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 M^cDonald late a Lieut^t. in his Brittanic Majestys Services to have served in the Brittish 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 beforementioned proclamation were Confined within the bounds 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 intitled to receive this Land are a presumptive Evidence. that there must have been a defect in his title. or that the whole evidence 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 [undecipherable] 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. 1^o That tho. he has produced a Certificate that he served in the 9. 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. 2^o 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. 1776. [of] granting lands by the United States to the American Officers. All which is humbly submitted [JP] Secretary of Congress.