[N^o 29. ^a To Major Gen^l Knox Sec^y of War] Pittsburgh 1^d 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 confidential the 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 positive assertion 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 lake from Detroit — that he either had been or was then on his way to Mount Vernon — this assertion & the President having pointed out a little not positively commanded anded to 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 yet 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