[To Major Gen^t Knox Sec^y of war] N^o 67. S.W. branch of Miami six miles advanced of Fort Jefferson 15. Novem^r 1793 Sir, I have the honor to enclose you copies of my letters of the 7^th & 23^d. ultmo, together with the opinion of the General Officers respecting the further advance of the Legion towards the Miami Villages under the then existing circumstances, which were such as rendered it expedient & necessary to halt & hut at this place for the present. Nor shall we be much retarded by the measure: we are within striking distance of Au Glaize, the principal settlement of the Enemy and in a position, which will at the same time cover the frontiers and our heavy convoys from the depredations & insults of the savages as they dare not venture any considerable detachment at a great distance from that place, lest their towns women & children should be destroyed or captured by a detachment from this Camp during their absence: on the contrary, had the Legion remained in the vicinity of Fort Washington or Hamilton desultory parties of savages would have spread themselves previous to this period, along the frontiers and struck the inhabitants with impunity — add to this, that our Convoys and escorts would have been exposed to the whole operating force of the enemy both in their advance & return to & from the head of the line without any check or apprehension of danger in their rear, and which must have eventually destroyed our transport, which under present circumstances is an arduous & dangerous business. — The enclosed copy of orders to Brig^r Gen^l Wilkinson will tend to shew you the precaution with which we are obliged to conduct our convoys; and will also shew the expediency & necessity of mantaining our present position — a position that will soon compel the enemy to give us battle or, to disperse and abandon Au Glaize. — in either of these events a post will be established at that place at an early period. — The enclosed copies of orders and correspondence with Major Gen^l Scott will inform you of the return of the mounted volunteers of Kentucky; who I found myself under the necessity of calling out, agreeably to standing orders as well as from the strong prejudices in favor of [underline: those kind of auxiliaries], which I discovered on the floor of Congress. — The enclosed Returns & Gen^l Scott's letter of the 5^th instant, by which you will see a dereliction of five hundred of his people in the course of one night; the greatest part of whom only crossed the Ohio from the 13^th. to the 15^th. ultimo and arrived at this place on the 23^d. i.e. ten days after the arrival of the Legion, will best shew whether that prejudice was well founded or not. — This derelection is by no means chargeable to Gen^l Scott or any of his General or Field Officers; on the contrary I am well convinced that every exertion in their power was used to prevent it: and I feel myself bound to express my highest approbation of the conduct of those Gentlemen and the officers in general from the time of their arrival, which was on the 23. of Oct^t until their departure from this place. — Not being honored with any instructions or a single line from you since the 3. September and the season arrived in which the meat kind and other magazines of provision ought to be laid in; I took upon myself to direct the deposits of provision mentioned in my letter of the 23^d. ultimo; since which a further correspondence has taken place between the Contractors & myself, copies of which are herewith transmitted. I cannot account for the conduct & [underline: defect] of those Gentlemen: there must be some latent cause; perhaps they have lost the Contract for the year 1794. and therefore they would not increase their means of transport, least it should be left upon their hands. — I however hope & trust that the measures I have adopted will supply every [underline: defest], until the Contractors for the ensuing year (whoever they may be) get into operation. — In the interim, I shall render this Camp unassailable against the combined force of the Savages: and call it [underline: Greeneville]. The exterior chain of [underline: Redoubts] will be completed tomorrow; the huts of the Soldiery are nearly covered in, so as to render the Camp secure & the troops comfortable; except in the article of Clothing; which had not arrived at Fort Washington on the 12^th. instant. I hope that no accident has happened to Col^t. Clark as the loss of the Clothing would be a serious & melancholy event at this crisis when the greatest part of the troops are nearly naked. — I am at a loss to determine what the Savages are about and where they are: I have searched in almost every direction for them without effect — some few light parties keep hovering at a distance. — Capt Flinn, the Commandant of the Spies and Guides, arrived last evening from reconnoitering; taking a very circuitous route between Au Glaize and the field of battle on the 4^th of Nov^r 1791, returning through it, without making any material discovery of an Enemy. — their late silence and disappearance portends some meditated stroke. — Captain Flinn set out again this morning with orders to intersect the trail of the Savages, should they be bending their course towards the convoy under General Wilkinson and to give immediate information agreeably to the enclosed instructions. — I have now the honor to transmit a copy of my orders to the Q. M. General for the Cantonment of the Cavalry & Dragoons in the state of Kentucky; which I hope will meet your approbation. it is the most effectual and oeconomical move that I could devise under present circumstances. — he has also orders to make out an Estimate of Stores & articles wanted in his department and to make the necessary arrangements for an early Campaign — for which & for the settlement of his public accounts it may eventually be necessary & expedient for him to repair to Philadelphia. — the enclosed General Return of the Legion & abstract of men whose times of service will expire between this day & the last of August, will shew the indispensible necessity of great and immediate exertions to recruit & complete the Legion. — I must acknowledge that the expiration of the time of service of so great a number of men in the course of this fall and winter, was among the considerations & inducements for my wishing a meeting with the savages whilst in force, so as to make the best possible use of those men, previously to the termination of their enlistments, had circumstances permitted. — Let the Legion be completed: and I wish no further or other force, than the protection & countenance of Government to compel those haughty Savages to sue for peace and to establish every Post that has been contemplated in the course of the ensuing spring & summer. — with themost profound esteem I respect the Hon^ble Maj. Gen. Knox Sec^y of war Wayne