ems Exeelleney'

The Patriot From Lebanon

250 years ago Jonathan Trumbull was born in Connecticut destined for a role as one of the' vital men of the American Revolution.

By MARGARET T. JOHNSTON

GOV. JONATHAN TRUMBULL changed to Trumbull the coat of education, Jonathan entered Har- Jonathan among the elect. A arms remained the same. vard in sm. He was graduated gracious and charitable woman, 1710-1785 John Trumbull came to Amer- with honors and returned to Leb- she shared adequately her bu. lca about 1637: bis .on Joseph .Boon ",hMassachusetts about ministry with his P!'Stor, the Rev. caI!l~..t.__. ~_ T:~,.~~!'an~~.e:__ Wino SWiield.J"Oieph·.- .oli, Soio-monwiJ'ijilms.' -- She entertained for him many In Lebanon who was des- also named Joseph, came to Leb- of the most distinguished officers BROTHER Jonathan was tined to strike great blows for anon In 1704 and purchased Red- IN 1735,Jonathan married of the American Revolutionary freedom and the cause of Am!ri· descended from Rue! Turnbull, a wood, formerly a parsonage, Faith Robinsonof Duxbury, Mass. War: Generals Washington and can independence. peasant who saved the life of where his Illustrlous progeny was whose father was a minister. She Lafayette, Count De Rocham- born. On Wednesday,the country wUl King Bruce of Scotland when the descended fourth in line from beau, Duc de Lauzun and Con- note the birth of Jonathan Trum- latter was attacked by a bull Reared by his father, a pros- John Robinson, pastor of the nectlct's Gen. Israel Putnam and bull, Connecticut'sAmerican Rev- Rewarded by the king, his coat perous planter and the founder of church attended by some of the Co!. Jeremiah Wadsworth. olutionary War Governor, ODe 01 of am:s bore Ibe mark of the a thriving mercantile business Pilgrims In Leyden, The Nether- Jonathan and his wife, after the first Governors to be elected bull Whenthe name Turnbull was and one who believed in bJgher lands. Her beritage thus placed his father'S death in 1755, lived by the people and the first Gov- ernor. by act of the General A1J- sernbly, to be .aceorded the UtIe of "His Excellency." Thes~ are the qualities that made him revered by his fellow man: Loyalty and devotion to his country; Int~grity; sacrUice of his personal fortune; determlna- tion to supply provisions, man- power and munitions to prevent the army from disbanding; a Gd·fearing belief in liberty and faith -in victory. It was these qualities that In· spired Gen. George Washingtontn place Trumbull "among the first patriots" and to confer upon him the name "Brother Jonathan." When the Revolulicnary War broke out, Trumbull was the only

BATTLE. CoL John Trum- bull, son of Connecticut's first elected Governor,.painted lhis scene from the Battle of Eunker Hill. It is now in the Wadsworth Atheneum collec- tion. As did other membert of the Trumbull family, John .erved the colonial army.

