Philadelphia March 16, 179[7] Sir, You will be pleased to direct the purchase of Sixty five Horses in the State of Kentucky, in conformity to the enclosed description, for the purpose of mounting a Troop of [undecipherable] — these Horses must be held in readiness to be [undecipherable] at Fort Washington, on the shortest notice, where they will be accoutred & Mounted. You will therefore order the necessary equipments from Pittsburgh to that place if on hand. I must advise that many pieces of public Stores which may be destined to the latter, should be protected forwarded to Le Bœuf during the usual floods, as I am strongly apprised to this [undecipherable] and experience written by the Miamis of the Ohio; the summer heats which obstruct this channel of communication, will facilitate the portage from Le Bœuf to Presque Isle, after which all difficulties cease — You will observe I speak of [undecipherable] indefinitely and this is unavoidable, because I lack information in every identical relation — You must therefore until I have the pleasure to see you, exercise your own Judgement upon such instructions as you have heretofore received. The A[rtillery?] and one company of [undecipherable] and a Troop of Horse, are destined to the frontier of the State of Tenessee, to abstract this Detachment from the [undecipherable] of Cincinnati. It is ordered to Rendezvous [below the big Miami], from whence it is my intention that it shall fall down the Ohio near to the mouth of Cumberland River and ascend the same to Fort [Blount?], which is about One hundred miles from Knoxville — by this route we have near two hundred miles of Land transport, and five cents per ration — The Troops will descend to the vicinity of the mouth of Cumberland in [undecipherable] when they will land and commence their march, while the baggage will be pushed up that River in Barges or Batteaux, which you must also provide for the occasion. It is contemplated to break off the chain of Posts from Fort Washington to Wayne or Defiance, it is therefore very important that we should make every use of the usual floods, to remove the mass of the public Stores from Greenville, at least to Fort Wayne; to this end I have instructed Major [Burd?] the commandant of the former place, and have desired Capt. [Shaumbaugh?] to coöperate with the Major — be pleased then to direct your deputy to take orders from either of these Officers for such aids of your department as may be required, keeping [œconomy?] before his eyes, the [imperious?] necessity for œconomy in all things. I waive further details until I see you, about the beginning of the ensuing month; in the mean time you will be so obliging as to have a flat bottomed boat, or a Barge if it can be spared from the transport N^o L. Bœuf, made comfortable in my passage to Fort Washington to which place I shall expect your company — with most consideration I [remain?] I am Sir your Most Ob^t [undecipherable] [J[ohn?] Wilkins E[sq?]]