[No. 59 To Major Gen^l Knox Sec^y of War] Hobsons Choice 27 May 1793. Sir, I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 27 ultimo with the enclosures, which was delivered to me yesterday morning by Major Hughes, who with the old Garrisons of Forts Franklin & Meads Station arrived on the 25^th in the evening; Captain Preston with seventy seven recruits from the Great Kenhawa also arrived at the same time.— due attention shall be paid to your orders respecting the Arms & Ammunition and Stores for the Chickasaws as enumerated in the schedule sent me as far as will be in my power to procure them and as soon as the keel boats return to this place with the old Garrisons of Forts Steuben & Knox (which I have sent two companies of invalids to relieve) they shall be forwarded to the Chickasaw bluffs under a proper guard, altho I am apprehensive that it will be attended with some difficulty and danger, as it is said that the Creeks are on the look out as high up as the confluence of the Ohio with the Mississippi. Inclosed are copies of my dispatches of the 9^th. together with a copy of a correspondence between the Quarter Master General & myself, as also of a letter to the Governor of Kentucky on the subject of a provisional arrangement for a re-inforcement of mounted volunteers.— I really feel my situation awkward, unpleasant & embarrassing, to make efficient arrangements for an active campaign will involve a heavy debt upon the nation; and I may probably be censured for having acted without positive [undecipherable] the implied ideas should peace eventually take place, on the other hand were I to omit this essential business until the moment of operation (should the war progress) it would then be too late to make the heavy and necessary deposits at the advanced Posts— and I should be defaulted for not having made those deposits in time.— Under these impressions I have determined to make a provisional arrangement, and therefore directed the Quartermaster General into Kentucky to increase his means of transportation, but greatly short of his Estimate (for the present) in the interim I have directed a detachment under Col. Strong to open a road between Forts Hamilton & St Clair & Jefferson.— General Wilkinson had immediately on my arrival opened one between Forts Washington & Hamilton directly [undecipherable] feet wide which has been rendered practicable for [all?] waggons.— That now opening between Hamilton & St Clair & Jefferson varies from Gen. St Clairs so as to escape the low swampy ground over which that passes.— as soon as Col. Strong reaches Fort Jefferson he will be directed to cut & secure hay in the prairie in the vicinity of that Post.— during his advance he has received the most positive orders to cover himself every evening by felled trees on each side across the road; those in the road to be removed in the morning after his patroles have returned from reconnoitring: nor will this mode of defence retard his progress more than one hour each day and will secure him from insult.— There is not a single particle of the