1. Thayer had lost an eye at the Battle of Monmouth but remained in the army until 1781. He had unsuccessfully applied to GW for an appointment in June 1790, enclosing a narrative of his military service with his application (see Thayer to GW, 15 June 1790). Tobias Lear replied to Thayer on 3 Jan. 1791 that his letter of 2 Dec. 1790 had been received, but that GW had instructed him “to inform you that however pleasing it might be to him to comply with your request therein made; yet he is sensible that you must yourself be convinced of the impropriety of his interfering in the matter; because it is one of those cases which may come before him thro’ its proper channel in his official capacity—It would, therefore, be highly improper for him to have the smallest agency in it ’till that moment” (DLC:GW). Thayer’s petition to be placed on the list of invalid pensioners was received by the House of Representatives on 30 Dec. 1790 and referred to Knox for a report. Knox’s report in favor of the petition was received by the House on 17 Dec. 1792. A bill granting Thayer’s request was presented by Benjamin Bourne (Bourn) on 7 Feb. 1793. The bill passed the House on 11 Feb. 1793 and the Senate on 2 Mar. 1793 (Petitions, Memorials, and Other Documents Submitted for the Consideration of Congress, description begins U.S. Congress. House. Committee on Energy and Commerce. Petitions, Memorials and Other Documents Submitted for the Consideration of Congress, March 4, 1789 to December 14, 1795. Washington, D.C., 1986. description ends 82–83; see also 6 Stat. description begins Richard Peters, ed. The Public Statutes at Large of the United States of America, from the Organization of the Government in 1789, to March 3, 1845 . . .. 8 vols. Boston, 1845-67. description ends 12 [2 Mar. 1793]). GW signed the bill on 2 Mar. 1793 (JPP, description begins Dorothy Twohig, ed. The Journal of the Proceedings of the President, 1793–1797. Charlottesville, Va., 1981. description ends 78).