[N° 27.] To Gen^l Knox. Sec^y of War. Pittsburgh Novem^r 2nd. 1792. Sir I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of yours of the 26^th. ultimo with the enclosures: it was certainly time to order the recruits to this place from their respective rendezvous; as by the best information, their numbers were rather diminishing than increasing; many of the Officers spending their time rather idly, & perhaps as deficient in point of discipline as the recruits they have in charge. As [underline: to] the requisition of the Quarter Master General for fifty thousand Dollars; I believe it to be proper: perhaps the complete number of five hundred pack horses, may not be actually necessary immediately; but the winter will be the season for the deposits of grain — for by the best information the Country between Forts Washington & Jefferson is for the greater part, inundated late in the fall and early in the spring — therefore pack horses will be the most proper conveyance, unless we should be favored with a hard winter, when Sleds may be used to advantage; vide my letter to Gen^l Wilkinson of the 18^th. ultimo upon that subject; when the army moves on in force, oxen will most certainly be of the first utility; utility; and a proper use will be made of them, provided they can be obtained. — a great number of pack horses will be indispensably necessary even with the aid of oxen — in fact we shall find difficulties enough in throwing the necessary supplies into the head of the line; we must surmount those difficulties the deposits must be made, but this business cannot --- [Circular — to the Lieutenants of the Counties of Alleghany, Washington, Westmoreland & Ohio.] Head Quarters Pittsburgh 2^nd Novem^r 1792. Sir, I herewith enclose you a letter from the department of war, received this day, enclosed to the Commander in chief; who desires me to inform you, that upon your producing the muster rolls, vouchers &ca for the Scouts or rangers under your command, he will issue warrants for their immediate payment. I have the honor to remain Sir, your obed^t hum^d Serv^t Henry De Butts. a.D.C. [marginal note, left margin: undecipherable] N° 12. To Gen^l Wilkinson Pittsburgh 7^th Nov^r 1792. Sir. Another little swell has taken place since the departure of Major Rudulph [who I hope has reached you before this period] of which I avail myself of sending you a further reinforcement of 4t. Dragoons, under under the command of Lieut^t A. Lee, who being perfectly light & well armed must get safe on. — We have nothing of moment since my letter of the 18^th. ultimo, except that there is very little prospect of the Corn planters being able to do any thing with the Hostile Indians respecting peace: on the contrary, they say that they have been joined by a powerful confederacy from the West; part of which are actually arrived at Au Glaize, that the Southern Indians, are also in their favor; this as far as respects the Creeks is but too true; that they anxiously wait our advance — that if we will not come & see them; they will come and see us, but they would rather that we should seek them; as that would give them a double advantage — i.e. in the first place, they could be supplied with provisions &ca. by their father, and in the second they would give us a further run home; by which means their victory would be more complete &ca. All these accounts are not sufficient to rouse us from our lethargy; there is yet, some latent hope of peace: however for my own part, I have no idea of it, and have therefore directed the magazines of provision & forage, mentioned in my letter the Contractors & Q. M. G. of which you have copies, and beg leave to reiterate my request, that you will make the deposits of grain mentioned in my letter of the 18^th. ultimo: i.e. 25000. bushels of indian corn at fort Jefferson, 10000 at fort St. Clair and 10000 corn & oats at fort Hamilton and and to the end that no disappointment may take place respecting the timely deposit of Corn; I have ordered that a large quantity be purchased in this quarter & in readiness to descend the river the first opportunity, which will probably be under the escort of Capt. Winston, who I expect here in the course of this month with about forty more Dragoons. The recruiting business appears to be at a stand; nor have one half of the numbers, been yet recruited, that were contemplated by the act of the 5^th of March 1792 — Congress being now in Session, & every information from the hostile Indians breathing War; they may probably adopt such effectual measures as will immediately complete our Legions. A certain Reuben Reynolds, who says that he is a Sergeant in Capt. H. Buells company of the 2^nd Sublegion, & that he was directed by you to leave the Army under the character of a deserter, in order to make discoveries about the 12^th. of May last, goes with this detachment: he seems to have taken a very circuitous route, and gives no very material information, except as to the hostile intentions of the Indians &ca. Every thing in this quarter is quiet; and I am taking measures for hutting the troops about twenty two miles lower down the river, at a position which I fixed upon some days since, and only wait the