"I hope you've been able to make yourself comfortable," said the commander, courteously.

In Washington County Sevier was treated as practically commander of the militia some time before he received his commission as county lieutenant.

He defined the duties of neutrality and concluded: "As often as a fleet, squadron or ship, of any belligerent nation shall clearly and unequivocally use the rivers, or other waters ... as a station in order to carry on hostile expeditions from thence, you will cause to be notified to the commander thereof that the President deems such conduct to be contrary to the rights of our neutrality....