Papers of John Adams, volume 21
thNovember 1791
I have the honor respectfully to submit to the Senate, a Report on the petitions of the Widows, or the Children, or the Representatives of the Children of the following commissioned Officers, who were killed or who died in the service of the United States during the late war—to wit; Bernard Elliot,—Samuel Wise,—Benjamin Huger,—John Bush—Charles Motte,—and Richard Shubrick.—1
With the greatest respect / I have the honor to be, / Sir
/ Your most Obedt. / huml servt.
sec
yof War
RC and enclosure (DNA:RG 46, Records of the U.S.
Senate); internal address: “The Vice-President / of the United States”;
docketed: “2d. Cong: Sess: 1st: / Letter / from the Secretary / of War
to the Vice / President, with a Re- / port on sundry Peti- / tions
referred to him. / Novemr. 23d: / 1791.”
Petitions for compensation from the family members of
Revolutionary War veterans flooded the office of Henry Knox, sent
directly or via Congress. Throughout the autumn, the House of
Representatives referred to Knox several petitions like those of the
claimants listed here. On 31 Oct. it formed a committee to draft a bill
addressing the issue. With this letter to JA, Knox enclosed
a copy of his 23 Nov. report to the House recommending that all
petitioners receive certificates for half-pay. Members of the House
passed a bill to that effect on 1 Dec. and sent it to the Senate the
same day. George Washington signed it into law on 27 March 1792 (U.S. House, Jour.
, 2d Cong., 1st sess., p.
439, 440, 466;
Annals of Congress
, 2d Cong., 1st
sess., p. 148, 1349–1350;
Amer. State Papers
, Claims, 1:30–31; U.S. Senate, Jour.
, 2d Cong., 1st sess., p. 347, 402–403).