[Copy] War department 24^th July 1791. Sir, I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the thirteenth of June, by the post of this morning. And I enclose you a duplicate or more of the fourteenth instant, the copy of the Contract of provisions, and a letter from the President of the United States to the Marines of Kentucky; a copy of mine to Major General Butler of the fourteenth and of mine to him of this date. By my letter to Major General Butler, combined with those written to you, you will observe the progress of your force, and the orders I have given him from time to time. As Captain Phelen will probably be the last of the troops who will march from the Eastward to Fort Pitt, it is to be of service in your expedition, you will, before this, have formed your judgement of the number of troops you will receive from Kentucky, and have made your arrangements for obtaining it accordingly. I have urged M^r Duer repeatedly, to take all the necessary steps relative to an ample supply of provisions and to obtain the means necessary for the transportation thereof, and I am given to understand that he has made the arrangements accordingly. I sincerely hope this to be the case. But as he is not personally present, some doubts arise as to the arrangements of his substitutes. At this distance, I can only repeat the observations, which I have had the honor to make to you before. That in the present state of Indian India, the public interests must not suffer in anywise. That if the the Contractors agent shall not have provided the articles necessary in his department that you will make effective arrangements to supply the deficiencies. That in all cases of this nature you will of course transact the transaction upon the Contractors agents in writing, and obtain their answers in the same manner. That you will transmit these several papers in order that they may be acted upon at the treasury. I omitted in my last to reply to your observation relative to Colonel Sargent. The Office of Adjutant General is not provided for by the same. In case therefore of the offices of that description being appointed, it seems to be indispensably necessary, he must depend upon an after provision being made for him by Congress, of which there will be very little doubt. It is much to your view of the subject to determine the rank and pay which shall be mered such an Officer for the expedition, but they certainly ought not to exceed that of a lieutenant Colonel. The troops had for a recent past report by the way of Fort Pitt, and of Kentucky of the favorable issue of General Scott's expedition, but nothing to be entirely depended upon. If Colonel Edwards lieutenant of Bourbon should compose the expedition you mentioned, it is to be hoped he will meet with some marked success. I have no information of Colonel Pickering's treaty yet being closed. It was attended by about eight or nine hundred of the different tribes, men women and children. As he has nothing to report consent or them but to be omit, there is little doubt but his mission will be successful. I enclose you a copy of de Barreche's information, which has been sent by Major General Butler, who may not have taken a copy of it. The information and the Speech appear to be such as to deserve some credit. I therefore enclose it that it may be associated and compared with other information. The President of the United States has commanded me to urge, that as soon as your troops are assembled or such portion thereof as you may judge proper, that you commence the establishment of such routes of communication, to which your force may be adequate. It is greatly anxious, that the campaign be distinguished by decisive measures so that the expense incurred may be manifestly useful and important. I have the honor to be with great esteem your humble Servant [Signed] H Knox Sec^y. of War a.c. Major General St. Clair. [Indorsed: — No. 2]