Josiah Meigs to Thomas Jefferson, 1 March 1816
From Josiah Meigs
Washington City March 1. 1816
Sir
My friend, Doctor Daniel Drake of Cincinnati, Ohio, has requested me to transmit to you a Copy of his work, entitled “Picture of Cincinnati”—I presume it will gratify you, as an elegant and valuable work—
The Author is a native of New Jersey, from which state his Father, after having served in the Revolutionary War, emigrated to Kentucky—he has acquired a valuable fund of Literature & Sceience—proprio Marte—without the aid of Schools or Colleges—he is a sincere and faithful friend of our free Institutions. It is pleasant to know that the best disciplined minds are supporters of those Institutions.—
I have the honour to be with sincere esteem, respect and veneration
Josiah Meigs
RC (DLC); at foot of text: “Thomas Jefferson Esquire”; endorsed by TJ as received 6 Mar. 1816 and so recorded in SJL. Enclosure: Daniel Drake, Natural and Statistical View, or Picture of Cincinnati and the Miami Country, Illustrated by Maps (Cincinnati, 1815; TJ’s copy in William Reese Company, American Presidents [2011; catalogue 283], item no. 43, inscribed: “For the honorable Thomas Jefferson—with the respects of his Very obedt Servt Dan Drake”).
Daniel Drake (1785–1852), physician, naturalist, educator, and author, was born near Bound Brook, New Jersey, and received a medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania in 1816. He was most frequently in Cincinnati but taught medicine successively at schools in Kentucky, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. Drake was a member of both the American Antiquarian and American Philosophical societies and established a medical college and hospital in Cincinnati, where he died (;; Henry D. Shapiro and Zane L. Miller, eds., Physician to the West: Selected Writings of Daniel Drake on Science & Society [1970]; , Minutes, 17 Apr. 1818 [MS in PPAmP]; Washington Daily National Intelligencer, 16 Nov. 1852).
proprio marte: “by his own prowess.”
Index Entries
- Drake, Daniel; identified search
- Drake, Daniel; Natural and Statistical View, or Picture of Cincinnati and the Miami Country search
- Jefferson, Thomas; Books & Library; works sent to search
- Meigs, Josiah; forwards book to TJ search
- Meigs, Josiah; letters from search
- Natural and Statistical View, or Picture of Cincinnati and the Miami Country (D. Drake) search
- Ohio; books on search