New-York tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1841-1842, 1841-10-20

AZ TprygcLL FROM 1855 TO l5il Ne. York Wiley
{ Putnam.
The last survivor of Washington's military
;,mily the painter of the Declaration Of lnderen-
lsn,e. and three other National pictures which en-
,,b the Rotunda of the Capitol, still lives at New
Haven. Connecticut, u, the advanced age of eighty
i've ,ears His has been -vcntiul and not
bono,ed career. He was born at Lebanon, Conn,
IN 1856. OF parent, descended on both sides from
n. early Puritan settler. Of Massachusetts, and
ca the mothers from } ohm Robinson the pastor Of
The htte band which fr., landed Plymouth
Rock His father. jonathan Trumbu, was Go
,erner Of Connecticut through the whole period o.
me Revolution. Young Trumbull was master OF
Creek at six years of age, was ady tor college at
veJye. and entered Harvard University as
mnior AT fifteen He graduated al seventeen in
l772 and undertook the charge OF Il high school
rsoueh his genius for Painting la! already de-
,.loped itself. But his attention was attracted
rom arts to politics and thence 10 arms by thu
discussions. and incidents which preceded the
b,eaking out Of the Revolutionary struggle, and
he va, among the twenty thousand gallant Of
y-w-Fngand wiio on the first ,ings Of the battle
n Lexington, rsshed from their books, their farms,
their fresdes to the Lacquer Of Boston He
reached Roxbury an nduant Of the Connecticut
gnute-men, and was there an eyewitness Of the
Battle Of Bunker Hill, which he atterward illus
,rsed lis talent for drawing became early use
III in enabling him 10 furnish an accurate plan OF
,be British works on Boston Neck, which com
m.nded him TO the favorable regard of Gen. Wash
ington, who Joined the army about that time, and
vine appointed young Trumbu his second aid,
tlom which post he was soon after transferred to
10 ,ha, of brigade major When Gen. Gates took
command of the Northern Array. he appointed
Trumbu his adiutant, with the rank OF colonel
He resigned in III, account OF an lndignity,
mr afterward served AZ II volunteer in the attack
on Rhode Island. He now returned to his proes-
sion as u painter, bur with poor success, aud IN
1890 proceeded to France on commercial spec
ulaon which failed, and he proceeded 10 London
10 pusue the study of his under the celebrated
Benjamin West Upon the news arriving of the
execution of Andre, he arrested for high trea-
son, but released, through the interference OF Mr.
West, after an Imprisonment Of eigh, months. lie
then left for Amsterdam proceeded 10 Spain, re-
turned to America in 1888, and thence-Peace
having been made-revisited London to hnish
the study of his art He visited Paris in l1S3
81 a.;. =, i-oc I.,o,,;,g ocouaintel with Mr. I
Jefferson and maay eminent Frenchmen In l7S6'
he passed through France TO the Rhine, TO Frank
fort, and thence through Germany and Holland To
London. where he resided, with occasional visits
to Paris, till 1888 witnessing the first outbreak OF
the French Revolution. In 1888 he returne. to
this country, visited most of the cities and large
towns, engaged in painting, but not inattentive TO
public affairs In 1894, he accompanied Mr.. Jay
as Secretary of Legation to London, on an embassy
of which the celebrated Jays Treaty was the re-
suit. He went thence TO Stuttgart, TO Pans, re-
turning TO London, and in 1871 made his last and
most dangerous visit to Paris, where he narrowly
escaped demnciation az an Engshman when de-
nnciation was but u sure .tep from the gulliotne
He escaped through the friendship and influence
Of the srea, painter David, returned 10 London,
and in 1904 TO this country, establishing himself
in TIN. city as Il portrait painter with success Ia
1905 he returned to England and resumed the use
OF his pencil there but his receipts were swallowed
up by hi, expenses. and he had prepared to return
when the War interposed. lie remained, per
force. ill 1916 incurring debt which swep, away
all the earnings ihis more successful later years
From 1917 to 924 he was mainly occupied on his
four great Historical Paintings for Congress. Tor
which he received thirtytwo thousand dollars
His wife died about Ike time this was finished.
leaving him desola,e as we'll as poor aud object
less in the vale oil years but his decline has been
.oothed by a cou,rac, with Yale College, by which
he receives for his unsold pictures an ANNUITY OF
81 OOs per annum-Such is an outline OF the HE
Of the Palrio, and Painter, John Trumbnl!
The volume before us is rich in anecdote and
illustration. Mr. Trunbul like all the members
of Woshiag,ons family, was ID strong, i'ieN''!e
Fedeealut looked with adherence On the later
scenes Of the French Revolution. and disliked and
dislrus.ed Mr. Jefferson. This dislike Is Poinly
expressed on many pages of the work before rs
especially in an anecdo,e, which we had intended
10 copy but have not room to-day 1t viii appear
hereafter.
1heyolume before Us is a large and wclI.eNecd'ed
oc,ayo. 1t embellished by fine portrait OF the
author, with twenty-five drawings and sketches
interesting scenes, incidents and persons from IN.
pencil 1t is a valuable addition TO the materials
Of American History, and will be widely read with
interest,