USA > Connecticut > The history of Connecticut, from the first settlement of the colony to the adoption of the present constitution, vol. II > Part 37
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* In the early part of the war when the British ships of war were threatening to land on our coast, Governor Trumbull requested that a part of the troops about to be raised in the colony, might remain to defend our own soil. For some cause not readily divined, Washington persisted in ordering them all to Boston. The governor wrote him a pungent letter, expressive of his surprise and regret, but, in the true spirit of patriotism, added-" It is plain that such jealousies indulged, however just, will destroy the cause " ; and, in spite of the manifest injustice of the demand, he expressed his determination to comply.
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world as his counselor and companion, and no wonder that he called him " brother."*
We are naturally led to inquire, what were the secret fountains that fed this pure life ? They may be easily known by the bright verdure that springs up along their course as they wind through the quiet fields of unambitious boyhood. Long before he had ever turned his eye toward the high places of the world, before a war with England was dreamed of as a possible event, and while at Harvard, he was looking out upon life through that pleasant perspective glass, a young scholar's imagination, he was mature above his years in all that gives promise of future usefulness ; and at the tender age when other boys are properly called children, and are occupied with sports that demand the exercise of little else than the blood that courses through their frame ; the future statesman, in company with a few kindred spirits, was fram- ing a series of rules by which his moral nature and intellec- tual character might shape themselves into a mould of com- pleteness that few men have ever attained, and a durability that is destined to defy the flight of years, as it resisted during his life time the temptations of the world.t
* The term, "Brother Jonathan," was frequently applied by Washington to Governor Trumbull. " When he wanted honest counsel and wise, he would say, 'let us consult Brother Jonathan.'" See Bushnell's " Historical Estimate," p. 34. + On entering college, in 1724, young Trumbull joined a religious society con- nected with the institution. Its character can be judged from the articles of agree- ment entered into by the members, which were substantially as follows :
1. That we will meet together twice a week for the worship of God.
2. That, being met together, we will, as God enables us, perform the several. injunctions of the meeting.
3. That all manner of disagreeing, strifes or quarrelling, with one another shall be suppressed, and that we will live in love, peace, and unity, with one another.
4. That if we see or hear any one of our number speak or do anything unbe- coming a member of this society, we will reprove him as far as we shall think the reproof worthy, with all meekness, love, and tenderness toward him.
5. That we will bear with one another's infirmities, and divulge nothing of what nature soever, that is done at our meetings.
6. That when absent from our meetings, we will endeavor to behave ourselves so that " none may have occasion to speak evil of us." For the rules of this society, I am indebted to Hon. I. W. Stuart, of Hartford.
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CHARACTER OF TRUMBULL.
At that early day was laid the foundation of that gentle- ness and christian humility, that sweetness of temper, that serene confidence and cheerfulness in critical emergencies, and the unshaken purpose of soul, which marked him out as the fit man, and the only one, for the place of honor that was assigned him by his native state.
Trumbull's private character was no less a model than his public life. His manners had none of the stiffness of official rank belonging to that day, but were sprightly, amiable, and unostentatious. He knew how to adapt himself to all classes of people, and always when at leisure had a lively, pleasant word to say to everybody who happened to be in his presence. He was remarkable for his quiet way of expressing his senti- ments either in the council or in the drawing-room, and always spoke in a low tone.
In the midst of all his watchful cares, he never lost his love of letters, and retained his knowledge of the dead languages with an unimpaired memory till he died. He habitually read the Bible in the original Hebrew and Greek, and never left off the studies of history and chronology, in which he particularly excelled. He was very regular and temperate in his habits, devoted to his family, and testified how much better he loved his home than he did any public station, by resigning his office as soon as the termination of the war allowed him to think of repose. He had another motive, too, for seeking retirement, which is touchingly expressed in his address to the General Assembly, when he tendered to the people the office that he had held so long :
"Contemplating," he says, "with pleasing wonder and satisfaction, at the close of an arduous contest, the noble and enlarged scenes which now present themselves to my coun- try's view ; and reflecting at the same time on my advanced stage of life-a life worn out, almost, in the constant cares of office-I think it my duty to retire from the busy concern of public affairs; that at the evening of my days, I may sweeten their decline, by devoting myself with less avoca- tion, and more attention to the duties of religion, the service
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of my God, and preparation for a future and happier state of existence ; in which pleasing employment I shall not cease to remember my country, and to make it my ardent prayer, that heaven will not fail to bless her with its choicest favors."*
* The first ancestor in this country of the Trumbull family of Connecticut, was John Trumbull, who is stated by Hinman and others, to have emigrated from Cumberland county, England, and settled in Rowley, Massachusetts. His son of the same name, was an early settler of Suffield, Connecticut, and from him have descended all of the Trumbulls of the state, many of whom have been eminent as statesmen, soldiers, scholars, and divines.
