Petition of Michael Henderson
Document 1787Report on the Petition of Michael Henderson to the Secretary of Congress.
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New York Sept. 26. 1787.
The Commissioner of Army Accounts to whom was referred the Petition of Michael Henderson begs Leave to report;
That the Petitioner appears by a certificate of William McDonald late a Lieut in the British [undecipherable] Services to have served in the British Army in the War against Canada which Service intitled him to have received by that Kings proclamation dated the 7 October 1783 a grant for three thousand Acres of Land.
That the grants of this Land by the before mentioned proclamation were Confined within the Limits of the present States jurisdictions, and not within the Country now Ceded by the States to the Union.
That the Petitioner has produced his own Attestation that he has not received this donation, but it is not in the Power of your Commissioner from any records or Papers of the United States to Determine who has or who has not received it.
That the time & Opportunities which has Elapsed since the Petitioner became entitled to receive this Land are a presumptive Evidence that there must have been as [undecipherable] [undecipherable] the whole business respecting it
does not appear.
That there is at present no precedent established by the United States in Congress Authorizing such a donation, wherefore your Commissioner humbly conceives that the Case of the Petitioner cannot be Considered by the Union and that the truth of it will be better understood & the Equity of it more properly Acknowledged by the State where the Ohio Lands in the same service were located and which is at present in Possession of those Lands formerly assigned for this purpose by the British Government.
Your Commissioner further begs Leave to report that the Petitioner has no title to any Lands of Congress under any Existing resolution by virtue of his being an Officer of the United States, for the following reasons.
1o That tho' he has produced a Certificate that he served in the 4th Regiment of North Carolina regulars, it cannot be found by any records, Musters or returns in the Public Offices that he ever received an Appointment or Commission from Congress.
2o That provided such any appointment or Commission was granted, the term of his services was not to the end of the War, nor can it be found he was discharged by Congress agreeable to the terms and intention of the Act of Sep.t 16 1780.
Type
Letterbook
Description
Report on the Petition of Michael Henderson to the Secretary of Congress.
Date
09/26/1787
Author
Recipient
Sent from
New York
Document number
1787092621155
Page start
314
Notable persons
Secretary of Congress
John Pierce
Michael Henderson
William McDonald
British Army
petitioner
Congress
Notable locations
New York
Britain
Canada
North Carolina
Notable items
Certificate

