[N° 29. To Major Gen'l Knox Sec'y of War] Pittsburgh 14 November 1792 Sir, I most certainly would have given you my opinion upon the subject of the ulterior disposition of the troops, but was restrained from an idea that the President might have had some [strikethrough: confidential] informal information that Detroit at least would be surrendered up to us at an early period in the Spring; my reason for forming this idea was from the most assiduous attention of M^r Hammond in a select company on the 28^th September at George Town, among whom was Col. Morgan that the Posts were immediately to be given up to us, that 200 workmen had been and were employed in erecting a Fort on the opposite side of the river or Else from Detroit — that the riches had been or was then on his way to Mount Vernon — this assertion & the Presidents having pointed out a little not positively commanded a position for the troops somewhere between this place & they have — induced me to be silent upon that subject. For were the Posts on the Lakes or Detroit only, to be surrendered to us there could be no hesitation as to the proper route to the seat of the hostile Indians at the rapids of the Miamie of the Lake [undecipherable] but that out of the question, I should have been most decidedly for a consolidation of the Legion in a fortified Camp, a little advanced of Fort Washington; where I could be in readiness & force to take every advantage of time & circumstances to advance the head of the line & supplies towards the Miamie Villages in case of a favorable winter i.e. a hard winter, that would admit of Sleys to transport the Stores &c. however I have already given Gen'l [undecipherable] my idea of the facility of that mode of transportation. In the interim, I have made choice of an Encampment on the bank of the river, from which all the Indians in the wilderness could not dislodge us, with a line level Back on the right bank which forms a secure harbour for our boats, can Easy water communication; moreover we have water in the river, in fact, it is the only spot in which the boats could possibly be secured from inevitable destruction by the Ice — for a considerable distance above Pittsburgh to that place not a boat could be saved at Pittsburgh nor in its vicinities — such an idea was never contemplated at this place — the construction of the Kentucky boats being only calculated for the purpose of descending the river the same season they are built & also landing the families sent adrift — those of the army and make up for the use of the Fort & Garrison — So that this may be considered as the first attempt that has been made to save or secure one of those kind of boats over winter; in order to be used next seasons — this we shall effect, but with a good deal of labor & some expence in repairing them; however, this shall be done — every thing in prospect to advance the Ohio at an early period in the Spring; by which time I most ardently hope the Legion will be completed to its full complement. You mention the indispensably necessity of having the Pay master General a head quarters in order to close the accounts of the troops; he has not yet been ordered up, but it shall be done — in the interim, there can be much difficulty in forming an estimate of the sum of money immediately necessary for the payment of the troops up to the last of this month — say four months — all the muster & Pay rolls of the troops on this ground up to the last of August, the muster roles to the present time, will be forwarded by the next post after this; these together with your knowledge of the number of troops below, will serve as a data to form a near estimate; should there be a deficiency, it will not be lost — at all events — we ought to pay the troops, it will insure discipline to our subordination and God knows I have had much difficulty to introduce them into the legion; let me therefore pray you to forward the Pay the soonest possible. Permit me now to mention some resignations & casualties that have taken place in the Infantry, as it's probable that the President will fill the vacancies very shortly. viz. Lieut. Sam'l Cochran resign 23^d. Sept — Ensign John Paine P^r. the 6^th & latter Captain Ballard Smith suspended by the sentence of a Gen'l Court Martial of which the enclosed is a copy — but will not this suspension deprive him of rank, altho he may return to the command of his company — be that as it may, I have the best ground to believe that the [undecipherable] had appeared less that he would resign — What they meant to let him down easy — he has received them & unless a very great reform takes place, he will not be capable of the command of a Battalion and [undecipherable] there are not less than two vacancies at this moment. This day Ensign W^m Umble Payne was cashiered by the sentence of a Gen'l Court Martial upon the enclosed charges. Whilst I am upon this subject I beg leave to mention that one of your candidates M^r W^m Bird has been reduced to the ranks, and I am now under the necessity of discharging him, to screen him from punishment. He is a [undecipherable] groveling character; nature never intended him for any thing but the Anvil and he has accordingly fitted himself to M^r [undecipherable: Turnbull?] as a hammerman — there are two or three characters that I can venture to recommend viz: M^r [undecipherable] Lakins a young gentleman about 22 years of age, grandson to the late Governor General of Pennsylvania; M^r Lane, who I have before mentioned; & a M^r T Johnson a volunteer now on the ground, recommended in the strongest terms by Gen'l Gates — Our detachment of Mechanics and