S^r. War department 25^th Octob.^r 1791 The President of the United States has directed me to inform your Excellency that he has received your letter of the twentieth instant enclosing the letter of the fifth instant written by the commanding officer of [undecipherable: Russell?] county; Noting the depredations thereon by some Indians. The President of the United States begs leave to confide the defense of [undecipherable: Russell?] county to your Excellency. That if you shall judge that the situation of the said county demands the services of a full company from the interior counties of Virginia, that you will please to order the same from such places and for such time as you shall judge proper. That the United States will pay for the services of such a company of Militia as your Excellency shall raise, according to the rules established by law, a schedule of which is inclosed N^o. 1. Provided that the said Militia shall be mustered by some impartial and competent officer of the Militia upon the commencement and termination of their services. Your Excellency will please to appoint some suitable character to furnish this said company with rations, by contract; the price for a ration of the description specified in the schedule N^o 2, not to exceed eight cents, unless the most formal and satisfactory evidence be presented to your Excellency that the ration is not attainable for such prices, in which case your Excellency will allow a sum reasonable to the prices of a ration. If your Excellency should call into service the company