[No 10] [To Major Gen^t Knox Sec^y of War] Pittsburgh 3^d aug^t 1792 Sir, I have the honor of [underline: enclosing] copies of two letters from Mr Rosecrantz of the 19^th ultimo, and one from Cap^t Cas of the 27^th; in addition to these accounts an express arrived last evening from Fort Washington, by which Gen^l Wilkinson informs me of the loss of a Sergeant, Corporal and fourteen men, who were cutting & curing hay, in the vicinity of Fort Jefferson, by a party of nearly one hundred Indians on the 25^th of June: & also that on the 7^th of July a canoe ascending the river, to the neighbouring Settlement of Columbia, was fired upon by a party of Savages within 3 miles of Fort Washington, by which one man was killed and another dangerously wounded & a boy, the only Son of Gen^l Spencer taken prisoner: but of these affairs you must be fully in[undecipherable]med before this period, as Gen^l Wilkinson [strikethrough: informs] tells me, that he had dispatched an express by land, with letters to you dated the 6 & 9^th of July, copies of which he transmitted me on the 12^th at at which time no new occurrence had happen'd. The account from S^t Vincents, by Mr Vigo of the murder of our flag, is but too well corroborated by that mentioned in Rosecrantz's Letter, brought by an Indian from Detroit— the officer in all probability was Major Trueman; Col^o Harding as I am informed wore a plain coat or rather hunting Shirt.— The idea mentioned by Gen^l Wilkinson in his letter of the 6^th of July "that a new tribe had engaged in the war, & that they had recently been supplied with clothing from the whiteness of their Shirts"; is also corroborated by a man who was taken prisoner by the Indians, in the course of last summer from the County of Washington, & was lately liberated at Detroit, which place he left some time in June, & arrived in Washington on Monday last, where he was examined by the Lieut. of the County & says that about seven weeks since - or early in June upwards of one hundred Canoes, came by the way of Lake Huron to Detroit (now head quarters) in which were about 800 Indians i.e. eight to a canoe; that the Indians were supply'd at Detroit with clothing, Arms, ammunition & provision in abundance, and immediately proceeded to join the hostile Indians, at the mouth of of the Miamis or Aumi river, and Lake Erie.— I have not seen this man as yet, but I am informed by a Gentleman of veracity who was present at his examination, that he told his story very short & very particular.— The report of the massacre of Col^o Harding and Major Trueman, so recently after that of Trueman & the Frenchman, if true & I really [strikethrough: believe] fear it is true indicates a very vindictive Spirit in the savages, who generally revere a [underline: flag].— can these things be passed by? would it not stamp disgrace upon the american character, in the eye of the world, were such enormities permitted with impunity?— these reports — and they bear but too strong marks of authenticity, leaves little ground to hope for an [underline: honorable] or [underline: lasting peace], should the event be war,— by heaven's the Savages shall experience its keenest effects! Inclosed is a general monthly return of all the troops at this place; together with copies of General Orders upon the Courts martial of Cap^tn Shaylor and Cap^tn John Platt— I have information of two small parties of recruits being near— we have not more than than twelve complete suits of clothing at this place; nor have we any information of any being actually on the road:— independent of the two hundred & eighty five suits for Cap^t Tho. Lewis's, Howell Lewis's and W^m [Prestons] companies— nearly Sixty of Shrimgers and ninety five of Sparks's are yet to be clothed— Cap^t Sparks was here yesterday and says that he is nearly complete— I have ordered Maj^r Clark, to muster & march these men to this post the soonest possible & expect them in the course of ten Days, so that there will be four hundred and forty suits wanting for those five companies: I really feel uneasy upon this business— as the troops ordered to point pleasant will probably be obliged to wait there, for some time, in a very [underline: unpleasant] situation; in addition to this it is necessary from present appearances to reinforce Gen^l Wilkinson with those very riflemen, in order to enable him to procure forage at Fort Jefferson, which is an object of the first consequence as the dismounted Dragoons arrive, I will immediately forward them to him, & direct him to order the Horse to some convenient & safe place on the Kentucky side of the river, ready for mounting; I hope that the arms, & Horse equipments to me forward [undecipherable] There is however some very reprehensible conduct respecting the transportation of Stores &c: many of the essential articles mentioned in the invoice from the 1^st of January, until the 30^th of June 1792 have not yet arrived; & not one single article contained in that from the 1^st to the 17^th of July— what can be the cause? Whilst I am writing I am honor'd with yours of the 27^th ult^o with the enclosures— among which is a copy of yours of the 23 No 8 the original has not yet arrived.