Daniel Morgan says "No Thanks" to Henry Knox

Above is a letter dated April 23, 1792 from Revolutionary patriot and soldier - and Spartanburg legend - Daniel Morgan. In the letter he thanks then-Secretary of War Henry Knox for the offer of appointment to the rank of Brigadier General in the Legion of the United States (U.S. Army). Then he refuses the position. Here is the transcription:
 
Sir

I am Honored with your letter of the 12th Instant In which you inform me of my appointment to the command of a Brigade in the army of the united states. - I am truly sensible of the Honor which the President & Senate have Done me by this appointment, and am sorry I cannot accept of it. - and these are my Reasons. The war with the Indians is a peculier one, and Differs so widely from the usual & regular system of warfare, that in my opinion few amongst the Brave officers of our Late army, are acqainted with it - I can not there­fore, think of putting myself, and the Brave men who would Risque themselves with me, under the command of any man whose conduct, and abilities for this service, I am not acqainted with - you will therefore be pleased to consider me as not accepting this appointment – at the same time, I must once more Express the High sense which I Entertain of the Honor conferred upon me – By the President and Senate of the united states.
I have the Honor to be
your obedt. Hble servt
DAN 'MORGAN
The 23d April 1792

In 1792 Daniel Morgan was about 56 or 57 years old - his sensational victory at Cowpens was over ten years past. His vigorous youth, which he spent as a teamster and Ranger fighting or helping fight Native Americans, was even further in the past. And as far back as the Revolutionary South Carolina campaign of 1780-1781 Morgan had been periodically enduring painful sciatica. The sum of these considerations would lead one to believe that Morgan's refusal of this appointment would have been reasonable on these grounds, and this is the explanation posited in the modern biography of Morgan, "Daniel Morgan: Revolutionary Rifleman":

Morgan might have gained new triumphs had he returned to the army at this time. Indian tribes in the Northwest Territory had taken the warpath against American settlers. Two militia armies .... received thumping defeats while attempting to suppress them. Numerous frontier voices called for Morgan to head an expedition against the Indians. Though Washington and Secretary of War did not offer Morgan the supreme command in the west they asked the old Indian fighter to accept a commission as brigadier general in 1792. According to Otho Williams, Morgan declined the appointment because of his health; then it was offered to Williams, who also refused because of illness.  By the following year, having regained much of his strength, Morgan agreed to become a major general  in the state militia. In this capacity he fought no Indians. (p. 184; bolding and italics have been added.)

Obviously, the manuscript contradicts the account above - Morgan writes that he won't take the job because"few amongst the Brave officers of our Late army, are acqainted with [fighting Native Americans] - I can not there­fore, think of putting myself, and the Brave men who would Risque themselves with me, under the command of any man whose conduct, and abilities for this service, I am not acqainted with." This seems a very polite way of telling Knox and Washington - rather boldly, it would seem - that he doesn't necessarily believe U.S. Army officers to be competent. And Morgan certainly understood the brutal brand of combat necessary to successfully fight Native Americans, that which "Differ[ed] so widely from the usual & regular system of warfare." Indeed, he learned that different system well enough to employ its tactics against the British during the Revolution.

In light of this manuscript (the existence of which was probably hitherto unknown) and Morgan's subsequent assumption of the position of major general of the Virginia militia, in which "he fought no Indians," it seems clear that (for whatever reason) Morgan had little interest in fighting Native Americans at this point in his life. He would be deployed again, however, in helping to put down the "Whiskey Rebellion."