Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 10.djvu/212

 TRUMBCLL

TRUMBULL

1808. He was treasurer of Yale college in 1825. and receivetl the honorary degree of LL.D. from tliat institution in 1818. He commenced his literary work while in college, having written satirical essays for the New Haven and Boston journals. In 1775 he began a satire on the events during the Revolutionary war, called " McFingal," wiiich was finished in 17S2, and be- came vastly popular. Among Jiis other works is The Atiarchiad, written in collaboration with Lemuel Barlow, David Humphrey and Joel Hop- kins. His piems were published in two volumes (\s-20). He died at Detroit, Mich.. May 10, 1835. TRUMBULL, John, historical painter, was born in Lebanon, Conn., June 6, 1756; son of Gov. Jonatlian and Faith (Robinson) Trumbull. He attended Nathan Tisdale's school at Lebanon, and was graduated from Harvard college in 1773, devoting his leisure to painting, in which art he attracted mucii attention. He taught Tisdale's school. 1773-74. and on the outbreak of the Revo- lutionary war in 1775. went to Boston as adju- tant of the 1st Connecticut regiment with Col. Joseph Spencer. When General Washington as- sumed command of the army before Boston, Trumbull, by creeping through the tall grass ap- l)roaciied the enemy's works on Boston neck, and drew a plan of the fortification that so pleased Washington that he appointed him liis second aide de-camp. He was appointed adjutant on the staff of General Gates, in June, 177(3, with the rank of colonel, and took part in the advance to- ward Crown Point, and in the subsequent retreat to Ticonderoga. In November, 1776, he joined Washington in New Jersey, and in 1777 resigned from the army on account of a misunderstanding regarding his commission. He resumed the study of art in Lebanon, and subsequently in Boston, and in 1780 went to London, where he became a pupil of Benjamin West. He was ar- rested and imprisoned in 1780, when the British government learned of the execution of Maj. Andre, and on his release in 1781, .set sail for America, arriving at Boston in January, 1782. He returned to London in 1783, and continued liis studies under Benjamin West, and at the Royal Academy. He conceived the idea of painting historical pictures of scenes of the American Revolution, and went to Paris, where he painted Tlie Declaration of Independence and the Sortie from Gibraltar. He was private secretary to John Jay, 1794-96; was appointed commissioner to cnrry out the treaty negotiated by Jay, be- tween the Uniteil States and Great Britain in 1796; was married in 1800, and in 1804 estab- lished himself in New York city as a portrait painter. Among his other historical paintings are: The Battle of Bunker Hill; Battle of Quebec: Surrender of Lord Corniuulli.'s; Surrender of Gen-

eral Burgot/ne; Wiisliiugton Resigning his Coin- mission to Co)igress, and Peter the Great at yarva. His portraits include, besides thirty-four of Cien- eral Washington; Generals Putnam, Knox, Schuj'ler, Gates, Stark, Greene, Lafayette, Clin- ton, Montgomery, Lee, Moultrie, Pinckney and Arnold. He also produced portraits of John and Samuel Adams; Clymer; Franklin; Patrick Henry; Roger Sherman; John Jaj'; Alexander Hamilton; Timothy Dwight; Steplien Van Rens- selaer; Jonathan Trumbull; Rufus King. Cliris- topher Gore, and a portrait of himself. His re- ligious paintings include; Our Saviour with Little Children, and The Woman Accused of Adultery. In 1831, being reduced to poverty, he arranged with Yale college to bestow upon the college his unsold paintings for an annuity of $1,000 for the rest of his life. After his death, the proceeds of tiie exhibition of these paintings were used for the education of poor scholars at Yale. He died in New York city. Nov. 10, 1843.

TRUMBULL, Jonathan, .statesman, was born in Lebanon, New London count}'. Conn., Oct. 12, 1710; .son of Josepli ,(d., June 16, 1755j and Han- nah (Higley) Trumbull; grandson of Capt. John Higley of Windsor and Simsbury. and of John and Deborah (Jackson) Trumbull of Suffield, Conn., and great-grandson of John and EUenor (Chandler) Trumbull. Joim Trumbull came to America about 1637, from Newcastle, upon Tyne, England, and settled first in Roxbury, and then in Rowley, Massachusetts Bay colony. Jonathan

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was graduated from Harvard in 1727; studied theology under the Rev. Solomon Williams at Lebanon, and was licensed to preach at Col- chester, Conn. In 1731 he engaged in the mer- cantile business with his father, and in 1734, on the death of his elder brother, he joined his father in business. He studied law; was a dele- gate to the general assembly, 1733-40; speaker of the house, 1739-40; was appointed lieutenant- colonel in the state militia in 1739, and was re- peatedly elected governor's assistant. In 1743 he established an academy at Leljanon. He was deputy-governor. 1766-69. and was elected gover- nor in 1769, serving until 1783, when he resigned