The morning call., 1895-02-17

OF George Washington one might have
supposed that there remained nothing
new to be learned, but the recent discovery
OF large collection of old drawings dis
closes that while he was with the Cont
mental army before Boston, in 1775 and
1776, he had beside him, part of the time in
his very household, a young fellow, who,
mad to be an artist, studied his features,
noted his every mood and posture, the
light no less than the grave, and as
he had opportunity, stole off and COM
mitted his observations to the first shred of
drumhead or tanned deerskin that came
to his hand The result is a series of
portraits of Washington as he appeared in
the daily life of camp and field such as
would be rare achievement even in these
DAYS of the camera. The young fellow who
was thus keeping his eye forever on the
commander and committing what he saw
to pictorial record was no other than John
Trumbull, now famous for finished por-
traits of Washington and other revolution
arv leaders, painted at later date. Soon
after Washington went to Cambridge to
take command of the army he chose Trum-
bull for one of his aid-de-camps, and 1t was
to his skill with the pencil, indirectly, that
Trum bull owed his place.
Washington desired a correct plan of the
position at Boston Neck. The fact was
Whispered TO young Trumbull, lad of -,
VINO had come on to Boston as adjutant of
the First Connecticut regiment, under
General Joseph Spencer, and the sug-
gestion was added that Trumbull make
introducing himself ''tO the favorable
notice of the general" Trumbull under
took it, creeping (under the conceal
ment OF high GRASSY" near enough to
the works to make his observations.
Before Trumbull could finish a British
deserter came in and supplied what
was needed, but Trumbuli'S uncompleted
sketch was shown to Washington, and soon
after the young artist himself was pre-
scented to the general and appointed his
second aid-de-camp."
Trumbulrs taste for drawing had de-
clared itself early. He himself attributed
it, though, not to natural genius, but
to an impulse of imitation. An elder sister
of his had acquired some knowledge of
drawing, and had even painted in oil two
heads and a landscape, ''These wonders, j"
he says, ''were hung in my mothers par
Tor. and were among the first objects that
caught my infant eye. L endeaYored to
initiate them, and for several years the
nicely sanded floors, for carpets were then
unknown in Lebanon, were constantly
scrawled with my rude attempts at draw
ing" But TO be classed as a mere love of
lmltatlOn TINS youthful impulse was mucn
too durable. 1t grew with Trumbulls
growth and against the pronounced oppo-
sitiOn Of his family. He was 10 before he
had seen painting deserving of the name,
but he had already striven TO argue his
father out of 4 resolution to send him to
college and into allowing him instead TO
take ap-the serious pursuit. of art under the
Instruction of Copiey. Even engravings
and prints were rarity, and some that
fell into his hands he copied and recopied.
And from the first, almost, his special bent
was for portraltuce.
His employment as aid-de-camp to Wash
ington, 1Tumbull exchanged before long
for that OF a major OF brigade, but in the
meantime he found himself, as he says,