N° 25. To Gen'l Knox Sec'y of war. Pittsburgh 19^th. Oct. 1792. Sir, I am honored by the receipt of yours of the 12^th. instant, and am happy to find that Governor Blount, was only alarm'd, at the report of war and that all is peace in that quarter. I feel uneasy for the safe return of the [underline: Cornplanter]; as by the deposition of W^m. May, and by direct intelligence from the Indians who were sent early to the hostile tribes, mentioned in the enclosed copy of a letter from Captain Hughes, gives but too much ground to apprehend some premeditated mischief intended him. Both the Cornplanter & New arrow, were induced to undertake this business at my request, with a promise of a certain reward for procuring peace, or, in case of war, to give me an exact account of the tribes & number of Indians with whom we might have to contend. Enclosed are dispatches from fort Washington which came by express thro' the wilderness, and arrived the night before last — by which I received a letter from General Wilkinson of the 12^th. ultimo, enclosing a copy of a letter to you of the 7^th. of that month, giving a circumstantial account of his 2^nd. tour to Gen'l [undecipherable: probable reading St. Clair's] field of battle &c.; however you have the original amongst those dispatches. I have also a private letter from him of the 9^th. but nothing material further than the constant appearance of Indians on the vicinity of the advanced posts. Major Rudolph descended the river yesterday noon, with the reinforcement Clothing, arms, accoutrements &ca for the troops at the mouth of the Great Kenhawa, and for the late first & second regim'ts, as mentioned in the enclosed copies of letters to him & Gen'l Wilkinson — the water is tolerably good, and the weather fine, so that in all probability Rudolph will have a short, safe & pleasant passage. My time has been so very much engrossed by preparing every thing for the late embarkation, that I have not had a moment to spare for the purpose of giving my sentiments upon the subject matter of the President's letter, which requires consideration; nor can I [strikethrough: settle] enter into this subject until I have reconnoited the ground on the N.W. side of the river as far as Big Beaver, which I mean to do immediately, and to return in two or three days, when you shall hear fully from me upon that business — as we are upon this subject, permit me just to observe, upon that part of the President's letter, which speaks of the eventual distribution of the Sub-legions, — that we have not even perfect skeleton of either of them — which skeletons ought to be fill'd — you have only to examine the enclosed return to convince you of this disagreeable fact: the total numbers do not exceed 1100, exclusive of the [undecipherable: probable reading Sub-alterns] and the total fit for duty officers included are but 824 — General Wilkinson has with him, agreeably to the last return, about 550 effectives, which when joined by Major Rudolph's whole detachment will make him equal to about 1400; these I have already directed to be disposed of in due proportions from fort Washington to the head of the line, in my letter to Gen'l Wilkinson of the 9^th. inst. of which you have a copy — under these circumstances it will be difficult to find a Sub-Legion for Marietta, unless greater & more effectual exertions are made for the completion of the Legion — and which will be found absolutely necessary, for you may rest assured that by the sword we must procure peace. — The enclosed extract of a letter from M^r. Belle, will shew you that he has been a little too sanguine in some of his former communications to you respecting the price & facility of procuring forage in Kentucky & depositing it at fort Washington — however, we can remedy this business. — I am Sir with much esteem, Your most ob'd^t & very hum^ble Serv^t The Hon^ble Major Gen'l Knox Sec'y of War — Anty Wayne