HISTORY OF VERMONT. ^09 



Seislgns arid offers. Their agents had accor- 

 dingly brought with them, a number of printed 

 proclamations, announcing the royal offers to 

 the people of Vermont^ and inviting them to 

 unite, and become very happy, as a royal pro- 

 vince, under the king's government. The 

 British agents sent on their letters to Charles- 

 town, announcing the measures they were pur- 

 suing, and f)roposing to publish and disperse 

 their proclamations, immediately among the 

 people. They were told in answer, that the 

 news of Cornwallis's surrender, would render 

 such a step extremely dangerous, and was the 

 sure way to prevent all prospect of success ; 

 and that they must wait, until time should de- 

 termine, what was practicable and prudent^ 

 Mortified by the disaster of Cornwallis, but 

 comforted with groundless expectations and 

 hopes, they returned in a peaceable manner 

 down the lake, and went into winter quarters, 

 without having done any injury to Vermont, 

 through the whole campaign^ 



In the winter of 1782, the enemy in Canada, 

 were extremely impatient to know, what effect 

 the surrender of Cornwallis had produced on 

 the minds of the people of Vermont. In Feb- 

 ruary and in April, the British agents wrote in 

 the most pressing terms for information. Their 

 anxiety and views will best appear, from the 

 style of their letters : The following extract, is 

 from a letter from one of the British agents, 

 dated 28th February, 1782, *' My anxiety to 

 hoar from you, induced me to apply to his ex- 

 cellency [general Haldimand] for leave to send 

 the btarer, with this ; which having obtained, 



VOL, II. B S 



