[Letter of General Harmar to General Arthur St. Clair, Governor of the Northwest Territory.
From Smith's St. Clair Papers, ii, p. 133.]
Fort Washington, February 20, 1790.
Dear Sir: I have had the honor of receiving your letter from Fort
Steuben, dated the 26th ult., and observe that your detention so long
there was occasioned for want of provisions. We have been upon the
point of starvation here ever since my arrival. I have no great opinion
of Major Doughty's mission,[3]
and another is on foot which I think to be
really difficult and hazardous. The copy of the secret letter sent me
from the War Office I do not think proper to commit to paper, for fear
of accident, but Lieutenant Armstrong (whom I have ordered to undertake
the tour, if possible) can fully inform you the nature of the business,
as the contents of the letter have been communicated to him, and
he has taken notes in such manner as to be able to give you an exact
copy of it. I have written to the War Office that I wished very much
to have your Excellency's opinion upon this subject before I ordered the
officer to proceed. I must, therefore, beg that you will be pleased to
give it. It seems very much depends on the too adventurous establishment.
If your Excellency should be of opinion that it is advisable for
him to undertake it, be so kind as to afford him your advice and assistance
upon the occasion, as it is impossible for me, at this distance, to
make the necessary arrangements for that purpose. This is the subject
that the Secretary of War has written you that we were to consult
about. Mrs. Harmar desires to be remembered most affectionately to
you and Major Sargent.
