Near Downing's Town Sep^th 17^th 1799 Sir I have received your letters of the 19 & 23^d of August ult^o. and enclose you a duplicate copy letter of the 8^th Sep^t Inst. Col Henley agent for the Department of war has [strikethrough: is] authorized to administer to your wants in the matter musters line [strikethrough: [undecipherable]] which [can] be exercised till a more particular arrangement takes place In the mean while you will be pleased to [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] [undecipherable] it [will be] necessary to have and thus prescribed me letters and petitions in behalf of the inhabitants on the Indian [lands?], praying that they may be [strikethrough: authorized] permitted to remain till the title [can] be extinguished by treaty. In the present situation of [things?] it is impossible that their petition can be complied with. It strikes me however that it may be proper that such of them as cannot remove their effects within the time limited by your proclamation, should be [strikethrough: [undecipherable]] permitted to return to carry off [strikethrough: their effects] and where cases seem to require it to leave a person to attend to them till such time [that?] they can [be?] conveniently [removed?] to them. But I shall write to you more particularly on this subject by Colⁿ Craig being at present too much [indisposed?] to employ my mind further upon it. I [strikethrough: [undecipherable]] am entertaining better [prospects?] I believe [and?] am Sir your most Ob^t Serv^t. Leu^t. Col^o. Tho. Butler. [undecipherable: certainly is forming,] Once every again the Command of each garrison [strikethrough: shall] shall [be?] made the Commandant of district shall be transmitted to the [In dept?] [when?] a correct return of [by?] the number of troops in each garrison, and the time when their terms of service expire.