I am heartily ashamed. Gavin K. Watt

      As General Moses Hazen had either not arrived in the north, or declined to accept the command, Washington’s military secretary advised Heath on January 8 that command in the north should be left in the hands of Colonel George Reid, or the eldest officer in the New Hampshire brigade, an instruction that unwittingly sowed the seeds of a future command struggle.¹⁹

      Chittenden’s response to Washington’s sentiments scarcely read true in view of his council’s position on boundary issues:

      I am exceeding unhappy when I view the critical Situation of the Interest of the United States and the great Evils which attend the people in this Quarter by the unhappy internal Broils and Contentions caused by the Disputes between them and the several adjacent States.

      He then attempted to convince Washington of the republic’s dedication to “the grand Cause of Liberty” and assured him of Vermont’s devotion to his disinterested leadership. As Vermont no longer had any regiments in the Continental service, this must have been a bitter pill for Washington to swallow. The governor closed by reporting that there were many Vermonters still held prisoner in Canada, a comment likely intended to disguise the continuation of the negotiations.²⁰