[Page 1: Illegible Text placeholder — Some or all of the pages of this file are wholly or in part illegible. We have not been able either to locate a better copy of the document, or to enhance its legibility electronically.] [D. Col. Jam. Wilkinson / Private / Feb. 14. 1792 / No. 3] [Private] N^o 31 Fort Washington Feb^y. 14^th. 1792 Dear Sir A most lawless outrage was committed by a party of the Soldiers on the Person of a civil Magistrate in the Village of Cincinnati on the 12. Inst. tending to destroy that harmony & mutual confidence between the Citizens & Soldiers of the United States, so essential to the National prosperity, and which I am determined to foster — for as it is, my duty, so will it ever be my Pride, my Principle & my inclination to support the Government of my Country & the Laws derived from that Government, whatever may be the Sentiments or disposition of my Brethren of the Sword, to the con- trary — The consequences might to 40 or 50 Persons have proved fatal, but for the [undecipherable] interpositions of [me as] Spectator to the commotion — Sir[,] [I] instantly seized the offenders & have delivered them to the Civil Power — to be dealt by according to Law and at the same time, demonstrated to the Officers of this Garrison, by the most public declaration, my abhorrence of this unsoldierly violence & protested my unequivocal resolution to support the Civil Authority of the Land with the utmost rigor & expertness — with Sorrow I must tell you Sir, there was cause to believe this Conduct was not acceptable to the Whole of our Military Brethren[,] and the deportment [undecipherable] further was such, on that & several similar occa- sions which have been since commu- nicated to me by good Authority, that [I feel] it my duty to attract the [undecipherable] [undecipherable] of them in [undecipherable: funda]- :mental in the smallest degree, to his continuance in the Service acting to your Judgment & inclination — With warm personal Regard [I] have the honor to be. Dear Sir Your [undecipherable] & Affectionate Ja: Wilkinson