fficers.
Wilkinson frequently wrote to Knox giving his estimate of the various
officers, and evidently Knox thought very well of him. Wilkinson spoke
well of Sargent; but most of the other officers, whom he mentions at
all, he mentions with some disfavor, and he tells at great length of the
squabbles among them, his narrative being diversified at times by an
account of some other incident such as "a most lawless outrage" by "a
party of the soldiery on the person of a civil magistrate in the village
of Cincinnati." Knox gives his views as to promotions in a letter to
Washington, which shows that he evidently felt a good deal of difficulty
in getting men whom he deemed fit for high command, or even for the
command of a regiment.

One of the worst quarrels was that of the Quartermaster, Hodgdon, first
with Major Zeigler and then with Captain Ford. The Major resigned, and
the captain publicly insulted the Quartermaster and threated to
horsewhip him.

In one letter Caleb Swan, on March 11, 1792, advises Wilkinson that he
had been to Kentucky and had paid off the Kentucky militia who had
served under St. Clair. Wilkinson in a letter of March 13th, expresses
the utmost anxiety for the retention of St. Clair in command. Among the
numerous men whom Wilkinson had complained of was Harmar, who, he said,
was not only addicted to drink, but was also a bad disciplinarian. He
condemned the quartermaster also, although less severely than most of
the other officers.

Darke's letter is worth quoting in full. Its spelling and punctuation
are extraordinary; and some of the words can not be deciphered.

Letter from Col. Darke to George Washington, president of the U. S.,
dated at Fort Washington, Nineth of Novr. 1791,

(_Knox_ Papers, Vol. xxx., p. 12.)

I take the liberty to Communicate to your Excellency the disagreeable
News of our defeat.

We left fort Washington the Begining of Septr a Jornel of our march to
the place of action and the whole proseeding on our march I hoped to
have had the honour to inclose to you but that and all other papers
cloathing & &c., was Taken by the Indians. this Jornel I know would have
gave you pain but thought it not amis to Give you a State of facts and
Give you every Information in my power and had it Ready to Send to you
the Very Morning we were actacked.

We advanced 24 miles from fort Washington and bult a Small fort which we
I thought were long about from thence we advanced along the banks