To Captain William Eaton. The Congress of the United States having made a provision for carrying on trade with the Indian Nations on our borders; and the President having determined to establish a Trading post at Colerain, on the river St. Marys, in Georgia, for the purpose of supplying the Creeks and other Southern Indians with goods, it becomes necessary to provide for the protection of the establishment. The disorders committed on that frontier, whence inroads have been made into the adjoining Spanish territory, in violation of the laws of the United States, and of the rights of a neighboring nation; and the just apprehension that the like or other outrages may be attempted, by a set of people who disregard all legal restraints, [strikethrough: & spare not] [undecipherable], require that a military force be employed, as well to aid the civil authority in bringing to justice the persons who have perpetrated the enormities above mentioned, as to prevent future aggressions, and to preserve peace and order in that quarter of the United States. The preserving of peace between the frontier inhabitants of Georgia and the Creek Indians, by protecting each against the malicious or vindictive designs of the other, is a third important object. Unfortunately the necessity of some further provision in this case has recently become manifest. Seventeen Creek men, some of them known to be great friends of the white people, and all coming to that frontier with peaceable views, have been basely and cruelly murdered. Such at least is the conclusion authorized by the intelligence received from Georgia. To these several objects your particular attention must be directed. You will be diligent in your endeavours to train the troops under your command to an expert discipline, & to have them always in readiness to execute any orders relating to these objects. A law of the United States passed on the 5^th of June 1794, having declared "That if any person shall within the territory or jurisdiction of the United States begin or set on foot, or provide or prepare the means for any military expedition or enterprise to be carried on from thence against the territory or dominions of any foreign prince or State with whom the United States are at peace; every such person so offending shall on conviction be adjudged guilty of a high misdemeanor, and shall suffer fine and [undecipherable] imprisonment at the discretion of the court in which the conviction shall be had; so that such fine shall not exceed three thousand dollars, nor the term of imprisonment be more than three years:" And the same law having also authorized the President of the United States or such other person as he shall have empowered for that purpose, to employ the force of the United States to prevent the carrying on of any such expedition or enterprise: I am to inform you, by command of the President of the United States, that you are hereby empowered to employ the force under your command for the purpose aforesaid, to prevent a repetition of outrages against the Spanish dominions. Lieutenant Col. Gaither, the present commanding officer in Georgia, has been apprized of the destination of the troops now embarking for that state, and desired to furnish some officers, of which he has a surplus, to complete their organization. You will embrace the earliest