[Docket: [undecipherable] — 9 Aug^t. 1796] [Private] Head Qu^rs Detroit 29^th August 1796 Sir— Lieut. Taylor who I had dispatched with instructions to Cap^t Balleur, the Commandant of Fort Knox, concerning certain [undecipherable] matters, returned [undecipherable] days since, with a packet of letters from France to DeCollet, & the enclosed letter signed [underline: Don Carlos], which were intercepted at Fort Vincennes. The letters from France have no relation to the business of this Country — That from Don Carlos (alias) Adet bears a questionable complexion, & may serve as a clue to [undecipherable: probable reading "prove"] that he had previously instructed Collet, when speaking of Hamilton he concludes "judge from that, if those Gentlemen are not sold to the British Government, you must not fail to [undecipherable: probable reading "profit"] by what they say." The President will recollect whether any such conversation with a member of Congress took place at his levee — & he will also be able to determine whether this letter is actually in the hand writing of M^r Adet. I think it is. DeCollet — has in all probability been [undecipherable] at Massac before this period — being not within two hundred miles of that Post about the [undecipherable]-ultimo [undecipherable] in charge [undecipherable] an accurate survey of the [undecipherable] river more expressly drawn by [undecipherable] — They did not proceed more than eight miles [undecipherable] — intended to proceed by water up the Mississippi to Kaskaskias — as would appear by the enclosed letter from a Colonel M^r [undecipherable], addressed to [undecipherable: probable reading "Collet"] at that place — [undecipherable] is an inhabitant [undecipherable] & most violent Democrat & companion of DeCollet. The Delawares have promised to secure & bring the Emissary [undecipherable] mentioned in the letter from Cap^t. Balleur to his place. The enclosed extract of a letter from Cap^t. Pike has something mysterious with respect to an order forbidding the repairs of the works at that place, &c~ I have no further information with respect to the royal Chart than mentioned in my letter of the 20^th ultimo — a duplicate of which is enclosed; but I trust it will be secured. I hourly expect to hear from M^r. [undecipherable] but from the length of time, he has been absent, I have some cause to apprehend that his communications [if any] have miscarried, or fallen into wrong hands. he was however cautioned to be particularly guarded — observe that Don Carlos refers to a letter from the Inhabitant of Front Street — enclosed is that original letter, possibly it is a M^r. [undecipherable] however all letters to DeCollet, from M^r Adet, & from M^r Adet [undecipherable] pass thro' the hands of this man — can't you discover who he is I am with Distinction Your most Ob^t Hum^d Serv^t Anty Wayne The Hon^ble James McHenry Es^qr. Secretary of War