It was and still is our determination to march with our regiment, and to do the duty of officers until the legislature should have a reasonable time to appoint others, but no longer.
"We beg leave to assure your Excellency, that we have the highest sense of your ability and virtues;--that executing your orders has ever given us pleasure;--that we love the service, and we love our country;--but when that country gets so lost to virtue and justice as to forget to support its servants, it then becomes their duty to retire from its service." This letter was peculiarly embarrassing.

To adopt a stern course of proceeding might hazard the loss of the Jersey line, an event not less injurious to the service, than painful to himself.

To take up the subject without doing too much for the circumstances of the army, would be doing too little for the occasion.

He therefore declined taking any other notice of the letter, than to declare through General Maxwell that, while they continued to do their duty in conformity with the determination they had expressed, he should only regret the part they had taken, and should hope they would perceive its impropriety.
The legislature of New Jersey, alarmed at the decisive step taken by the officers, was at length induced to pay some attention to their situation; they consenting, on their part, to withdraw their remonstrance.

In the meantime, they continued to perform their duty; and their march was not delayed by this unpleasant altercation.
In communicating this transaction to congress, General Washington took occasion to remind that body of his having frequently urged the absolute necessity of some general and adequate provision for the officers of the army.