The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1914-03-24
UNFAMILIAR FACES
Historical Characters of Whose
Looks We Know Nothing.
THEY LEFT NO PORTRAITS.

-
roes Of Colonial and Revolutionary
Times Are as Blanks to Us So Far
as Their Personal Appearance Is
Concerned.
In the search for portrait of Thom-
as Wilett. the first mayor of New
York. the committee from the City
club visited nearly every print dealer
in the city in addition to scores of pri-
vate collectors of Americana But
there was no portrait TO be found
Any one who has ever attempted TO
make a collection of the pictures of
the big men of early New York soon
realizes that there are many blanks.
For instance. of the four Dutch gov
ernors Peter StuyvessDt is the only
one OF whom we have correct por-
trait or Peter Minuet William Kieft
and Wouter van Twiller there is abso-
lutely nothing accurate, although vari-
GUS cafcatures have appeared from
time to time.
The same is true of still more emf
nent New Yorker, William Bradford.
the first printer, who founded in 1925
the New York Gazette, which was the
first newspaper printed In the prov
ince. Bradford was so prominent
man and so active for years, both in
Philadelphia as well as in New York,
that it is rather surprising not to have
something worthy of being called a
true portrait. If there was, perhaps
his features might be on the tablet
erected on the site OF his printing Of
fee, now of the Cotton Exchange, at
Hanover square.
The lack OF an authentic portrait of
Nathan Hale, the martyr spy of the
Revolution. is somewhat better known.
although the sculptors MacMonnies,
Partridge and others have not al
lowed this to IDstrain them from de-
picting the features of the young sol
der in stone or bronze. OF Colonel
Ethan Allen there is no known por-
trait. and the same is true of the
doughty warrior. General Nicholas
Herkimer
One OF the heroes OF Bunker hill,
Colonel Richard Gridley has left no
portrait He was the artillerist and
engineer who built the Notifications
the night before the battle. Other
prominent Revolutionary fighters of
whom no pictures exist are Colonel
William I4edyard. the defender of New
London. vino was killed by a British
officer when Ledyard surrendered the
fort; General Thomas Conway. leader
OF the notorious cabal TO depose Wash
ington from the command of the army
in 1T77; Colonel Seth Warner. who was
prominent in the attacks on Ticonde-
roga and Grown point and In the bat
tie OF Bennington; General Seth Pom.
eroy OF Massachusetts. and General
Samuel Holden Parsons. one of the
board which tried Major Andre and
was appointed by Washington as the
6cst judge of the northwest territory.
No accurate portraits exist of two OF
the fiftysix signers OF the Declaration
of Independence. John Morton of Penn
sylvania and John Hart OF New Jer-
sey, although portrait which Is said
to be that of Hart hangs in Independ-
ence hall in Philadelphia and is said to
have been painted from a miniature.
There is nothing extant OF the ia
ther Of George Washington. Augustine
Washington. nor have any portraits
been discovered of Colonel BAH, fa-
ther OF Mary Washington, mother of
the general, or OF John cambridge, fa-
ther of Washington's wife, Martha
Washington
portrait which great many col
lectors OF old New York material
would give n good deal TO obtain Is
that or Samuel Frauhces. the West In
dian tavern keeper. whose best known
house was the old Fraunces tavern,
now owned by the Sons Of the Reyolu-
ton. restored since they purchased 1t
few years ago TO its original condi-
tion. II IL OH lower Broad street. ON
the corner of Pearl street. and the
famous long room in which Washing
ton took farewell OF his officers has
been restored as closely as possible to
its original form.
There is no portrait of William Cum
ninghom, the beartless keeper of the
provost jail In IA corner OF City Hall
park during the Revolution. Betsy
Ross, the celebrated maker OF the FIRST
stars and stripes, hns no portrait Cap
tain Miles Standish is among those
who have left nothing OF their per
sonal appearance. nor is anything
known OF the intrepid French explor-
er Joliet, who traced the sources OF the
Mississippi
Others OF more or less note of whom
there are no portraits are the old Eng
lish dramatist Christopher Marlowe;
Richard Savage, another we'll known
English dramatist. who died In 1743;
Marquis Duquesne. from whom Fort
Duquesne, now Pittsburgh. got its first
name from the French; George Clin-
ton. royal governor OF New York from
lT43 10 1853 and father OF the British
general In the Revolution. Henry Clin.
ton; Colonel John Henry Cruger, Gen
irnl Oliver de Lancey, Governor VIII.
liam Tryon. General John Forbes.
Baron Dieskau, General Robert Howe
and RDuFFianna M0nalannfa Fau,n,,.