[N^o 13^th] ["from Gen^l Knox Sec^y of War"] War department August 17^th 1792 Sir, I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of yours of the 10^th inst^t — Your troops are yet raw, and the experiment of the 5^th instant, shows they are not to be depended upon — but I flatter myself, you will so train & discipline them for the nature of the warfare for which they are designed, that they will in due time take [undecipherable: probable reading "a pride in"] conflicting individually with the savages, of the most [undecipherable] propensity. Desertions must be checked in such manner as to have a proper effect to prevent similar conduct in the other troops. The cowardice manifested by the sentries deserves exemplary punishment. The Constables of this town are active picking up deserters — we have ten now in Gaol who will be forwarded with Eaton's company, the arrival of which is hourly expected at Brunswick. The clothing for all the troops is now in motion forwards, excepting for one company of the old second regiment — the deficiency arises from the condemned cloth, but will soon be made up & forwarded — and excepting a deficiency of Blankets & shoes, which will be forwarded the moment they arrive. The invoices of all the Stores forwarded since the 17^th of July to [undecipherable] are on [strikethrough: undecipherable], [strikethrough: undecipherable] you will please to furnish the Quartermaster. The information to you relatively to the non arrival of many of the Stores forwarded from this prior to the 30^th June must have been erroneous, as the waggoners have produced Major Craig's receipts for every thing transmitted prior to that time. The remnants of cloth & thread to mend the clothes shall be forwarded. The magazines of Hay you have ordered are judicious — indeed the magazines of forage must be ample, so that you may if necessary be enabled early on the [undecipherable: probable reading "Ohio"] or perhaps in the winter to strike with great security — I have ordered forty quarter barrels of the finest gunpowder to be purchased and transported immediately — The public powder we have in possession is equal in quality to any ever used, and it is to be regarded the grain is not on your [undecipherable] sufficiently fine — if you will order some to be mealed, and placed at the head of the Cartridge perhaps it would have all the effects you could desire — The recruiting service still languishes — The officers expect better things after the hurry of farming is over. I enclose you a copy of a letter from Brigadier General Wilkinson of the 16^th of July containing matters relative to the prisoners who came into Fort Jefferson, and the beef that was taken from that post. I also enclose you Brigadier General Putnam's letter of the same date, and also a letter from John Bell D.Q.M.B.y. of the 19^th July, you will observe his information relative to forage and order the D.Q. General to supply the deficiency. I have ordered Major Rudolph to be at Pittsburg by the 25^th instant in order to descend the Ohio with [undecipherable]'s troop — you will please to give him the necessary orders relatively to mounting the Cavalry and the taking all things with them from Pittsburg for that purpose. I have made an arrangement with the Post Master General, by which the Post rider is to [undecipherable]