[N° 42. To Major Gen'l Knox Sec'y of War—] Legion Ville 31^st Jan'y 1793. Sir, I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 19^th instant with the enclosures. Col° Procter arrived at this place the evening of the 24^th since which I have received a letter from M^r. Rosecrantz I now enclose the copy. Col° Procter will therefore remain here until we hear further from M^r. Rosecrantz or rather see him accompanied by the Corn planter & New Arrow which will probably be the case in the course of a week provided that Red Jacket has gone on — unless prevented by the present fall of snow. In the interim, the Colonel is interestedly engaged in making some improvements upon [strikethrough: the] a new carriage of one of the Howitzs, that remains fit for tender use — and I have not a single doubt, but that he will produce a conviction to the Artillery Gentlemen that those kind of pieces are the best calculated for our present service of any that have heretofore been invented they only want a proper re-enforce and a proportional trunnion with a small alteration in the carriage to render them very complete. — You ask me in confidence "would Col° Sproat make a good Adjutant General and be acceptable to the Army"? I really have not the honor to know Col° Sproat except merely by sight. — I believe that he was not much with the operating part of the late Army, whether he will be acceptable to the Legion is a question that I cannot answer. I believe that he is as as little known to the officers in general as he is to me and I am totally unacquainted with him as an officer. — It is however a place of much trust & confid[strikethrough: ence]ence — and I will candidly acknowledge that had I a choice, it would be a gentleman of whose military abilities I had some knowledge & in whom I could place confidence in every vicissitude of fortune — and who from local situation would not be subject like the late Governor of New Jersey to conclude that every movement of the Enemy was directed against his family or person — nor too fond of a frontier militia. — [underline: but all this in confidence.] Perhaps I may have omitted to transmit a copy of your instructions of the 23 July to Gen'l Wilkinson respecting a boat & escort for the Governor & Judges of the Western Territory, from the circumstance of the Governor and one of the Judges being in Philadelphia; and for whose accomodation a boat & hands were in waiting at Pittsburgh as they were hourly expected on; besides it had escaped my memory that there were two Kings of Brentford. — however this business shall be set right by the first opportunity to Fort Washington — at present the navigation is stopped by the ice. — I have the honor to be with sincere esteem your most obed'. & very hum'd Serv't Ant'y Wayne. (the Hon'ble Maj. Gen. Knox Sec'y of War.—