Head Quarters Grand Glaize 14 Aug.^t 1794. Sir, I have the honor to inform you that the Army under my command took possession of this very important Post on the morning of the 8th instant; the enemy on the preceding evening having abandoned all their settlements, towns & villages with such apparent marks of surprise & precipitation as to amount to a positive proof that our approach was not discovered by them until the arrival of a Mr. Newman of the D.M. Generals Departm.^t who deserted from the Army near the St. Mary's, and gave them every information in his power as to our force, the object of our destination, state of provision, number & sige of the artillery &ca. &ca. -; circumstances & facts that he had but too good an opportunity of knowing, from acting as a field Quarter Master on the march, and at the moment of his desertion.— Hence, I have good ground to conclude, that the defection of this villain prevented the enemy from receiving a fatal blow at this place when least expected: I had made such demonstrations for a considerable length of time previously to taking up our line of march as to induce the savages to expect our advance by the route of the Miami Villages, to the left or, towards Roche de bout by the right— which feints appear to have produced the desired effects by drawing the attention of the enemy to those points & gave an opening for the Army to approach undiscovered by a devious route [strikethrough: in a contrary direction] & which would be impracticable for an army, except in a dry season, such as then present 2^d.— Thus Sir, we have gained possession of the grand emporium of the hostile Indians of the west without loss of blood— the very extensive & highly cultivated fields and gardens show the work of many hands; the margins of those beautiful rivers, the Miamis of the Lake & Au Glaize, appear like one continued village for a number of miles both above & below this place; nor have I ever before beheld such immense fields of Corn in any part of America from Canada to Florida.— We are now employed in completing a strong stockade Fort with four good Block houses by way of Bastions at the confluence of Au Glaize & the Miamis of the Lake, which I have called Defiance— another Fort was also erected on the bank of the St. Mary's - twenty four miles advanced of Recovery which was named Adams, and endowed with provision & proper garrison. Every thing is now prepared for a forward move tomorrow morning towards Roche de bout or foot of the rapids where the British have a regular Fortification well supplied with artillery & strongly garrisoned in the vicinity of which, the fate of the Campaign will probably be decided— as from the best and most recent intelligence the savages are there collected in force & joined by the Militia of Detroit &ca. &ca. possessed of ground very unfavorable for the Cavalry to act in. Yet notwithstanding this unfavorable intelligence & unpleasant circumstance I do not despair of success, from the spirit & ardor of the troops from the Generals, down to the privates, both of the Legion & mounted volunteers.— Yet I have thought proper to offer the enemy a last overture of peace, and as they have every thing that is dear and interesting now at stake, I have reason to expect that they will listen to the proposition mentioned in the enclosed copy of an address dispatched yesterday by a special flag whom I sent under circumstances that will insure his safe return; & which may eventually spare the effusion of much human blood. But should war be their choice, that blood be upon their own heads:— America