[Copy] War Department May 19^th 1701. Sir I have received your favor dated at Carlisle on the 11^th instant. M^r Given will be able to remedy six defect in Maryland and Virginia either with respect to provisions or to transportation. I depend on your appointing the Major to the Carlisle Battalion. I am well satisfied you have gone forward to Fort Pitt. The Indians have lately committed some depredations on Westmoreland County the mischief most probably has been committed by a few Indians but the people seem greatly alarmed. The Governor of this Commonwealth has again applied to me for Arms and Ammunition and I have directed Major Craig to furnish 200 Arms and accoutrements with a proportional quantity of ammunition to the order of Col^o Biddle Qua. Master General of this state. I have furnished to the order of Major Smith of Carlisle the further sum of 1000 Dollars on account of M^r [undecipherable] the Contractor. I have not received any precise information relative the upper Battalion of this state I have written to Major Clarke --- for information and shall hope to receive it either from him but more especially from you. I have been informed that no men were called from Fayette County, that it is unfortunate that one company had not been raised in that County, I trust that if there is still a deficiency in other places that you will immediately attempt to raise men in Fayette. I depend greatly on your presence to give a due Stimulus to the upper battalions. I am persuaded were a proper distribution to be made by posting a Company of levies at Fort Franklin for the present and until they would be wanted for the active operations of the Campaign and by dismissing the Westmoreland Militia all but a few who might act as Rangers for quieting the minds of the exhebetants that Major Clarkes battalion would immediately feel the good effects of the measure. I trust you will take decisive measures as soon as the nature of the case will admit consistently with the protection of the frontiers to dismiss all the Militia called out by the County Lieutenants as far down the Ohio as the great Kenawa. General St. Clair will take care of all below the Kenawa. The dismissal of the Militia must be entrusted to you who will be upon the Spot, the expence is a grievous circumstance and --- such ought to be terminated as soon as possible consistently with the security of the Inhabitants. When the levies shall arrive if you shall have the disposal of them by the General's orders I do I wish not to interfere with the disposition of the troops after their arrival at Fort Pitt, it will be important that they should be arranged so as to cover the Frontier for the present in order that the Militia may be discharged. The troops which have marched and which will march from the respective rendezvous for Fort Pitt before the first of June will probably amount to 1200 besides Capt^o Montfort's Company of North Carolina which amounts to upwards of sixty and which has marched from Staunton by the great Kenawa. M^r Hodgdon has impowered Colonel Marshall in Washington County to purchase 50 horses for the Carriage and he has or will make arrangements for the purchase of the other fifty, all the Horse for the Campaign together with the Quarter Master will be out before the 12^th of June. I enclose a duplicate of my letter to you of the 12^th inst. I earnestly request that I may hear from you by every post. I am &c Signed H Knox Major General Butler Secy. of War. &c.