Diary of John Adams, volume 3
1776-03-25
On Monday the 25 of March 1776 I made a Motion and laid it in Writing on the Table in these Words
Resolved That the Thanks of this Congress, in their own Names and in the Name of the thirteen United Colonies, whom they repre-376sent be presented to his Excellency General Washington and the Officers and Soldiers under his Command, for their wise and spirited Conduct in the Seige and Acquisition of Boston; and that a Medal of Gold be struck in Commemoration of this great Event, and presented to his Excellency; and that a Committee of three be appointed to prepare a Letter of Thanks, and a proper device for the Medal. The Members chosen Mr. J. Adams, Mr. Jay and Mr. Hopkins.1
On 2 April this committee “brought in a draught [of a letter], which being read, was agreed to: Ordered, That it be transcribed, signed by the president, and forwarded” (
JCC
, 4:248, followed by the text of the letter from the original in DLC: Washington Papers; see also entry on 2 April and note, below). As for “a proper device for the Medal,” JA waited on Pierre Eugène Du Simitière, the Swiss-born artist and antiquarian then living in Philadelphia, and described Du Simitière's idea for it in a letter to AA, 14 Aug. (Adams Papers; JA-AA, Familiar Letters
, p. 210–211). Du Simitière executed sketches, which remain among his papers in the Library Company of Philadelphia, and Congress on 29 Nov. authorized payment to him in the amount of $32, but his design was not used, and the commission was finally executed after the war by the French artist Duvivier (
JCC
, 6:991;
PMHB
, 13 [1889–1890]:357, 482–483; 69 [1945]:322). See illustrations in this volume.