Jonathan Trumbull, the elder, was a son of Joseph Trumbull, of Lebanon, where he was born June 12, 1710. He graduated at Harvard college, in 1727, pursued the study of theology with the Rev. Mr. Williams, of his native town, and was licensed to preach. On the death of an elder brother, who was lost at sea, he was called home to close up the mercantile affairs of his father ; and, feel- ing it to be his duty to remain with his aged parents, he relinquished his chosen profession and became a merchant. In 1733, at the age of twenty-three years, he was elected a representative from Lebanon, and was often re-elected. In 1739, he was chosen Speaker of the House ; and at the May session of the following year, he was elected an assistant, or member of the Upper House, where he con- tinued for many years. From 1766 to 1770, he was lieutenant-governor of the state, and chief judge of the superior court; and from 1770 to 1784, he was annually elected governor. He died August 17, 1785.
Jonathan Trumbull, (son of the preceding,) was born at Lebanon, March 26, 1740, graduated at Harvard college in 1759, and settled in his native town. From the commencement of the revolution to the close of the campaign of 1778, he was paymaster in the northern department of the army; and in 1780, he was appointed secretary and first aid to General Washington, in whose family he remained till the close of the war. In 1789, he was chosen a member of Con- gress, and in 1791, he was elected Speaker of the United States House of Repre- sentatives. He was subsequently a senator in Congress, and from 1798, until his death, he was governor of Connecticut. He died at Lebanon, August 7, 1809, aged sixty-nine.
Colonel Joseph Trumbull, (also a son of the elder Governor Trumbull,) was the first commissary general of the United States army-an office which he resigned in August, 1777. In October following, he was appointed by Congress one of the five commissioners of the board of war, his colleagues being Major-General Gates, Major-General Mifflin, Richard Peters, Esq., and Colonel Timothy Pickering. Colonel Trumbull died, universally lamented, in July, 1779, aged forty-two.
Rev. Benjamin Trumbull, D. D., was a native of Hebron, and a graduate of Yale College, in the class of 1759. He was ordained and settled as pastor of the congregational church in North Haven, December 25, 1760; and died February 2, 1820, aged eighty-five. Though a learned and faithful preacher, his fame rests
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DEATH OF TRUMBULL.
The remainder of Trumbull's life was spent in exact accordance with the sentiments expressed in this passage. In the calm retreat where he had entertained princes and noble- men-where Washington sought him out to take counsel of him-in the circle of his family, and near the spot that he had selected for his grave, he awaited the flight of the friendly arrow that was to set him free. Though he watched it carefully, yet it came in secret, and at an unexpected hour. He was of such an equal temperament and had such an excellent physical constitution, that his friends anticipated for him a long life ending in a slow and calm decline. But he was suddenly attacked by a fever, which might be said to be his first sickness and proved to be his last. He died after an illness of about twelve days, during which he suffered much pain with a sweetness that made even death seem to be a protecting rather than a destroying angel. His reason was unclouded, and his mind composed to the last. In the words of Mr. Ely, who preached his funeral sermon, " he had nothing to do but to die."*
chiefly upon his historical works, which are remarkable for the evidence they afford of successful research and laborious investigation. His publications are- History of Connecticut, vol. 1, 8vo., 1797; in 2 vols. 1818; History of the United States to 1765, vol. i., 1819 ; Essays in favor of the claim of Connecticut to the Susquehannah county, 1774, also-Thanksgiving Sermon, 1783; A Treatise on Divorces, 1788 ; Ordination Sermon, 1789 ; Century Sermon, 1801 ; Address on Prayer and Family Religion, 1804; twelve Discourses on the Divine Origin of the Scriptures.
