To James Madison from Josiah Meigs, 8 July 1816
From Josiah Meigs
Washington City, July 8. 1816.
Sir,
I have the honour to inclose, with this, a Sketch copied from a Vignette which it is proposed to cause to be impressed on the Patents for Bounty Lands to the Soldiers of the late army.1
I do not think myself authorised to annex this ornament to the Patent without your approbation. The Vignette is engraved by the celebrated Anderson of New-York2—it will not increase at all the expence of the Patents. I have made an inscription on the Sketch, which, perhaps, will be deemed to be appropriate.
Doctor Mitchill of New York furnished me with a number of Inscriptions on some Roman Coins brought from Tunis and Syracuse by Commodore Rogers, and presented to him.
The Inscriptions are
| Dioclesian | Concordia Militum |
| Constantius | Victori Cæsari |
| Constantine | Virtus Exercitus |
| Licinius | Jovi Conservatori. |
| Maximinus | Gloria Exercitus |
| Constantia Militum |
If either of these, or any other shall be judged preferable to Militi Forti & Fideli:3 it shall be executed. I have the honour to be, very respectfully Yours,
Josiah Meigs.
RC (DLC).
1. Enclosure not found.
2. Born in New York, Alexander Anderson is generally regarded as “the father of wood engraving in America” (Jane R. Pomeroy, Alexander Anderson, [1775–1870]: Wood Engraver and Illustrator; An Annotated Bibliography [3 vols.; New Castle, Del., 2005], i:xxiii, xxiv, xxxvii).
3. “Strong and faithful soldier.” The General Land Office retained this inscription on land patents issued for service in the War of 1812.