ammunition contained in the enclosed list. The Public have no horsemans swords in store— some are in train of being mounted, which will be finished with all possible expedition. As soon as one hundred are mounted application will be made to the President for permission to forward them to Georgia. This letter will be delivered by Captain Constant Freeman, who is ordered into Georgia as an agent of this department to regulate the issues of public property to the troops who may be in the service of the United States, and to prevent or remedy any abuses which exist or may arise hereafter. I have the honor to be &— Governor Telfair. War Department, Sept. 25^th 1793 Sir, Your Excellency's letter of the 13^th of the last month covering the proceedings of the Council of War composed of the General Officers of the militia of Georgia has been received and submitted to the President of the United States. As an Offensive expedition against certain towns of the Creek nation of the nature and under the circumstances you mention is a subject of great and complicated importance to the United States, it has engaged the serious consideration of the President, and as the deliberate result thereof I am directed to inform you that he utterly disapproves the measure at this time. The following are among the reasons on which he grounds grounds his disapprobation. First— Such an expedition is unauthorized by law. The right of declaring War and making provision for its support belongs to Congress. No such declaration has been made against the Creeks and until this shall be done all offensive expeditions against their towns will be unlawful and the expences thereof cannot be paid by Government, unless a special provision should be made by law for the purpose, which under the circumstances of the case may not be very probable. Although cases may exist to render a pursuit of Indians who have been invading the frontiers, into their own country without any formal declaration of war necessary and proper, yet the present does not appear to be of that nature. It is not understood that any late invasion of Georgia has taken place excepting by small predatory parties and of these it does not appear that any of considerable moment has happened since the month of May or June last. On the contrary it would appear by the written messages sent by the Creeks to M^r Seagrove, the bearers of which were killed on the 30^th of June, that a great portion of the Creeks are disposed for peace— copies of these messages are herein enclosed. Secondly— Such an expedition would be opposed by the present state of affairs as connected with European politics, and the peace with the other powerful southern tribes of Indians. The connection of the Spaniards by treaty with the the Creeks is probably known to you. Circumstances arising out of this connection are now the subject of negotiation with the Court of Madrid— A premature invasion of the Creeks might it is to be apprehended be attended with other consequences than mere imputations against our good faith, and in the present state of Europe, Spain might probably derive any assistance of which she might stand in need of the powers with whom she is acting. The hostilities of a part of the Creek nation had nearly or altogether subsided, and expectations were entertained which were conceived to be well grounded that the United States were upon the point of amicably terminating all differences with that tribe. But in the month of June some lawless parties of Whites, contrary to the orders of Government, made an eruption into the peaceable part of the Cherokee nation and murdered some of our best friends who were assembled for the purpose of receiving friendly overtures from Governor Blount and communicating the same through the nation. This Outrage has been succeeded by others less successful, but not perhaps less criminal. Endeavours are making to bring the perpetrators of these disgraceful proceedings to punishment, but there are too many reasons to doubt of any adequate effect— Attempts will also be made to satisfy the Cherokees for the Injury they have sustained, but the success is highly questionable. If to these acts should be added an expedition against the Creeks, in which it would be difficult, if not impossible, to distinguish friends friends from foes, a general confederacy of all the southern tribes may be dreaded. The late unsuccessful attempts to make peace with the Northern Indians ought to render us cautious of extending the War. The communications which have heretofore been made to you in the name of the President have all been contrary to any offensive expeditions into the Creek Country— When Congress shall meet the subject may then be submitted to their consideration unless circumstances should render it unnecessary or improper. If the measure should then be authorized, it would require that arrangements of means adequate to this end should be provided upon economical principles. The President of the United States therefore deems the intended expedition against the Creeks as unauthorized by law, as contrary to the present state of affairs, and as contrary to the instructions heretofore given, and has directed me to express to your Excellency his expectations that it will not be undertaken. The letter of the 16^th of June last, written by order of the President to the Governor of South Carolina, requesting his aid to Georgia, in case its frontier should be seriously invaded by large bodies of Creeks, is considered as fondly different from requiring aid of South Carolina to invade the Creeks. A letter therefore has been written by order of the President to the Governor of South Carolina to prevent any mistake upon this subject— Another has also been written to the agent for furnishing supplies to the troops in Georgia at the expence of the United States, copies of both of which are herein enclosed. The foregoing communications from the