[Col Joub? 1] [672 75^th [undecipherable]-149] My Dear Sir, Fort Harmar 19 Aug 1790 It is with the sincerest gratitude, I return you my warmest thanks for your [undecipherable: attention] Letter of the 20^th of July, & for your tender Expression of concern on the late Report of my death on the Frontier — I had for some time been afflicted with the Apprehension of the Pain my good old Parents must have felt from the Report of my Death, I have received through you a Letter from them very just to which gave me great Pleasure — the arrival of M^r Morgan at [undecipherable], they tell me was a joyful Day in their little village — to administer Comfort & Pleasure to those good old People, is of all after the most [undecipherable] [undecipherable] there are few Instances in which I feel more the force of Obligation — Judge Turner left with one Fish Eagle the Property of the Society, which he has directed me to sell & remit you the Money — as far as I have compleated the Sale, I shall fully execute his Directions Gen'l Harmar furnished me officially with the late Establishment of the Troops, & has ordered that the Officers use their utmost Endeavours to re-enlist the old Soldiers — these Orders were published at this Post on the 28 ulti[mo] — not a Soldier has [undecipherable] dis- [undecipherable: inclination] to re-engage, & I am fearful we shall not [undecipherable] on this Business — I am [undecipherable] [undecipherable] Congress could not have had a competent Idea of the hard Life attending the Service in this Country & the [undecipherable] Wants of many Articles, or they would not have [undecipherable] upon so [undecipherable] a Reward for our Service — the [undecipherable] incident of Soldiers will get the [undecipherable] of Cotton for not less the [undecipherable], every Article of Comfort & [undecipherable] in the [undecipherable] Proposition at the other Garrisons, they will not be much better off; this is one Discouragement [undecipherable]; but when we consider the hard & laborious [undecipherable] of Duties our Garrison, & the [undecipherable] life there [undecipherable] in other [undecipherable] is always [undecipherable] for [undecipherable] [undecipherable] the [undecipherable] of Life, no one who has Experience in the Business can [undecipherable] the [undecipherable] Pay ade- quate [undecipherable]; [undecipherable] & be commanded as [undecipherable] [undecipherable] the national [undecipherable] under this Establishment, I [undecipherable] to be you the [undecipherable] of [undecipherable] such Materials as will [undecipherable] a firm & faithful Body of Men, is very gloomy indeed — It is a Principle I will not that all Esta- blishments should conform as much as possible to the Nature of the Government & People that makes them & that in Republics as Governments, where the Military is never in very favoured ones, the [undecipherable] [undecipherable] to ensure the fidelity of your Troops, is to attract Men better [undecipherable] & to depend more upon this Attachment than the [undecipherable] Board of Discipline — there is the [undecipherable] only [undecipherable] that [undecipherable] [undecipherable] can be attached to [undecipherable], when [undecipherable] is indeed [undecipherable] in this Instance of my late [undecipherable] in that of the Government, to now for [undecipherable] may Monthly [undecipherable] from again on [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] with [undecipherable] you & [undecipherable] Moment in Danger, for the [undecipherable] [undecipherable] of [undecipherable: two] Dollars [undecipherable] Month, when he [undecipherable] his [undecipherable] [undecipherable] doing [undecipherable] Service [undecipherable] & receiving from 15 to 30 Dollars [undecipherable] in the [undecipherable: Allegany] [undecipherable] and of Mississippi, no Man [undecipherable] in the [undecipherable] [undecipherable] than a Dollar a Day, the common Laborer, [undecipherable] of the Country in other [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] the [undecipherable] [undecipherable] a [undecipherable] [undecipherable] — The [undecipherable] Respect to the Officers, is to act a little more to [undecipherable] [undecipherable] the [undecipherable] Officers of our Corps. [undecipherable] receive [undecipherable] for their Service than the [undecipherable] Army of Congress; if the Disparity of Office & the Formation in which it is held by Congress, is when [undecipherable] by the Emolument [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] the [undecipherable] Army [undecipherable] is better off than any [undecipherable] Officers in Service, [undecipherable] those [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable], you may [undecipherable] my Dear Sir, that unless your Officers can live with proper [undecipherable] like Gentlemen, they never will feel so, & without this [undecipherable] about them, they [undecipherable] can be [undecipherable] [undecipherable] to the Service [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] in its [undecipherable] [undecipherable] Interest to [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] upon [undecipherable] [undecipherable] in that [undecipherable], [undecipherable] [undecipherable] Corps, will be injured by this [undecipherable] can readily [undecipherable] — [undecipherable] a [undecipherable] [undecipherable] — [undecipherable], my [undecipherable] [undecipherable] the most [undecipherable] [undecipherable] will not be [undecipherable] in this [undecipherable] of [undecipherable] [undecipherable] as [undecipherable] the [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] in [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] in this Country — if this [undecipherable], what must be [undecipherable] of [undecipherable] — O [undecipherable] — "as you will [undecipherable] me for troubling you with my [undecipherable] on this painful Business, I have made the [undecipherable] of a private Letter, because I [undecipherable] you [undecipherable] will [undecipherable] on [undecipherable] — one the [undecipherable] [undecipherable] of Speaking [undecipherable] [undecipherable] — I beg my best Respects to M^rs Knox & Miss Lucy & am my D[ear] Sir with the Highest Affection & [undecipherable] your [undecipherable] [signature] Gen^l Knox [undecipherable endorsement, bottom right]