The Medallic History of the United States of America 1776-1876 | Page 3

Generals Washington,
Gates, Greene, and Morgan, and Lieutenant-Colonels Washington and
Howard. To insure a due observance of the laws of numismatics, and
that they might bear comparison with the best specimens of modern
times, Colonel Humphreys asked the aid of the French Academy of
Inscriptions and Belles-Lettres in the composition of the designs. (p. xii)
He explained his action in this respect to the President of Congress in
the following letter:
To His Excellency Paris, March 18, 1785. THE PRESIDENT OF
CONGRESS.
Sir: Before I left America, I made application to the Superintendent of
Finances for the sword which Congress had been pleased to order, by
their resolution of the 17th of November, 1781, to be presented to me,
in consequence of which Mr. Morris informed me verbally that he
would take the necessary arrangements for procuring all the honourary
presents which had been directed to be given to different officers
during the late war, and requested that I would undertake to have them
executed in Europe. Some time after my arrival here, I received the
inclosed letter[1] from him, accompanied with a list of medals, etc.,
and a description of those intended for General Morgan and Colonels
Washington and Howard.
Upon the receipt of these documents I did not delay to make the proper
inquiries from the characters who were the best skilled in subjects of
this nature, and after having spoken to some of the first artists, I was
advised to apply to the Abbé Barthélémy, member of the academies of
London, Madrid, Cortona, and Hesse-Cassel, and actual keeper of the
King's Cabinet of Medals and Antiquities, at whose instance I wrote a
letter to the Royal Academy of Inscriptions and Belles-Lettres, of

which a copy is inclosed. Being informed at the same time that the
description of medals for General Morgan, etc., was not in the style and
manner such medals were usually executed, I took the liberty of
suspending the execution of them, until I could learn whether it is the
pleasure of Congress to have them performed exactly in the manner
prescribed--which shall be done accordingly, in case I should not be
honoured with further instructions on the subject before their
approaching recess.
The medals voted for the capture of Stony Point have been, or I believe
may be, all struck from the die originally engraved to furnish one of
them for Colonel de Fleury.
As to the swords in question, it is proposed to have them all constructed
in precisely the same fashion, the hilt to be of silver, round which a
foliage of laurel to be enameled in (p. xiii) gold in such a manner as to
leave a medallion in the centre sufficient to receive the arms of the
United States on one side, and on the reverse an inscription in English,
"The United States to Colonel Meigs, July 25, 1777," and the same for
the others. The whole ten, executed in this manner, may probably cost
about three hundred louis d'or, which is (as I have been informed) but
little more than was paid for the sword which some time since was
presented on the part of the United States to the Marquis de la Fayette.
I have the honour to be, with the most perfect respect, D.
HUMPHREYS.
P.S. I forgot to mention that, in order to have the medals for General
Morgan, etc., executed in the manner originally proposed, it will be
necessary for me to have more particular information of the numbers on
both sides, of the killed, wounded, prisoners, trophies, etc., which the
enemy lost in the action of the Cowpens.
[Footnote 1: I have not been able to find this letter.]
The following is the letter to the Royal Academy of Inscriptions and
Belles-Lettres, referred to by Colonel Humphreys in the above:

Paris, March 14, 1785. Mr. DACIER, Perpetual Secretary of the
Academy of Inscriptions and Belles-Lettres, Rue Chabanais, Paris.
Sir: Having it in charge to procure the honourary presents which
(during the late war) have been voted by Congress to several
meritorious officers in their service, particularly three medals in gold,
one for General Washington, another for General Gates, and a third for
General Greene; and, being extremely desirous that these medals
should be executed in a manner grateful to the illustrious personages
for whom they are designed, worthy the dignity of the sovereign power
by whom they are presented, and calculated to perpetuate the
remembrance of those great events which they are intended to
consecrate to immortality, I therefore take the liberty to address,
through you, Sir, the Academy of Inscriptions and Belles-Lettres, on
the subject, and entreat that this learned body will be pleased to honour
me, as soon as (p. xiv) may be convenient, with their advice and
sentiments respecting the devices and inscriptions