University of Virginia Library

III. III

JOHN ARMSTRONG'S EXPEDITION, 1790 [1]

[Letter of General Henry Knox, secretary of war, to General Josiah Harmar, commanding on
the Western frontier. From transcript by L.C. Draper, in library of Wisconsin Historical Society—
Draper MSS., 2W133.]

(Secret)

Dear Sir: The subject I about stating must be retained by you as a
profound secret, and I depend on your honor not to communicate
thereon now or hereafter, excepting with the Governor of the Western
Territory[2] whom I shall refer to you.

It is important that the official information of all the Western regions
should be as precise and as extensive as the nature of things will admit.
You will therefore exercise your mind in obtaining such information.
Devise some practicable plan for exploring the branch of the Mississippi

called the Messouri, up to its source and all its Southern branches, and
tracing particularly the distance between the said branches and any of
the navigable streams that run into the Great North River which
empties itself into the Gulf of Mexico. In order that you may better
comprehend my idea, I send you a map of the said river and its conjectural
relation to the Messouri.

You will easily see that this object cannot be undertaken with the
sanction of public authority. An enterprising officer with a noncommissioned
officer well acquainted with living in the woods, & perfectly
capable of describing rivers and countries, accompanied by four or
five hardy Indians perfectly attached to the United States, would, in my
opinion be the best mode of obtaining the information requested.
Could you engage two such parties, and send them off at different periods
of one or two months distance from each other, it is highly probable
that one if not both would succeed & return. I am not authorized
to make any stipulations on this subject, but I pledge myself unequivocally
that if the parties should succeed, that I will exert myself to the
utmost that they shall not only be satisfactorily, but liberally rewarded,
on their return. Endeavor therefore by all means to find
suitable characters for this hardy enterprise, & having found them
despatch them as soon as possible. I say nothing about their equipments
or the manner of their being furnished, leaving that to your & the
Governor's judgment, & those to whom you may confide the direction
of the enterprize. Pocket compasses would be necessary to their success,
& pencils & paper to assist their remarks.

Were it practicable to make the operation with canoes, it would be
most satisfactory.

[Extract from Letter of Secretary Knox, dated War Office, 16th January, 1790, to General
Harmar. From transcript by L. C. Draper, in library of Wisconsin Historical Society—Draper
MSS., 2W177.]

(Private)

Sir: In addition to my letter to you on the subject of exploring the
country & waters on which you were to consult the Governor of the
Western Territory, that the party employed on that business should be
habited like Indians, in all respects, and on no pretence whatever discover
any connection with the troops. Of course they will not take any
written orders with them.

[Letter of General Harmar to General Arthur St. Clair, Governor of the Northwest Territory.
From Smith's St. Clair Papers, ii, p. 133.]

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.

[Extract from letter of Governor St. Clair to Secretary of War Knox, dated Cahokia, May 1,
1790. From St. Clair Papers, 11, p. 138.]

Mr. Armstrong has been here for some time, in consequence of your
communications to General Harmar, who made me acquainted with
them by him. It is, sir, I believe, at present, altogether impracticable.
It is a point on which some people are feelingly alive all over, and all
their jealousy awake. Indians to be confided in, there are none; and if
there were, those who would be most proper, and others, are now at
war; but I have explained myself to Captain Armstrong for General
Harmar's imformation, who will communicate it to you from a place
whence there is less risk of dispatches miscarrying.

[Extract from letter of Governor St. Clair to General Harmar. From St. Clair Papers, ii,
p. 144.]

Sir: I had the honor to receive your communications by Captain
Armstrong, and have given him my opinion upon the subject; that it
is, at present at least, impracticable, for the reasons which he will inform
you of, as I think it best not to say any thing about it in writing.