George Washington Papers
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https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Washington/05-14-02-0296

To George Washington from Henry Knox, 30 November 1793

From Henry Knox

War Department Nov. 30. 1793

Sir

I have the honor of submitting to you, a letter with enclosures from Major General Wayne—dated on the 23d of the last month—and I also submit the draft of a letter proposed to be sent to Ensign Morgan.1 I have the honor to be, with the greatest respect Sir Your very obedt servt

H. Knox Secy of War

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

1Maj. Gen. Anthony Wayne’s letter to Knox of 23 Oct. stated that the army’s march had been temporarily halted “Six Miles advanced of Fort Jefferson” by a shortage of supplies, reported the deaths of Lieutenant John Lowry and Ensign Samuel Boyd, enclosed returns including that of the mounted volunteers recently arrived at Fort Jefferson, discussed intelligence of Indian movements, noted the effect of influenza on the army, complained of the want of officers, and reported the acceptance of one resignation and the arrest of three officers (Knopf, Wayne description begins Richard C. Knopf, ed. Anthony Wayne, a Name in Arms: Soldier, Diplomat, Defender of Expansion Westward of a Nation; The Wayne-Knox-Pickering-McHenry Correspondence. Pittsburgh, 1960. description ends , 278–81).

Bartholomew Dandridge, Jr., replied on behalf of GW, writing Knox on 1 Dec.: “By the President’s command; Bw Dandridge has the honor to return to the Secy of War General Wayne’s Letter of the 23d Octobr with it’s enclosures—also the Letter intended for Ensign Morgan; & to inform the Secretary that if the facts stated in the last mentioned letter are unequivocal, the President approves thereof” (DLC:GW).

On 7 Dec. Knox replied to Wayne’s letter of 23 Oct.: “I am instructed to say that the President approves of your intended Winters position as far advanced of Fort Jefferson, towards the Miami Villages as you shall judge proper—Such a position it is expected will in a certain degree have the same effects to alarm the Indians for their own safety as one at the Miami Villages and to push them to a greater distance and perhaps enable you to strike some severe blow in their unguarded moments during the Winter.

“The measures which you have taken to obtain a full supply of provisions appear proper and energetic, and on a full supply will depend your security and the maintenance of your posts . . .” (PHi: Wayne Papers; see also Knopf, Wayne description begins Richard C. Knopf, ed. Anthony Wayne, a Name in Arms: Soldier, Diplomat, Defender of Expansion Westward of a Nation; The Wayne-Knox-Pickering-McHenry Correspondence. Pittsburgh, 1960. description ends , 289–90).

Knox’s letter to Ensign John Morgan has not been identified, but Morgan quoted from it in his letter to Wayne of 4 Dec.: “that the Propriety . . . of the Presidents deciding upon the Proceedings being questionable, according to the Articles of War, he had taken the opinion of the Attorney General of the United States, which concuring with his own he directed the Proceedings to be returned to you [Wayne] with an order that you should judge definitively on them” (PHi: Wayne Papers).

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