[Ep II — levy 2 dep — [undecipherable] — March 26. 1790 — Claims — all pages — N 11 — for Cavalry] [page 11^th box 11] The Secretary for the Department of War to whom was referred the Petition of John Ryans on behalf of himself, James Merritt [undecipherable] & John Thornton. Report That it appears the petitioners were officers of a troop of State Cavalry, raised in Virginia, during the late war, and employed by the said State in the Illinois country. That the petitioners conceive they have a right to claim of the United States half pay for life, or a commutation thereof, & they found their claim on the following circumstances. 1^st. That by an act of the State of Virginia, passed October 1782, the Officers of that State in the Continental service, who should continue therein to the end of the war were entitled to receive half pay for life. 2^dly. That all engagements by which the public faith of Virginia was pledged to the petitioners were by the act of session of the said state of the country north west of the Ohio transferred to the United States. On this petition the Secretary of War observed, 1^st. That by a reference to the before mentioned act of Virginia, the petitioners do not appear to be comprehended therein; the act pertained half pay to the Officers of this State in Continental service, who should continue therein to the end of the war — the petitioners were State Officers employed in State Service, & it does not appear, that Virginia itself has considered them in any other light. 2^dly That the reasonable expenses of the expedition into the Illinois country has been mutually settled between commissioners of the United States, and Virginia at a certain sum. 3^dly That considering it does not appeared that Virginia has in consequence of the session & stipulation aforesaid, ever brought into view any charge against the United States of the half pay for life of any officers employed in the Illinois expedition. That independent of these facts which exclude the petitioners claim, the United States never promised & or granted half pay to officers raised & employed as State troops. The Secretary of War being of opinion that the claim of the petitioners is utterly inadmissible reports the following resolve: Resolved, That the petition of John Ryns & other Officers of a Virginia State Troop of Cavalry for the allowance of half pay for life cannot be granted, the same being incompatible with the system relative to which the subject, established by the United States in Congress assembled. All which is humbly submitted to the House of Representatives. War Office March 26. ^th 1790 H Knox Secretary at War