[Endorsement/docket page] [Ft. Washington Sept 15. 1791] [Enclosure, in duplicate of the following] [No 4. 1791] [= [undecipherable] Williams[undecipherable]] [= [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable]] [-- [undecipherable] a letter from [undecipherable] to [undecipherable] [undecipherable]] [-- [undecipherable] letter to [undecipherable] with [undecipherable] — Letter to [undecipherable] [undecipherable] with [undecipherable]] [John [undecipherable] Pres[undecipherable] 10 [undecipherable] 1791] [-- Monthly Return of [Strength?]] [-- [undecipherable] [undecipherable] Return of [undecipherable]] [No. 0675.] Fort Washington Sep^r 15^th 1791 Sir I had the honor to write to you from [undecipherable] Lexington on the [undecipherable] of [undecipherable] and now enclose a Duplicate of that letter. On my return to this Place on the 9^th [undecipherable] the [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] Detachments [undecipherable] command and the [undecipherable] correspondence [undecipherable] to have been [undecipherable] to more. I [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] the [undecipherable] General from there and [undecipherable] Detachment from the [undecipherable] Shelter [undecipherable] and am [undecipherable] the addition from Kentucky my force is [undecipherable] [undecipherable] collected. The last [undecipherable] [undecipherable] trees as no doubt will arrive in a [undecipherable]. By The [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] letters of the 4^th, 8^th and 23^d of [undecipherable] and have done [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] The President has [undecipherable] that the Operations of the Campaign [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] an early period does not [undecipherable] me, and the Delays that have hitherto taken place have been in some the most [undecipherable] that are [undecipherable] indulged — [undecipherable] do not [undecipherable] in my fear, but I [undecipherable] you Sir, and I beg you to [undecipherable] the President that the utmost of Diligence shall be used to [undecipherable] as [undecipherable] as it [undecipherable] to him which has been had, and to fulfill on [undecipherable] respect both his Expectations and those of the public. The [undecipherable] many Ruins that fell [undecipherable] after my [undecipherable] the Plans for Kentucky [undecipherable] the [undecipherable] of the Troops under Major [Hamtramack?] at the time ordered [undecipherable] they did not reach the Banks of the [Miami?] until the evening of the 8^th instant as a place twenty two Miles distant from this. On the 10^th I reached the [Encampment?] and found the Troops well [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] the ground sufficiently high [undecipherable] to command and [escape?] from any [overflowing?] of the [River?] on the [undecipherable] I [undecipherable] upon a Place to erect a [Fort?] [undecipherable] and [undecipherable] [undecipherable] left Major [Ferguson?] to [undecipherable] it, and as the [timber?] is tolerably convenient it will be finished on a short time. The Troops have moved from that Place this morning, the [undecipherable] Army is getting the Provisions forward and things begin to wear a better [aspect?], and I hope and trust them with [undecipherable] [undecipherable] to impede us but the [undecipherable] and [General?] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] of [undecipherable] — The sooner [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] the first, the better, and the Troops seem to be in a proper [undecipherable] disposition for it, and the last is ordered for them, and [undecipherable] I shall take the Field tomorrow that is [undecipherable] Last letter you will receive from [undecipherable] at this Place. No sort of Suspicion respecting the Quality of the Powder has taken place here — it will be proper however to have the proof [undecipherable] you have been [undecipherable] I [undecipherable] direct it but it must be done with caution otherwise the [undecipherable] may be [undecipherable] [undecipherable] it, and at this Stage of the Business, it would be [undecipherable]. I will consult with Major [Ferguson?] upon it, who arrived Yesterday. You desire on Sir, to establish a some mode of communicating with the War Office during the Campaign, it is not [undecipherable] [undecipherable] to establish a [undecipherable] one. By the — [Trials?] I have made of the Power [undecipherable] appears to be a very uncertain one and will probably be more so in future, [you will?] afford opportunities for [undecipherable] that will be more readily [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] when the Army is at a distance. The [undecipherable] [undecipherable] must be by Kentucky, and Mr [undecipherable] has [probably?] [undecipherable] to forward by [undecipherable] [undecipherable] Dispatches. I may have [undecipherable] to send, and [undecipherable] [undecipherable] more [undecipherable] regular [undecipherable] [undecipherable] in every Month. I [find?] Mr. [Ellison?] Sir is disconcerted [undecipherable] [undecipherable] of [Riverston?] and [Gallipolis?] has been extended by your [undecipherable]. My Explanation was that [undecipherable] and [undecipherable] General Butler are [undecipherable] unnecessary. In the [light?] I [undecipherable] myself to him from the [undecipherable] [undecipherable] of [undecipherable] [undecipherable] he [had?] an odd appearance and [undecipherable] I should have done it in the most delicate manner possible. I must have taken some notice of it — But every [thing?] that can [undecipherable] in the most delicate manner, to [undecipherable] [undecipherable] to miscarry or the [undecipherable] between him and me ought to be, and shall be most studiously avoided. [Enclosed?] is the general Return of the Troops on the [undecipherable] day of this Month since which Capt [undecipherable] [undecipherable] Battalion of 228 non commissioned Officers [undecipherable] [Privates?] for [undecipherable] duty; Major [Battles?] of 281, [Faulkner's?] Company of [undecipherable] 69, and Maj[or?] [Parks?] [undecipherable] of 216 have [arrived?] so that the whole effective Strength amounts at this time to 2120, [undecipherable] that the Officers [undecipherable] [undecipherable] are included who do not add much to the real Strength of an Army. The [undecipherable] Detachment from the Northern Territory, you well [undecipherable] or numbered to two hundred and [even?] — an Officer has been sent to that Country to [hasten?] the [remainder?], but I have no hopes of their arrival. I have the Honor to be Sir Your most obedient Servant A. St Clair Major General Knox Secretary of War P.S. I had like to have forgot to inform you that the day before Yesterday, his [undecipherable] [undecipherable] and three other Indians arrived here with Mr. Vigo from [undecipherable] St Vincennes. As their Families who are [undecipherable] [undecipherable] and taken by [undecipherable] [undecipherable] their principal [undecipherable] as it [undecipherable] them — I had an interview with them — when they presented [undecipherable] the Calumet — declared they had long been on Friendship with most the [undecipherable] Americans and that the [undecipherable] had fallen upon them they had done nothing to [deserve?] it, but on the contrary were themselves in danger from their own People for [undecipherable] attachment to [undecipherable]. They lay all the blame on the [Miamies?] and [Shawnees?] and begged for Peace. That the Band has been well disposed is probably true and what they say respecting that has been [confirmed?] by Major [Hamtramack?] and it was nearly impossible for [undecipherable] that the [undecipherable] did fell upon them. In reply I then [observed?] that they were a very small part of R. Nation, and that they were friendly the most were at War, and while that was the case it was impossible to talk with them about Peace — That they had some well on [undecipherable] themselves upon the [undecipherable] United States and that as long as they [behaved?] peaceably they would not be molested — they were then promised to go to their Families. I have not seen them since, but ordered to talk [undecipherable] them again before I leave this Place. I neglected on [our?] last to enclose a [undecipherable] [undecipherable] Williamson [undecipherable] as I [undecipherable] for the [undecipherable] of the [undecipherable] — it is sent now and an Extract from a letter of Mr. [undecipherable] to Major [Hamtramack?], and [undecipherable] copies of my letters to Colonel [Campbell?] and [Gen?] Scott.