough ; all 

 the continental troops, had been ordered out of 

 the territory ; and the adjacent states^ did not 

 afford them any assistance. The people of Ver- 

 mont were exposed to the whole force of the 

 enemy in Canada, and had neither magazines, 

 money, or an army, to oppose to the enemy at 

 the northward, who were seven thousand strong. 

 No way of safety remained for Vermont, but 

 to endeavor to effect that by policyi which 

 could not be done by power. The cabiset 

 council concluded, that they were designedly 

 forsaken by the continent, to force them into a 

 submission to New York ; and that it was 

 clearly their duty to provide for the safety of 

 the people, in the only way that remained, by 

 managing the British attempts to corrupt them, 

 to their own advantage.* 



On May first, colonel Ira Allen was sent to 

 Canada, with a commission to negociate the 

 exchange of prisoners. The British agents 

 concluded, that the day of their complete suc- 

 cess, was at hand : They complied with every 



. * Oovernor Chittend«n'» letter f 0«ncral Washington, of Novcm> 

 *^«r 14th, I J it. 



