[The Secretary at War has been referred certain letters from Major John [undecipherable] reply to the first Secretary — reports] [marginalia along left edge, rotated: In obedience to [undecipherable] Ordinances he has directed the [undecipherable] Officers of the Corps of Infantry to [undecipherable] [undecipherable] the Secretary of [undecipherable] of the United States [undecipherable]] That the dignity and welfare of the United States requires that a full investigation of the circumstances attending the transaction should be made immediately, in order that Congress may ground their ultimate determination respecting the same — He therefore submits to Congress the propriety of constituting a court of Inquiry, to consist of the two field officers and a Captain of the Regiment of the United States, who were not of the Garrison of Fort M'Intosh, at the time of the before mentioned event, and that they report to the Subscriber a state of facts only, in order to be represented to Congress — He further affirms that as the Articles of war do not take cognizance of transactions of this nature, tis his opinion a inspection would be more proper than an tryal, as the latter would imply a trial by a Court Martial — which cannot be the case — Your Secretary conceives that the Ordinance of Congress establishing the powers & duty of the Secretary at War, invests him with the office of [undecipherable] Commander in Chief. Therefore he shall direct the two men now in confinement under sentence of [undecipherable] but [undecipherable] to be released, their trial having been Illegal — If he is wrong in this opinion, he humbly requests, that Congress would have the goodness to rectify his error — All which is submitted to Congress Knox — War Office March 26,^th 1786 —