War Department 8^th Decemb^r Sir I have received your letter of the [undecipherable] instant. I wrote you by M^r Swan on the 5^th instant, which I hope [has] arrived at Fort Pitt by [undecipherable] at farthest — and that there [undecipherable] of impressments [for] the troops descending to Fort Washington, be Immediately. If by any untoward circumstance they should have been detained, until the arrival of this letter, it is my positive orders that they pass off instantly on the absence of M^r Swan. I consider it highly improbable that either Cap^t [undecipherable] or [undecipherable] are yet at Fort Pitt therefore I have not written them, but if they should there, there they can receive [this] order[s] [undecipherable] addressed to themselves directly If the [undecipherable: woolen] overalls contrary [to our] expectation, [should] not [have arrived], I approve of a [undecipherable] waiting for them— Major [undecipherable] [undecipherable] I believe [will] expect will be here by the time this reaches you We have received reports of the defeat of [undecipherable] [undecipherable: St Clair] on the 4^th [undecipherable] ultimo, but no official account— I hope you are not come from Pitt at this time I am Sir Your most obed^t Humble Serv^t H Knox [undecipherable: Major Craig]