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
»/0/>IAThAN TRUMBULU HOUSE.
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
