N.^o 70 Head Quarters Greenville 3^d march 1794 Sir, I have the honor to enclose the General Return of the Legion for the month of February, as also duplicates of my letters of the the 18 of January. — We have neither heard from or seen an Enemy since the date of those letters — hence it is pretty evident that the true object of the flag was to gain time & reconnoitre as predicted in my letter N.^o 70 — there is something rather mysterious in the present conduct of the savages for, notwithstanding their non compliance with the preliminary article, i.e. the surrender of the prisoners on or before the 1^st of the Martins, they have not committed any murder or depredations since that period that I have as yet heard of. There is therefore a possibility that they are inclined for peace — be that as it may, I shall soon bring them to an eclaircissement as I am determined to establish a strong post on the bank of Au Glaize, at the north end of the portage, i.e. within the limits of the reservation made by the treaties of the 21 January 1785 & the 9 January 1789, which may be done consistently with good faith, and will most certainly bring the business to a speedy issue. — the distance from thence to grand Glaize at its confluence with the Miami of the Lake is not more than from 25 to 30 miles: they will therefore be compelled to [strikethrough: treat] fight or to abandon their towns, hunting grounds and possessions. — I have a further & powerful inducement for establishing not only this post but another at the south end of the portage on the Miami of the Ohio — i.e. the length of water transport during the spring season from a conviction that it is next to an impossibility to supply a large body of troops [strikethrough: to] far advanced into an uncultivated & savage wilderness for any length of time by means of pack horses or land carriage only — Under these impressions, I had [strikethrough: sent] paid two small boats at this place for the purpose of reconnoitring these waters, in one of which M.^r Robert Elliott | the contractor | with a select crew descended this branch of the Miami on the 22^d ultimo & arrived at Fort Hamilton on the 24^th enclosed is a copy of his letter & report upon the occasion. — In addition to this I have sent Major McMahon with a small select detachment to reconnoitre the portage before mentioned and to determine with accuracy & precision the relative situation & the true course and distance with