Report of the Secretary of War Regarding Petition
Item
Type
Document Signed
Title
Report of the Secretary of War Regarding Petition
Description
Report - Virginia denied aforementioned officers half pay for life, Secretary of War concurs.
short description
The Secretary for the Department of War to whom was referred a second time the petition of John Rogers & others for the commutation of half pay for life
year created
1790
month created
06
day created
24
author
sent from location
War Office
in image
notable person/group
Henry Knox
Secretary of War
Legislature of Virginia
Captain John Rogers
petitioners
cavalry, infantry, and navy
officers
House of Representatives
notable location
War Office
Virginia
frontier
Ohio
country northwest of the Ohio
notable item/thing
petition
report
claim
late war
half pay for life
no just claim
expenditures
posts
territory
notable idea/issue
half pay
pay
petition
pension
document number
1790062400201
page start
1
transcription
Buell
(page 189 [undecipherable] 11)
11 1
The Secretary for the Department of War, to whom was referred a second time the petition of John Rogers & others, for the commutation of half pay for life,
Reports
That he is unable to perceive any just cause to depart from the opinion delivered in the former report on the claim of the petitioners dated the 26th day of March last.
That a certain letter of the petitioner dated the 7th of April 1790, hereunto annexed, containing remarks on the said report, appears to be the foundation on which the petition is again referred.
That the said letter mentions certain acts of the Legislature of Virginia, as the foundation of the petitioners claim, which acts were passed during the late war, & embrace the cavalry, infantry & navy raised & employed, particularly by the orders of the said State; as well as the petitioner and his Officers.
The Secretary of War conceives it entirely unnecessary to enter into the [undecipherable] of the claims of the petitioners or any of the other officers of the abovementioned corps, as they may relate to the said acts of Virginia - It is sufficient to observe that the said State, has not considered the said officers as entitled to the half pay for life.
11 2
The petitioner however conceives the case otherwise, and that the State by the said act stipulated the half pay to the officers of the corps therein mentioned, & that by the terms of the cession of the country north west of the Ohio, the obligation of the state by the said stipulation is virtually transferred to the United States.
But the Secretary of War conceives the petitioner has no just claim on the United States, for altho the State brought into view certain charges as " necessary or reasonable expenses" incurred in making certain expeditions & maintaining certain posts in the country northwest of the Ohio but the charge of half pay to the officers of any troops employed on that occasion, does not appear ever to have been contemplated or specified.
But the agreement between the United States and the State of Virginia, made by their respective commissioners on the 25th day of May 1788, must be considered as conclusive on the subject of the claim of the petitioner or any other officers similarly circumstanced - The said agreement stipulates an allowance to Virginia of the sum of five hundred thousand dollars for all expenses in acquiring the said territory. In which allowances are included the expenses of Captain Rogers's
Cavalry & the troops of all other denominations or descriptions whatever.
All which is humbly submitted to the House of Representatives.
War Office June 21st 1780
H. Knox
Secretary of War
(page 189 [undecipherable] 11)
11 1
The Secretary for the Department of War, to whom was referred a second time the petition of John Rogers & others, for the commutation of half pay for life,
Reports
That he is unable to perceive any just cause to depart from the opinion delivered in the former report on the claim of the petitioners dated the 26th day of March last.
That a certain letter of the petitioner dated the 7th of April 1790, hereunto annexed, containing remarks on the said report, appears to be the foundation on which the petition is again referred.
That the said letter mentions certain acts of the Legislature of Virginia, as the foundation of the petitioners claim, which acts were passed during the late war, & embrace the cavalry, infantry & navy raised & employed, particularly by the orders of the said State; as well as the petitioner and his Officers.
The Secretary of War conceives it entirely unnecessary to enter into the [undecipherable] of the claims of the petitioners or any of the other officers of the abovementioned corps, as they may relate to the said acts of Virginia - It is sufficient to observe that the said State, has not considered the said officers as entitled to the half pay for life.
11 2
The petitioner however conceives the case otherwise, and that the State by the said act stipulated the half pay to the officers of the corps therein mentioned, & that by the terms of the cession of the country north west of the Ohio, the obligation of the state by the said stipulation is virtually transferred to the United States.
But the Secretary of War conceives the petitioner has no just claim on the United States, for altho the State brought into view certain charges as " necessary or reasonable expenses" incurred in making certain expeditions & maintaining certain posts in the country northwest of the Ohio but the charge of half pay to the officers of any troops employed on that occasion, does not appear ever to have been contemplated or specified.
But the agreement between the United States and the State of Virginia, made by their respective commissioners on the 25th day of May 1788, must be considered as conclusive on the subject of the claim of the petitioner or any other officers similarly circumstanced - The said agreement stipulates an allowance to Virginia of the sum of five hundred thousand dollars for all expenses in acquiring the said territory. In which allowances are included the expenses of Captain Rogers's
Cavalry & the troops of all other denominations or descriptions whatever.
All which is humbly submitted to the House of Representatives.
War Office June 21st 1780
H. Knox
Secretary of War
Item sets
Document instances
| In image | In source | Location in source | |
|---|---|---|---|
| [view document] (3 pages) | NKX03 (3 pages) | Collection: First Congress: Reports and Communications Submitted to the House of Representatives by the Secretary of War [1A-D2] (RG 233) {reference microfilm} | Claims V: 1, P; 22 |
Document names
| Type | Name | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Author | Henry Knox | War Office | [n/a] |