John Trumbull, LL.D., (son of the Rev. John Trumbull, of Watertown, Conn.,) was born in Watertown, in 1750, and graduated at Yale College, in 1767. From 1771 to 1773, he was a tutor at Yale, and during that time published his poem, " The Progress of Dullness." He subsequently studied law with John Adams, at Boston, and settled in Hartford in the practice of his profession. In 1784, his celebrated poetical satire, " McFingal," was published-and has since gone through several editions both in this country and in England. From 1801 to 1819, he was a judge of the superior court of Connecticut. His poetical works were collected and published in two volumes in 1820. Judge Trumbull, died at the residence of his son-in-law, Governor Woodbridge, in Detroit, Michigan, May 10, 1831, aged eighty-one.
A sketch of Colonel John Trumbull, the artist, will be given in another place. * The following is an extract from the Rev. Mr. Ely's funeral sermon, alluded to : "Methink I see our late renowned glorious chief in war, America's boast and
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HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT.
One after another, the great men of the revolution were now fast dropping away. Putnam, the second military chief- tain of that era, was destined soon to follow. We have seen how, at the close of the campaign of 1779, he was siezed
the world's wonder, solitary and pensive, with the big tear starting from the eye of keenest sensibility, the melancholy tidings having reached his ears, that his highly prized friend in the cabinet, his brother and companion in the late struggles and bloody conflict, is no more. In similar sorrow methink I view many more, greatly admired, much beloved, whose names I dare not mention lest others be jealous through the tenderness of their friendship. Let this consideration, dear afflicted mourners, have some weight with you."
Immediately on receiving intelligence of Trumbull's death, General Washing- ton thus wrote to Jonathan Trumbull, Jr., a son of the governor :
" MOUNT VERNON, Oct. 1st, 1785.
" My Dear Sir-It has so happened that your letter of the first of last month, did not reach me until Saturday's post.
"You know too well the sincere respect and regard I entertained for your ven- erable father's public and private character, to require assurance of the concern I felt for his death ; or of that sympathy in your feelings, for the loss of him, which is prompted by friendship. Under this loss, however, great as your pangs may have been at the first shock, you have everything to console you.
" A long and well spent life in the service of his country, places Governor Trumbull among the first of patriots. In the social duties he yielded to no one ; and his lamp from the common course of nature being nearly extinguished, worn down with age and cares, but retaining his mental faculties in perfection, are bless- ings which rarely attend advanced life. All these combined, have secured to his memory unusual respect and love here, and no doubt, unmeasurable happiness hereafter.
" I am sensible that none of these observations can have escaped you, that I can offer nothing which your own reason has not already suggested upon the occasion, and being of Sterne's opinion, that "before an affliction is digested, consolation comes too soon, and after it is digested it comes too late, there is but a mark be- tween these two, almost as fine as a hair, for a comforter to take aim at." I rarely attempt it ; nor should I add more on this subject to you, as it will be a renewal of sorrow, by calling afresh to your rememberance things that had better be forgot- ten.
"My principal pursuits are of a rural nature, in which I have great delight, especially as I am blessed with the enjoyment of good health. Mrs. Washington, on the contrary, is hardly ever well; but, thankful of your kind remembrance of her, joins me in every good wish for you, Mrs. Trumbull, and your family.
" Be assured, that with sentiments of the purest esteem, I am, dear sir,
"Your affectionate friend " and obedient servant,
" GEO. WASHINGTON."
