Camp near Fort Massac, July 4^th 1797. Sir, Yesterday by Captain Dunbar I had the honor to receive your communication in two packets of the dates 9^th and 16^th of Ultime, and evening Copies of several Official documents. Arrived at this place on the ninth Ultimo at night, accompany'd by Ensign Scott with Captain Heth's Company, Surgeon Mate M^c Corby, and a M^r Lyons in a matter to the detachments, and on the 10^th following being still ignorant of the reply of the Spanish Commandant at new Madrid to General Wilkinson's letter acquainting him with the movement of his detachment, I dispatched Ensign Scott & him to endeavour to learn his disposition — Copies of my letter to him, of my instructions to M^r Scott and of the Spanish Colonel's answer are enclosed. I also enclose a copy of a letter from Lieu^t Pike at Natsby, it came to this place from new Madrid with M^r Scott on the 28^th by a man who went with M^r Price as Drummer and whose term of service had expired. It appears by this letter as also from the enclosed extract of communications made to me by a M^r Stacker, that the information given by the letter at Sea is accurate, at least they agree to corroborate in point of the general Boundaries — Captain Heth has joined me on the 15^th Ultimo, and Captain Dunbar will [undecipherable] Campbell and his Company of Artillery Yesterday — If I may be permitted to adventure an opinion, it is very evident the revenue offered by the Chevalier from the new Secretary of State are no more than so many good occasions, calculated to amuse untill some chain of circumstances may render it propitious to delay fully; the vigorous warlike preparation making at St. Louis of Upper Louisiana seem with other things to warrant this conclusion — I am preparing my self to encounter the rapidity of every crisis beside of Mississippi, and shall leave this place on or before the 10^th instant, nor shall I stop at new Madrid unless compelled by superior force, commencement or shew of hostility, on the part of the troops of the United States when I have the honor to Command, and shall be studiously and scrupulously avoided — but all upon overt direct attack upon them shall be repelled, with the utmost energy of our small number, and such manner as I hope will not sully the reputation, or tarnish the lustre of the flag, of the nation. A Conveyance offering by the Cumberland river, I should have been wanting in my duty not to have seized the occasion to make this communication which shall be followed by another through the medium of Cap^t. Pike at this place, so soon as I shall have passed new Madrid — A Sergeant and three men are with the Chickasaw Villagers & at different times to apprise them of my coming. With the highest respect. Sir, I have the honor to be The Honorable James McHenry Sec^y to the Dep^t of War Your M^ost Ob^t & Very Humble Servant