Henry Knox to Tobias Lear, 25 December 1792
Henry Knox to Tobias Lear
½ after ten oClock Xmas Evg
My dear Sir[Philadelphia, 25 December 1792]
Be pleased to submit some letters, or rather copies of Letters received this Evg from Genl Wilkinson. I beleive these are his highly confidential dispatches mentioned to Genl Wayne.1 In addition there are some returns of stores which I do not send. The Wabash Indians will Arrive tomorrow.2 Yours sincerely
H. Knox
ALS, DLC:GW; LB, DLC:GW. The ALS is docketed: “From The Secy of War 26 Decr 1792,” and it is filed in DLC:GW under that date. The letter-book copy is dated “26th Decr 1792.”
1. The letters from James Wilkinson have not been identified. Knox is referring to his own letter to Anthony Wayne of 22 Dec., in which he acknowledged receiving Wilkinson’s letters of 6 Nov. (see Lear to Knox, 18 Dec., note 1). “But,” Knox wrote, “I have not received any of a later date, when his highly confidential letters arrive mentioned in his of the 14 Ultimo, copies shall be transmitted to you” ( 153). For Wilkinson’s “confidential letters,” see Knox to GW, 26 Dec., n.1.
2. For background on the visit to Philadelphia by a delegation of Wabash and Illinois Indians, who arrived on 26 Dec. 1792, see GW to Knox, 3 Sept. (first letter), and note 3, and Wilkinson to GW, 1 Nov., n.1.