_ - - _ __ ., ••• WADSWORTH ATHINIUM ... Th. Courant Mo;uI •• , Oe!. 9, 1960 that blpped-roof buDding more in the mansiOD Capt. TrumbuD than 1,000 meetings were held, built between 1735 and 17~. It is DOWcalled the Gov. Jonathan GOV. TRUMBULLwas re- Trumbull House, Lebanon. It was sponsible for supplying about 60 there the Governor's six children per cent of the manpower and were born, children that became munitions for the Colonial Army. men and women of consequence. He also accomplisbed a feat that was believed to have been im- JOSEPH 0737·1778) was the possible by delivering 300 cattle, first Commissary General of the on the boof, to Valley Forge. Continental Army until depleted It was with victory at York- health compelled him to resign. town that Wasbingtonplaced him Jonathan Junior <1740-1809) was "among the first patriots." Paymaster General and private With the close of the Revolu- secretary to Gen. Washington.Ai· tionary War, the Penamite Wars ter the war, he was speaker of began anew. the House of Representatives and Gov. Trumbull issued a procla- a U.S. Senator. In 1798 be was mation ODNov. 15, 1783, protect- elected Governor of Connecticut. ing Connecticut's rights to " ••. which office he held until 1800. all lands by virtue of the chart- Faith <1743-1775) married Co!. er granted by King Charles , •• (later general) Jedidiah Hunting- date, April AD 1622." ton. He fought in the battle at These lands In later years were Bunker Hill. Devotion to ber sold and the monies used for th•• husband impelled Faith to watch foundation of Connecticut educa- the battle from afar, but the tion. horror of war was a severe shock In 1884the Governor petitioned to her and she was taken serious- the General Assembly to with- Iy Ill. She died in November. draw his name for re-election. He Mory <1745-1331> married WiI· then retired frorr. a brilliant ca- liam Williams, son of the Rev. reer to a more quiet·life. SolomonWilliams, a signer of the Declaration of Independence. PROFICIENT in Hebrew, be David <1750-1822) became Com- returned to the pleasure of his missary General when his broth- earlier years the study of theol- PROTEcrED DESK. It was perhaps from this spot that the fortunes of the Colonial Army were ogy. In 1779 be received from er Josepb resigned. He was a mapped by Gov. Trumbull. Note shuttered window too high to permit a British bullet to wound rr.ember of the Councilof Safety. Yale an bonorary degree and in the Governor. Shutters had the Trumbull trade-mark, an engraved heart. 1789 and In 1785 an honorary de- JOHN Yankee Penarnite . ride and the Battle of Lexington. Brother Jonathan died Aug. 17, ment in the Battle of Bunker Hill. likeness, is owned by the Con- Wars began. Gov. Trumbull was Conncecticut immediately des- 1785. He rests in the Trumbull A cartograpber, he drew perfect- necticut Historical Society_Some staunch in his loyalty to Connect- patched aid to embattled Mas- family tomb in the "old burial Iy the British works in the Bos- of the battle scenes are in the icut settlers who fought to protect sachusetts. ground" in Lebanon_ ton area and was appointed an rotunda of the capitol, Washing- Connecticut land grants from be- In May, Trumbull petitioned the Adjacent to the Gov. Jonathan alde to Gen. Washington with the ton, in the Yale Art Gallery ing taken by the Pennsylvania General Assembly to allow him Trumbull Home in Lebanon, rank of adjutant colonel. Gen. and the Wadsworth Antheneum. Penamites. In 1775 those wars to appoint a Councll of Salety to wbere several original Trumbull advise him for the safety of the possessions are preserved, is the Gates appointed him adjutant gen- To return to the life of Jona- ceased temporarily. eral of the Northern Department. On April 19, 1775, word reached Colonists. His store and office be- Jeremiah Wadsworth Stable Mu- than Trumbull, from 1731 to 1769 came the War Office wbere in Refusing this commission, be left he spent much of bis time in his Lebanon of Paul Revere'. famous seum, moved in 1954 from Hart- the army and went to England. rr.ercantile business and was ap- ford. wbere be was imprisonedand con- pointed to several public offices. . The stable, wbere Gen. Wash- Ington quartered his horse when sidered an enemy. He was a member of the Gell<'.ral ToddYs ColOf' C01'e'1' wben released from prison, Assembly and a speaker ior threa be. Count Rochambeau and Gen. John went to Paris, and on re- years; County Judge of Wind- To mark the 2SOtbIUUlivenaryof Ibe birth of Gov. Jonathan Trum- Lafayette met with Gov. Trum- quest of Tbomas Jefferson be ham County; Chief Justice of the bull In LebaDOn,ColII'BDtI1IoIograpber Harry Batz Wok this picture bull in the Wadsworth mansion, painted eigbt Revolutionary War Colony; and refused appointment of the Jonathan Trumbull Houae and Ibe Jeremiah Wadsworth Stable- is an outstanding example of pal- battle scenes and the signing of as a representative to England Muaeum at LebaDOn,ne Courant bas reproduced the portrait In lull ladium architecture. the Declaration of Independence. prior to the Stamp Act. aataraJ color. The WOJIWI In the foreground Is Mn, Charlea Breed The Jonathan Trumbull House The church in Lebanon, built In GUberl 01 Norwich, honorary atate regent of lb. Connecticut Daugh- and the Jeremiah Wadsworth 1804, and the Yale Art Gallery IN 1769 be was elected the ten of !be American Revolution and chairman of lb. Jonathan Trum· Stable Museum are preserved by are examples of his arcbitectual sixteenth Governor of Connecti- bull H...... Committee, She II w.arlDg a colonial costume loaned the Connecticut Daughters of the by Ibe Fallb Trumbull Chapter. DAR,-Edltor. ablllty, cut. National Society of the Daught••• A portrait of his father and In the first year of his admin- 9 l;; .!11 of the American Revolution.

Couronl ,.... ••••••••• PIlI' by HARRY IATZ INSIDE THE HOUSE: Above, the chair that Brother Jonathan took with him to church each Sunda),. Right, pewter plates: IOme made b)' an S. Ellis, line the mantle of the 111'.eplaceIII the kitchen. Left of the fireplace is a baking oven behind a door on which are original H hing •••