Philadelphia, 14 August, 1776.
This is the anniversary of a memorable day in the history of America. A
day when the principle of American resistance and independence was first
asserted and carried into action. The stamp office fell before the
rising spirit of our countrymen.[151] It is not impossible that the two
grateful brothers may make their grand attack this very day. If they
should, it is possible it may be more glorious for this country than
ever; it is certain it will become more memorable.
I am put upon a committee to prepare a device for a golden medal, to
commemorate the surrender of Boston to the American arms, and upon
another to prepare devices for a great seal for the confederated States.
There is a gentleman here of French extraction, whose name is Du
Simitiere, a painter by profession, whose designs are very ingenious,
and his drawings well executed. He has been applied to for his advice. I
waited on him yesterday, and saw his sketches. For the medal he
proposes, Liberty, with her spear and pileus, leaning on General
Washington. The British fleet in Boston harbor with all their sterns
towards the town, the American troops marching in. For the seal, he
proposes the arms of the several nations from whence America has been
peopled, as English, Scotch, Irish, Dutch, German, etc., each in a
shield. On one side of them, Liberty with her pileus, on the other, a
rifler in his uniform, with his rifle-gun in one hand and his tomahawk
in the other; this dress and these troops, with this kind of armor,
being peculiar to America, unless the dress was known to the Romans. Dr.
Franklin showed me yesterday a book containing an account of the dresses
of all the Roman soldiers, one of which appeared exactly like it. This
M. du Simitiere is a very curious man. He has begun a collection of
materials for a history of this revolution. He begins with the first
advices of the tea ships. He cuts out of the newspapers every scrap of
intelligence and every piece of speculation, and pastes it upon clean
paper, arranging them under the head of that State to which they
belong, and intends to bind them up in volumes. He has a list of every
speculation and pamphlet concerning independence, and another of those
concerning forms of government.
Dr. F. proposes a device for a seal: Moses lifting up his wand and
dividing the Red Sea, and Pharaoh in his chariot overwhelmed with the
waters. This motto, "Rebellion to tyrants is obedience to God."
Mr. Jefferson proposed the children of Israel in the wilderness, led by
a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night; and on the other side,
Hengist and Horsa, the Saxon chiefs from whom we claim the honor of
being descended, and whose political principles and form of government
we have assumed.
I proposed the choice of Hercules, as engraved by Gribelin, in some
editions of Lord Shaftesbury's works. The hero resting on his club.
Virtue pointing to her rugged mountain on one hand, and persuading him
to ascend. Sloth, glancing at her flowery paths of pleasure, wantonly
reclining on the ground, displaying the charms both of her eloquence and
person, to seduce him into vice. But this is too complicated a group for
a seal or medal, and it is not original.
I shall conclude by repeating my request for horses and a servant. Let
the horses be good ones. I can't ride a bad horse so many hundred miles.
If our affairs had not been in so critical a state at New York, I should
have run away before now. But I am determined now to stay until some
gentleman is sent here in my room, and until my horses come. But the
time will be very tedious.
The whole force is arrived at Staten Island.