George Washington Papers
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To George Washington from Henry Knox, 16 June 1791

From Henry Knox

War Department [Philadelphia], June 16th 1791.

Sir

I write this Letter with the hopes of its meeting you at Mount-Vernon in good health, after your long and fatiguing journey.

By information from Fort Pitt of the 9th Inst., the tranquility of the frontiers is very great.1

About Eight hundred of the troops have arrived at Fort Pitt, from the 16th of May to the 5th instant—Major General Butler had distributed these troops in such a manner, as to cover the frontiers from Fort Franklin on the Allegany, down to the Great Kenhawa, and so as to dismiss the Militia which had been called out.

All the Regulars enlisted, from this State to Massachusetts, have been ordered forward—They amount to about Three hundred, but it is expected they will have considerable additions.

There are some deficiencies in the battalions of Levies of this State, Jersey and Maryland, which will be completed it is expected in a few days.

The Virginia battalion is full, and marched the 4th inst., excepting a small deficiency occasioned by desertions.

By Colonel Procter’s additional communications, there can be no doubt but that Brant, accompanied by McGee and Girty, has gone to the hostile Indians with the concurrence of the British Officers2—and the Indians invariably asserted his object was to effect a peace—If so, the British mean to have the merit of the action, if we could accept of a peace dictated by them.

I do not enter into details, until I shall have the honor to submit them personally to you. I am, Sir, With the highest Respect Your most Obedt hume Servt

H. Knox

LS, DLC:GW; LB, DLC:GW.

1. The “information from Fort Pitt” probably derived from Maj. Gen. Richard Butler’s letter of 9 June to Knox, to which Knox replied on 16 June (ASP, Indian Affairs, description begins Walter Lowrie et al., eds. American State Papers. Documents, Legislative and Executive, of the Congress of the United States. 38 vols. Washington, D.C., Gales and Seaton, 1832–61. description ends 1:188–89).

2. Col. Thomas Proctor’s “additional communications” probably were the dispatches he had sent to Knox on 21 May by Capt. Michael Gabriel Houdin. Proctor himself arrived in Philadelphia on 7 June (see Proctor’s narrative enclosed in his letter of 9 July to Knox, and Knox to Pickering, 13 June, ASP, Indian Affairs, description begins Walter Lowrie et al., eds. American State Papers. Documents, Legislative and Executive, of the Congress of the United States. 38 vols. Washington, D.C., Gales and Seaton, 1832–61. description ends 1:161–62, 166).

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    Washington Papers
    Title
    To George Washington from Henry Knox, 16 June 1791
    Author
    Knox, Henry
    Recipient
    Washington, George
    Date
    16 June 1791

    Reference

    Cite as
    “To George Washington from Henry Knox, 16 June 1791,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/05-08-02-0188. [Original source: The Papers of George Washington, Presidential Series, vol. 8, 22 March 1791 – 22 September 1791, ed. Mark A. Mastromarino. Charlottesville: University Press of Virginia, 1999, pp. 271–272.]

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