[Copy of a Letter from the Hon^ble the Secretary of War to his Excellency the Commander in Chief dated War Department April 13^th 1793 —] N^o 56 Sir I receid yours of the 5^th Inst — I transmitted by the Post of the 8^th Inst to the President of the United States, who is at Mount Vernon, your propositions relatively to Scouts and Garrisons, for the Posts on the upper parts of the Ohio, but to which I have not recieved, and could not yet receive an Answer. — But as it is operation that those Garrisons should be immediately established, you will please to carry your own propositions as to the Strength of the Garrisons into immediate execution. Your idea of placing a part of the said Garrison the men least capable of Active Service is a good one — and which you will also please to execute accordingly — Perhaps it may be considered as expedient in case of active operations to relieve the said Garrisons and transport them down the Ohio than to serve as Garrisons to your Posts, so that your efficient force may be as great as possible — The Scouts I hope you have already ordered out. I conceive in case of all vacancies the Officers clearly intitled to those Vacancies are to fill them as soon as they occur, but it ought to be well Settled that the Surgeons are clearly intitled. — I have receid letters from Brigadier Gen^l Wilkinson dated the 11^th Ult^o by which it appears that Armstrong has resigned — It must be explicitly understood by you that the Camp you shall form for the mass of your Troops, if you conceive it expedient to discipline, to remove from Fort Washington, shall be at a position where the price of the Rations shall not be greater than at Fort Washington — such positions may be found in abundance on the margin of the river Ohio either above or below Fort Washington — the express enemies of the price of the Ration at a distance from the Ohio renders an adherence to this injunction a point of considerable importance to the Public and to prevent all questions on this subject it will be proper that this Arrangement be perfectly understood between you & the Contractors — All the Stores which have been written for are preparing and will be forwarded with all expedition. — All the Recruits which shall be recruited by the middle of May shall be marched to The Frontiers — Major Rudolph has had permission from B^r G^r Wilkinson to repair to his Family who were in Some distress. The Major is here but into retire as soon as he shall arrange his private affairs which I hope will be in two or at most three weeks — — — The Commissioners will set out from this place about the 1^st May. They will probably be at Niagara about the 20^th of the same month and at Lower Sandusky the place of Treaty about the 1^st of June — They will be instructed most pointedly to inform you the earliest moment of the result of the Treaty whatever it may be — As the Commissioners will be unprotected by troops their lives will depend upon an absolute restraining of all hostile or offensive Operations during the Treaty forming — indisputably if any incursions into the Indians Country should be made while the Treaty is progressing the Commissioners would be Sacrificed — It may therefore be highly proper that you should issue a proclamation informing of the Treaty and forbidding all persons whatever from making any incursions into the Indian Country untill the event of the Treaty is known, and permission given for that purpose — The same principles will dictate peculiar caution in any demonstrations of Stores or Magazines which you may deposit at the head of your line, and particularly it will preclude any considerable accumulation of troops at your advanced Posts — Every preparation will be made on your part if the result of the Treaty should be unfavorable, to act with the highest Vigor. Among these preparations the discipline of the Troops will doubtless not be the Least — the honor of our Arms, the honor of the Army, and your own reputation, will materially depend upon this circumstance — that the President rests with the fullest confidence upon your exertions upon this point, the progress of which hitherto has given him great Satisfaction — M^r Belle the D^r [undecipherable] is here with his Accts — I have understood from him that his repairing here was in consequence of some decisions relatively to his Accounts given to Brigadier G^r Wilkinson either by you or some communications from the M^r [undecipherable] — As you will have to change some of your Garrisons it is probable that I will have the pleasure of writing you before you leave the Ohio — and that the Communications will be more full — [undecipherable] with this Probably further — H. Knox, H. Knox