[Extract] Maj. Gen. Knox to Maj. Gen. Wayne. 20. April 1793 Extract of a Letter from the Sec^y of War to the Commander in Chief dated — War department 20 April 1793 As this will probably be the last letter you will receive on the upper parts of the Ohio and as future opportunities by the way of the Ohio may some times be precarious, the President has directed me to communicate to you the following general Ideas. That all possible caution and prudence agreeably to my letter of the 13^th be observed to prevent the encroachments of any parties of Whites towards the Indian Country during the continuance of the Treaty and until further permission from you. That the Commissioners are instructed to use every caution to bring the Treaty to a close on or before the first of August next so that in case of an unsuccessful issue you may have time to carry on your operations. That in case of an successful treaty the Commissioners will inform you directly thereof. But that in case of an unsuccessful issue they are directed to send you a letter with [strikethrough: with] many Copies thereof signed by themselves of the following form "We were at Sandusky — days altho' we did not effect a peace yet we hope that good may hereafter arise from the Mission. The tranquility of the Country North West of the Ohio during the continuance of the Treaty evinced your care of our safety, and we could not leave this quarter without returning you our unfeigned thanks" That you are to have every thing prepared for vigorous offensive operations and in perfect readiness to move forward from the Ohio by the twentieth of July or at farthest by the first of August and immediately upon receiving any of the letters from the Commissioners you will commence your march. You will be well acquainted with the force you will have by that time which of Regulars must not with the present prospects to be estimated at an higher number than three thousand non Commissioned and privates, independent of Garrisons in different places in the Ohio. To your force whatever it may be you will add such number of mounted Volunteers of Kentucky or other parts of the frontiers as shall make your real force Superior to the highest force of the Enemy. For that add little as possible subject to accident. It has been conceived that one thousand prime mounted Volunteers from the frontiers acting cordially with your army would under all your movements sustain and invigorate and enable you to strike the Enemy's towns at a considerable distance. That the general plan of conduct as laid down in your instructions of the 26^th day of May 1792 seems still the most proper to be pursued in the present political circumstances of this Country. That is, A strong post to be established at the Miami Villages with a large Garrison of at least one thousand efficient Troops with chains of Subordinate posts of communication down the Miami River to Lake Erie on the right, to as far as the Napee and down the Wabash on the left; Provided the Indians of the said Wabash would cordially assent to the measure of which there is [strikethrough: much] doubt. That on your advance from Fort Jefferson or any other post on the upper parts of the Miami of the Ohio which you may chuse to establish as your advanced post of departure, you will establish posts of communication every twelve or twenty miles until you reach the Miami Village. But in the erection of such posts it will be of importance that you do not halt your main force above one day for each, it being conceived that the labour of your troops for one day would produce said posts in such a state of defence that the garrison Garrisons destined for the same would be able to render it complete. The President expresses his confidence that you will conformably to your original instructions observe the highest degree of caution in your modes of marching and encamping and keeping out incessant patroles so as to preclude a possibility of being compelled to engage in a disagreeable Situation. The intelligence of the numbers and situation of the enemy being so extremely essential to all proper movements and conduct it is expected you will use every possible device to obtain this object, in the pursuit of which no trouble or reasonable expences should be spared.