— As you do not mention the letters & Express from Gen^l Wilkinson of the 6^th & 9^th with interesting intelligence from Major Hamtramck, I take the liberty to inclose you the Copies sent me by Gen^l Wilkinson, lest some accident may have happened the express; and as it will be impracticable for me to have them copied in time for the post— I pray you to return the same or Copies, when convenient. We have a number of sick in our hospital; the last Detachment brought with them another malady, besides the small pox many of the men are afflicted with a virulent Veneri— every precaution is taken to prevent its spreading; & I mean to levy the men under moderate stoppages who have contracted this malady, to be appropriated for the support & comfort of the children of the army— the duty is too severe for one Physician— Doctor Carmichael is the only Surgeon belonging to the army now at this post— nor has a single one come forward, out of all the late appointments— do, be so good as to order on a [underline: Dozen] of them— Medicine & Medicinal Stores are & will be much wanting at this post.— The cloathing for the rifle men being only now ordered on from Phil^a— I am almost tempted to direct one hundred more mounted rifle volunteers from Kentucky, in order to insure the cutting & securing forage at Fort Jefferson— should the next information from Mr Rosecrantz be unfavorable, I shall adopt the measure.— I have the honor to be Sir, your most obed^t & very hum Serv^t Hon. Maj^r Gen^l Knox Anty Wayne. Sec^y of War.— [No 7//] [To Brig^e Gen^t James Wilkinson] Pittsburgh 5^th august 179[2] Sir, Since writing you on the 31. ultimo I have been honoured with yours of the 12^th of July inclosing copies of letters to the Secretary of War, and other papers; I am much obliged by your ideas, [underline: respecting] the Enemy we have to contend with, which perfectly coincide with my own, but I fear that the season will pass over, previously to our knowing the ultimate intentions of the hostile Indians, with respect to peace or war.— nor can we attempt any thing until that event is known, altho from present appearances there can be but little expectation of an honorable [and lasting] peace, with a victorious, [underline: haughty], and insidious enemy— Stimulated by British Emissaries to a continuance of the War— or to dictate terms of peace, perhaps disgraceful to the American character:— but such was the prevailing disposition of a decided majority in Congress— that that Government, was compelled to adopt the measure of attempting every possible means of procuring peace previously to any hostile [strikethrough: operations].— I fear that Major Trueman & Col^o Harding have been martyrs to this State policy— the account brought by Mr Vigo from S^t Vincents, of their murder is too strongly corroborated by recent intelligence by way of Detroit & Niagara— a Mr Rosecrantz, who is on a mission to and with the Five nations, writes on the 19 ult that a vessel had just arrived from Detroit, in which was an Indian from the mouth of the Miami of Lake Erie, who says that an officer and one man bearing a [underline: flag], were killed on their way to the council of hostile Indians, but that the interpreter— who spoke the Delaware Language very well, was saved and carried on as a prisoner— should this be really the case it will soon be authenticated, as the five nations have sent Cap^ton Henry, a famous chief of the Onondago nation, with a message from themselves a talk from the president of the U.S. to the hostile Indians, and from whom they expect to hear every hour— Rosecrantz waits his return, notwithstanding all this, I have very little expectation of any real intention of the hostile Indians for a permanent peace and therefore wish it were possible to secure a very large quantity of hay at Fort Jefferson.— My intention was to reinforce you with the three companies of riflemen mentioned in my last immediately— but unfortunately their clothing is not yet arrived at this place, owing to some unaccountable neglect— I expect the Dragoons for two troops of Cavalry at this place in the course of a few Days; they marched from Trenton & Frederick town between the 20^th & 24^th ulto. the moment they arrive I will arm them with Muskets & bayonets, and order them to descend the river for Fort Washington, carrying with them the arms & accoutrements for the Cavalry— You will therefore please to give the necessary orders for the horse upon which they are to be mounted— that have been purchased by the deputy Q.^r M^r Gen^l in Kentucky, to be collected at some safe & convenient place for the purpose— you may certainly expect them to join you within two weeks after the receipt of this; and probably the rifle corps about the same time, or within twenty days at furthest, which I presume would be as early as you could possibly obtain a volunteer rifle corps from Kentucky. But as the timely arrival of these troops is eventual; you are hereby authorised to retain the hundred mounted volunteers from Kentucky until joined by the troops beforementioned: and if you can do the business without risking too much, do, exert every nerve to secure as great a quantity of hay as [undecipherable: possible] [rifle] at Fort Jefferson.—