Adams Papers

From Henry Knox to John Adams, 23 November 1791

From Henry Knox

War Department, 23th November 1791

Sir,

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.

HKnox
secy of 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.”

1. 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. description begins Journal of the House of Representatives of the United States, Washington, D.C., 1789– . description ends , 2d Cong., 1st sess., p. 439, 440, 466; Annals of Congress description begins The Debates and Proceedings in the Congress of the United States [1789–1824], Washington, D.C., 1834–1856; 42 vols. description ends , 2d Cong., 1st sess., p. 148, 1349–1350; Amer. State Papers description begins American State Papers: Documents, Legislative and Executive, of the Congress of the United States, Washington, D.C., 1832–1861; 38 vols. description ends , Claims, 1:30–31; U.S. Senate, Jour. description begins Journal of the Senate of the United States of America, Washington, D.C., 1789– . description ends , 2d Cong., 1st sess., p. 347, 402–403).

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    Source Project
    Adams Papers
    Title
    From Henry Knox to John Adams, 23 November 1791
    Author
    Knox, Henry
    Recipient
    Adams, John
    Date
    23 November 1791

    Reference

    Cite as
    “From Henry Knox to John Adams, 23 November 1791,” Founders Online, National Archives, https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Adams/06-21-02-0054. [Original source: The Adams Papers, Papers of John Adams, vol. 21, March 1791–January 1797, ed. Sara Georgini, Sara Martin, R. M. Barlow, Gwen Fries, Amanda M. Norton, and Hobson Woodward. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2022, pp. 82–83.]

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