1

Knoxville 18th of Sep. 1798

Sir

Your favor of 23 March, with two Copies of inclosed
^copies of letters to Butler & Dinsmore came to hand only
on the 15th instant, had the letter came forward
in due time, I should have done myself the honor
to have Answered it of replying in due season,- It is long
Since well known, that the Executive of the state of
Tennessee have taken measures to be informd [sic] himself
of the intended movements of Zachariah Cox, and
could not discover ^that he had any intention to of settling at
the Muscle Shoals, unless permitted by Government,
And it is scarcely supposeable supposable that Cox could be
ignorant enough to hazard such an enterprize
without first obtaining a permission on any other principle. I expected
it was had been sufficient, when I had ^after Announcing to Col^o.
Butler, that Cox nor his adherants would ^not in any
manner, be countenanced in makeing [sic] any such
Settlement, unless permitted by the General Government

It is a fact that an application was made for
permission for to pass down the rivers Holoson [sic] & Tennessee
with Cox's large Boat or rather Vessell) notwithstand
ing I was well evinced they had no intention to make
any stand until arrived within the State of Kentucky,
near the mouth of Cumberland & to a place they were authorized to settle,
yet, the permission was refused, lest some alarm
might