[Closing of preceding letter visible at top of first page:] I have the honor to be Sir, with great Esteem your hum^ble Servant Knox P.S. Enclosed is a specimen of the public powder sent on— it is of the best possible strength, some of it being near three times and most of it more than twice as strong as British proof powder. of this we have large quantities on hand— I should hope that it would answer your wishes. Major Gen^l Wayne [N^o 10 From Gen^t Knox [undecipherable]] War department August 3. 1792. Sir, I have received your favor of the 28^th ultimo dated at 9 o'Clock AM — in this you refer for intelligence to a letter written the day before, which I have not received. I am glad to hear so good accounts as you give of Cap^ts Preston's and Springer's Companies. In order that there Should be neither difficulty or delay in marching Gibson's, Preston's, Thomas Lewis's, and Hewde Lewis's recruits, and the recruits under the immediate direction of Captain Henry Bowyer of the Cavalry, I have sent Lieut^t Melcher from this City to muster, inspect, accelerate and pay the men one months pay & three months pay for the officers of the said companies— They will rendezvous at Green briar Court house, and thence proceed to Point Pleasant the mouth of the great Kenhawa under the escort of Gibsons company, which I have reason to believe is complete as to its numbers, & which has had sent to it arms, accoutrements, clothing, tents & Bowyers recruits will also be completely clothed and furnished with tents & camp equipage. An invoice for clothing for Preston's, Thomas Lewis's, and Hewde Lewis's companies is enclosed, and the clothing will probably be at Pittsburgh on ten days after you receive this letter— But besides the rifles & equipments there belonging, and tents for the said three companies which major Craig must forward, he must also send three hundred canteens, three hundred knapsacks, and three hundred pairs of shoes. That part of Preston's company under Lockwood & Trigg must be deducted by major Craig from the quantities for Preston's company. I have also enclosed an invoice of six hundred & sixty suits of clothing for the first regiment, but blankets & shoes are wanting to complete them— these articles will be immediately forwarded— The Contractors have been provided accordingly to find suitable blankets— and the shoes have been manufactured at New Ark in Jersey & the blankets have been detained by contrary winds— I have also included an invoice of two hundred and sixteen suits of Rifle Clothing, (shoes & blankets excepted) which are also on the road— these are, together with the two hundred suits before forwarded to Pittsburgh for clothing the Companies raised on the upper part of this State & in this Country, two hundred suits more will soon be in motion. The clothing for the late second regiment on the Ohio is mostly packed & will soon be on its way to Pittsburgh. All the saddles and Cavalry equipments of every sort which have been or shall be forwarded to Pittsburgh for Rodgers, Bowyers & Winstons troops which are to be mounted at Fort Washington will either be delivered to such part of the said troops as may arrive at Pittsburgh or they will be forwarded altogether to Fort Washington under the escort of Rodger's troop as you shall judge proper. Perhaps they should be all put in the possession of Major Rudolph who will be responsible for the proper delivery of them. I transmit you a copy of the instructions and regulations from the Comptroller to the Paymaster with the army— the original was forwarded by the last post to the Paymaster. I submit to you the idea whether it may not be proper for you to direct immediately the troops on the upper parts of the Ohio to do those things required in the instructions &forms— The directory part of the instructions, designed to produce uniformity in the returns &forms prescribed should be as soon as possible promulgated among the officers, and perhaps through the medium of General orders.— But care should be taken to distinguish between directions to the paymaster and corrections &forms for the officers, & not to publish the former It is to be regretted that the paymaster is not with you, as it would be his duty to point out what should be published and what should be restrained. I also transmit you certain regulations for the orderly receiving, distributing, and accounting for all public property designed for the army— I pray for your attentive consideration thereof and after alterations or additions you judge necessary for the public interests, you will please to publish the same in orders, and from time to time enforce the observance thereof. And I also enclose certain regulations relatively to forage, paper, wood &c. The observance of a proper oeconomy is an important principle of Discipline— every particle of public property should be accounted for by some person. I flatter myself that your command will be distinguished by the highest degree of Discipline in all parts of the troops, & in the highest attention to the public property. In the first instance irregularities will be practised and waste ensue by the carelessness of raw recruits— But I hope the regularity of payments, clothing & other public promises, will be such as will afford you the best possible plea for enforcing a perfection of duty among the troops. It is with regret I Transmit you the enclosed paper marked A, the purport of which I received from Mr Robert Morris on the 31^st ultimo. The number of persons with major Trueman— the same — and the other circumstances would seem to render the account but too credible. But on the other hand, there has been a Gentleman in this Town within a day or two past, but whom I am told advises who says he left Fort Washington after the return of Gen^l Wilkinson, which must have been after the 20^th of June, and about the 1^st of July, who says the accounts from the Indian country were favorable by the return of some of the messengers, via the Wabash— I hope for the information of Trueman be not true— I have not divulged this report here, and I request you & keep it to yourself for the present. Since writing the foregoing I have received your favor of the 27^th entitling & I am personally [that] your arrangements of Scouts is formed on just principles. I am glad to learn that Captain Hendricks had proceeded Westward; I sincerely hope the others will also go— but they are so slow & dilatory as to exhaust all patience. I believe Captain Brant will be at the Council at Au Glaise by the 20 of the present month at farthest. General Israel Chapins as the deputy agent to the five nations— I believe that no attempts ought to be made to retain the indians contrary to his request. The Complainters judgement ought to be conclusive on this head— the sincerity of whose attachment cannot be doubted— but he has been too seen in our favor to be well received at the Council of the hostile Indians, indeed the attempt [undecipherable] for [undecipherable] to him — The letters communicated by you in confidence relative to the State troops shall be retained— the opinion of the person you mention is indeed extraordinary. I should be glad were it practicable to recover Major McCally and his corps on the establishment. I have an high opinion of his worth And regretted at the same the arrangements were making and that he could not be appointed— the State having Major Clark and major Butler who were of the lower last year and whose services merited reappointment. I wrote you last post relative to the Chickasaws— I am inclined to the opinion they ought not to be retained— cheapness will be so far deserved to have an active campaign. I am charmed at the idea of the commencement of discipline— the proofs of the powder shall be sent you— I cannot but intend and I hope you will find the grain sufficiently fine— I am unwilling to put the public to the expense of other powder, not better in the quality than that which is on hand, at the same time I am desirous of complying with your wishes— when you judge of the sample sent you by the last post I will take the necessary measures on receiving your communications. I have complained to the Postmaster General of the delay & requested him to provide another. We have no official information about recruits since my last; I have written to all the recruiting officers urging them in the highest degree to complete their complements. Two of Winstons deserters have been taken this day— indeed there are five apprehended & at large— Each one the