[Copy] War department 13^th May 1791. Sir Your letter of the 30^th of April is the last I have received from you. I have sent M^r Green to Hagers Town in Maryland and Manchester in Virginia in order to muster, inspect and march all the lines at those places. He is furnished with money and orders to supply any defects which may have arisen on the part of the Contractors either with respect to rations or transportation. and he has also all the Commissions for the Virginia and Maryland Battalions. I have information from Captain Freeman whom I dispatched upon other public business that the recruiting of the Virginia Battalions has succeeded well and from his information I should hope that the greater part of that Battalion will be in readiness to march from Winchester on or before the 21^st instant. Tents, clothing and Knapsacks have been forwarded complete for the Virginia and the same articles has gone forward or is about setting out for the Maryland Battalion at Hagers town. I have therefore the persuasion in my mind that you have completed all the arrangements with which you were charged relative to the said Virginia and Maryland Battalions and that they will be completed in due season. The Jersey Battalion will probably be completed and march about the 20^th or 25^th. Captain Riks marched with a detachment from Trenton on the 9^th. which makes one hundred and ninety six non commissioned and privates of that Battalion which has already marched. The completion of the Battalions of this state will claim your highest exertions. The lower Battalion it is to be presumed will be completed in good season, But the upper Battalion does not succeed so well. pray urge the business by all possible inducements. The Battalion to be raised under the orders of Brigadier General Sevier will not be as forward as I expected owing to his falling sick at Richmond. But as the clothing and all consignments for it had gone forward on the 25^th ultimo, he writes me he had no doubt of the battalion being completed by the 1^st of June. The recruiting in the eastern States for the regular Troops has not succeeded well — But I hope from the measures taken it will soon be better. Captain Gravier with a Company from Connecticut will I expect be shortly ready at Brunswick in New Jersey on its way to Fort Pitt, and I expect in the course of the month that Beatty and Day's Companies will be completed. I enclose you a duplicate of my letter to you of the 5^th instant. I pray your immediate attention to the objects contained in it relative to the dimension of the Militia of the frontier Counties as soon as the arrival of the Levies will admit of the measure. If you have not orders from Major General St. Clair relative to the time of your going down the Ohio, I wish it might be delayed concerning your presence will be essentially necessary at Fort Pitt in order to arrange and forward the service. as soon as the Major or the Carlisle detachment shall be appointed you will order Colonel Gibson to Fort Pitt. I am Sir &c Signed Knox Sec^ty of War. 2 C. Major General Richard Butler [Endorsed: 910-13-]