By time honoured tradition, not to mention force of necessity, military affairs come to rest during winter, the truth of which in January 1780 allowed Surveyor of Post Roads Hazard the opportunity to rest comfortably and compose largely when he sat to write an epistle in response to Belknap's of the ‘28th ult.’, 28 December 1779.

Whereas Belknap had merely a vague, fleeting acquaintance with Ethan Allen of Vermont, Hazard knew him, and outlined his character in detail:

A more succinct and accurate picture of Allen could not be drawn. To be sure, Allen's attempt at Deist philosophy and activities as a Vermont patriot indicated the potential yet inconsistency of his character. A ‘son of science’ as Hazard meant it required diligence, patience, caution, erudition and curiosity. Hazard found the progeny of science to rest firmly in Belknap's character and behaviour. Hazard had asked his friend for an opinion about a New York Law about which he himself was quite decided. It was a law enforced by Patriot militias to intimidate those who harboured Tories (and others) who plundered innocent farmers.