[Copy] War department. 21^st May 1791 Sir I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the fourteenth instant and to inclose a duplicate of mine on the same day. I have also received a letter from Major General St. Clair of the thirteenth of June at which time no troops had arrived. But on the fourteenth and fifteenth Major Ferguson with Kirkwood and Armstrongs Companies and also Mentfort from North Carolina is arrived. It affords me great satisfaction to learn of the detachment descending the river under Major Bartles on the thirteenth instant. I most earnestly request that all the troops be instantly collected and marched to Head Quarters with all possible dispatch. Eastern Beatty will leave reached you by this time. Captain Preon with about two hundred and sixty regulars and corps will leave Carlisle tomorrow. Captain Newman with about sixty regulars and corps will leave this city on or about the twenty sixth and about one hundred more will arrive at Brunswick in a few days, but I do not estimate that these will arrive in time for the expedition. Major Merst will set out from this city tomorrow. The Shoes and coats will also leave this tomorrow. I have urged M. Duer the Contractor to take his necessary measures relative to provisions which I have been assured has been done. Major General St. Clair in his letter of the thirteenth writes thus. "the contractors have forwarded about a thousand barrels of flour and that and Williams have likewise about a thousand in this place, which should it be wanted I conceive is so much in the hands on the subject and the contractors agent is gone to Kentucky to purchase but in which he will meet with no difficulty now they propose to Transport the flour by land by. I have not elsewhere they any person here who can inform one." Major Merst has informed me that John Kiles character is truly infamous and no dependence to be placed thereon. There one to form a judgment of the conduct of the British by what appears to be their true interests they cannot excite the Indians to a war with the United States and their agent here is writes strenuous in asserting the contrary of Kiles information. As Bartles information is transmitted by Captain through express persons there cannot be any doubt from Colonel Porters information but that Bands went to the Miami towns and possibly for the object of peace, and it is not improbable that Sir John Johnson's proposed treaty is to the same effect. Colonel Parsons informs me that as it would be impossible for the Indians to be at Fort Franklin by the twentieth instant he shall not attempt to influence any of them to join our army and that he has understood that any such attempt would be ill received. The great object of Colonel Parsons's treaty was to see the Six Nations quiet and to prevent their joining the opposite side or drawing them a different way. It was indeed added that it might be an additional cement to obtain a party of sixty or seventy of their young warriors who could with difficulty be restrained from joining one side or the other. We have yet no official word from both the reports from Tennessee are that he has succeeded which I sincerely hope may be the case. I am persuaded you will descend the Ohio at the earliest moment the service will require — indeed it will be proper that both you and the Quarter Master should be at Head Quarters as soon as possible. Colonel Gibson or Colonel Darke may be set to circumvent the remaining embarkations and every part of stores for the campaign which have be carried at Fort Pitt must instead of accompany East [Fulton] Phelon. The President of the United States to whom I have submitted your letter of the fourteenth instant, is exceedingly anxious that Major General St. Clair should commence his operations at as early a period as possible. and he has commanded me to urge that now and all troops within your orders descend the Ohio immediately. I have heard nothing from Brigadier General Sevier since the fifth of June when he informed one or three Companies being raised and soon to march — I am Sir &c. [Signed] Knox Sec^y W. War A.C. Major General Richard Butler [Endorsed: No. 24.]