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LAST DAYS OF PUTNAM.
with paralytic numbness while on the road between Pomfret and Hartford. It was difficult for a man of his ardent tem- perament to persuade himself that he had done with the camp and the tented-field, at a time when he had looked forward to the successful termination of a war which he had been the first to advocate and to put to the terrible arbitra- ment of the sword. That he, the man of action, whose whole life had been passed in the open air, whether in tilling the fields and digging up the rocks of Pomfret, following into her lair the wolf that had preyed upon his flock, threading the crooked trails that led along the borders of the lakes and rivers of the west, in chase of French partizans and their Indian allies, or, in captivity worse than death, wandering naked and hungry through the wild woods that echoed to the shouts of joy with which his tormentors saluted the fire that scorched his flesh ; that he, of all other men, should be con- demned to shut himself away from the busy scenes that had made up his existence, and count the hours by the sunbeams that peeped in through his bed-curtains, or stole on him through the windows that fronted his easy chair, seemed insupportable. At first his heart sank within him, and a shadow of sadness clouded his features. But Putnam was not a man to give himself up to settled melancholy. He returned home, and soon summoned to his aid the consola- tions of religion, and the smiles of the domestic cir- cle. Here he spent the remainder of his days, the patriarch of his household, and the centre and oracle of those old neighbors who had been out with him into so many rough battle-fields, and had brought home each for himself a garland of honor and traditionary renown. How eagerly must those venerable soldiers, who had served with him under Aber- crombie and Amherst, forgetful of age and wounds, have hobbled upon their crutches to talk over with him the arrival of fresh intelligence from the army ; how Arnold had sought to sell American liberty for gold ; how he had laid New London and Groton in ruins ; and how Ledyard and his fellow patriots had been murdered and mutilated ; or how
7
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HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT.
Washington had thrown the meshes of his net over Corn- wallis at Yorktown, and was victorious at last over secret and open foes.
Nor was Putnam constantly confined to his house. The paralytic stroke was kindly mitigated, and in the soft warm days, when summer smiled upon his white locks, and when cheerful autumn sported with them, he was able to ride forth to view his farm, his flocks and herds, and to visit his neigh- bors at their houses. Occasionally, too, after the war was over, some gentleman of the army would pay his respects to the old hero. Colonel Humphreys, General Parsons, Colonel Trumbull, the artist, or Colonel Wadsworth, would ride over from Hartford, dismount at the farm-house gate, and drop a tear upon his palsied hand as they grasped it in tender recognition.
He had much to be grateful for in other respects. His intellect remained as fresh and strong as it was on the morn- ing of the battle of Bunker Hill. The strength of his memory, the sharp sallies of his wit, his broad exuberant humor, his happy way of relating anecdotes of adventures that had happened to himself or had fallen under his observation, his keen relish of a joke, even though it were at his own expense, all continued to throw around the old man the fascinations that had made him from childhood the favorite of every circle. Nor did Washington lose sight of the best of all his officers, but found time, even in the midst of his most arduous duties, to write to him as follows :
" The name of a Putnam is not forgotten; nor will be, but with that stroke of time which shall obliterate from my mind the remembrance of all those toils and fatigues through which we have struggled for the preservation and establishment of the rights, liberties, and independence of our country."*
With a delicacy as marked as the friendship that dictated it, in the same letter the writer attempted to soothe the invalid and make him satisfied in his retirement :
* Humphreys.
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DEATH OF PUTNAM.
"I anticipate with pleasure the day, and that I trust not far off, when I shall quit the scenes of a military employ- ment and retire to the more tranquil walks of domestic life. In that or whatever other situation Providence may dispose of my future days, the remembrance of the many friendships and connections I have had the happiness to contract with the gentlemen of the army, will be one of my most grateful reflections."
As nearly as can now be known, such was the old age of Putnam. On the 17th of May, 1790, he was violently attacked with an inflammatory disease. He had met death too often on the battle-field to fear him, and seems to have felt from the first that his recovery was neither to be looked for nor desired. After an illness of only two days, he expired. On the 21st of May, in the midst of a vast con- course of people, and under the escort of the grenadiers of the eleventh regiment, the independent corps of artillery, and the militia of the neighborhood, the ashes of Putnam were borne to their last resting place .*
* John Putnam emigrated from Buckinghamshire, England, and settled in Salem, Massachusetts, in the year 1634-bringing with him three sons, viz., Thomas, Nathaniel, and John. Edward Putnam, the son of Thomas, in 1733, made the following record :
"From those three proceeded twelve males ; and from these twelve, forty males ; and from the forty, eighty-two males." All of the name in New England are believed to be descended from John.
Captain Joseph Putnam, (father of the general,) was the son of John, who was the youngest son of the pioneer. He continued to reside, in Salem-in which place Israel Putnam was born, January 7th, 1718.
