N^o 44. To Major Gen^l Knox [crossbar] Legion Ville 24^th Jan^ry 1793. Sir, I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 12^th instant and am pleased to find that the good sense of so respectable a majority in Congress has defeated the machinations of a restless junto, who have only been travelling over the same ground this session with the doors open, that they did the last with the doors closed — their force was twenty seven against raising the additional Regiments — The late decision, which shews a stability in our Councils, the brilliant & rapid success of the Arms of France, together with the complexion of affairs in Ireland & Scotland afford a favourable & happy opportunity to demand on very pointed terms the surrender of the Posts on the margin of the Lakes agreeably to treaty — at all events its worth worthy of the trial — nor shall we be in a worse situation by making the demand, even if refused, than by tacitly & silently permitting the British to continue in quiet possession of those Posts — but, should they eventually comply with the requisition we then shall have it in our power to dictate terms to those haughty Savages, or to exterminate them at our pleasure — I have already established a strong Post at Catawaga within forty miles of Presque Isle and two others on the Alleghany at intermediate distances between Forts Franklin & Pittsburgh — nor shall we have occasion for any more except at Le Boeuf & Presque Isle, the only & best harbour on the west side of Lake Erie, between that & Sandusky — I must acknowledge that I have always had a predilection in favor of that route, and in fact I have a strong propensity to attend the next grand Council either at the rapids of the Miami or at such other place on the waters of Lake Erie as the Savages may think proper to fix upon; attended with about twenty five hundred Commissioners properly appointed advancing by this smooth path, having Wilkenson to follow upon that which bleeds & mires) among whom I do not wish to have a single Quaker — I received a letter from Col^o Proctor of the 20^th instant announcing his arrival at Pittsburgh and his intention to set off the next day for the Corn Planters town, upon which I wrote an answer of which the enclosed is a copy, but have not heard any thing further from him — I want him very much to see the defects of the little Howits and the composition of the founder in the barreneth of the metal with which they were made — I have now to request your attention to some recommendations for appointments in the Legion Viz. M^r Jesse Lukens, M^r Charles Lewis a son of the late Col. Charles Lewis who fell at Point Pleasant in 1774, M^rs Frances Johnston as Ensigns in the Infantry and M^r Levi McLane, M^r Brown & M^r Rich^d Butler for the Rifle Corps — this last named young gentleman continues to act as a volunteer and daily improves in my estimation — we really are in want of Subaltern Officers, both at this place & below — and those gentlemen are all on the spot except M^r Lukens who is in Philadelphia, ready to come forward at a moments warning — Should there be a vacancy here I beg leave to recommend Doc^tr Elihu Lyman, who was a surgeon in the Army during the late war, and is a gentleman of abilities — There was nothing material in Gen^l Wilkinsons dispatches to me by M^r Swan, but what you will see answered by the copy of my letter to him of the 7^th instant sent you by the Post before the last — I only conjectured that he might have wrote to you by the same conveyance — I have the honor to be with sincere regard your most obed^t Very hum^l Servant Anty Wayne The Hon^ble Maj. Gen^l Knox [Secretary]