At the age of twenty-one years, Putnam purchased a tract of land in Pomfret, Conn., and took up his abode in that town-he having, about that time married a daughter of Mr. John Pope, of Salem. By dint of industry and frugality, he became one of the most successful agriculturalists in the town. He remained on his farm until the breaking out of the war between England and France, in 1755, when, at the age of thirty-seven years, he accepted a captain's commission in Lyman's regiment, and shortly afterwards marched with the troops to the north. From that date, until he was disabled, he was almost constantly in the service of his country.
The Putnams of Buckinghamshire, (from whom, as we have seen, our hero derives his descent,) were a good old English family previous to the emigration. In Burke's " Complete Armory," the coat of arms is thus described :
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HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT.
The character of Putnam was the result of our peculiar structure of society and the growth of our soil. A hero from his cradle, he needed not the tactics of the schools to give him discipline, nor the maxims of philosophy to make him brave. Like the ghost of Fingal rising in the mist of its hill, and unveiling its features to the moon, the fame of our chief- tian is just beginning to unfold itself in its colossal propor- tions. Already the eyes of the world are turned toward him. A monument is soon to stand above his grave that will be worthy of the spot. Let it be made of material solid as his integrity, and planted deep and immovable as the love that he bore to his country was seated in his heart, yet let it be costly and rare as the lavish gifts that the creating hand poured so plentifully upon him. Let it be simple and bold like his character ; above all, let it transmit the epitaph that has so long told the pilgrims who visit the tomb, that Putnam " dared to lead where any dared to follow !"
"Puttenham, or Putnam, (Bedfordshire, and Penn, co. Buckingham,) Sa. crusily fitchee ar. a stork of the last. Crest-A WOLF's HEAD."
It is a very significant symbol it must be admitted, for a Putnam. One would almost think that the original grantee must have been an astrologer and cast the horoscope of his Yankee descendant. Of course, then, it was useless for the old she wolf to gnash her teeth and growl as her unwelcome guest entered her cave. Her fate had been recorded in the herald's college ages before her invader was born.
Our American Putnams are unquestionably descended from the noble family of Puttenhams, of Hants, of which mention is made by Burke in the paragraph which follows. It will be noticed that the description of the coat of arms is similar, the crest excepted.
" Puttenham, (Sherfield, Co. Hants, Visitation of 1634; Richard Puttenham, of Sherfield, Esq., grandson of Sir George Puttenham, of Sherfield, left an only daughter and heir, Anne, wife of Francis Morris, of Copwell.) Ar. crusily fitchee sa. a stork of the last. Crest, as the last."
١
Engd by D.C Hinman from a miniature by Col. Trumbull, in the Trumbull Gallery, Yale College.
OLIVER ELLSWORTH.
Oliv. Ellswortho
Hollister s History of Connecticut
CHAPTER XIX.
THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES.
IT was by this time quite apparent that the articles of con- federation would not serve the purposes of a government that was expected to be anything more than provisional. The depreciation of its paper money, the boldness with which its authority was set at naught, as well by the colonies as by individuals, evinced clearly enough that, without regard to the dangers that might threaten the country from a foreign invasion, the government had no control over the inhabitants of the colonies who claimed its protection. Now that the one inspiring theme of independence had lost its power over the imagination, the confederacy was found to be but a rope of sand.
In order, therefore, to strengthen the bonds of union between the states, and with the view of forming a central government of greater strength and efficiency, the Congress of the United States recommended to the several govern- ments that delegates should be appointed to form a special convention, to meet at Philadelphia, and deliberate upon the matter. Most of the states cheerfully and promptly responded to the recommendation, and elected the requisite number of delegates-nearly all of whom were men remarkable for their talents, patriotism, and public services.
The convention met at the State House in Philadelphia, in May, 1787 .* At the suggestion of Dr. Franklin, his excellency George Washington, was unanimously chosen President.t William Jackson was appointed secretary ; and
* The convention was called to meet on the 14th of May; but a quorum could not be procured until the 25th of that month.
+ Gordon, iii. 401.
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HISTORY OF CONNECTICUT.
a committee was appointed to take into consideration the manner of proceeding.
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