Portraits of Patriots: Colonel John Trumbull and Five Fellow Patriots From Connecticut in the American Revolution

Portraits of Patriots: Colonel John Trumbull and Five Fellow Patriots From Connecticut in the American Revolution fills an important gap in existing literature of the American Revolution, revealing the many contributions of patriot officers who helped General George Washington and his Continental Army win the war and establish a new nation. This book is the first of two volumes, centered on John Trumbull, his artistically-talented sister, Faith, and four fellow officers from Connecticut in the American Revolution through the end of 1778. The stories of their lives depict selfless sacrifice while caring for the needs of the suffering soldiers under their command. This book sheds new light on General Washington’s unsung heroes—the officers of the army who have received little focus until now.

John Trumbull was more than a famous painter. While making his first attempts at painting, he also served as a colonel in the Continental Army, briefly as an aide to Washington, and later to Generals Benedict Arnold and Horatio Gates. He experienced the trauma of combat in in the Battle of Rhode Island, reflecting the many risks officers endured. John eventually became one of the greatest American painters of portraits and historical paintings, including the four large paintings on permanent display in the U.S. Capitol rotunda.

The other officers featured include Colonel (then Brigadier General) Jedediah Huntington, his brother, Lt. Colonel Ebenezer Huntington, John Trumbull’s brother, Jonathan, Jr., who served as aide to General Washington for the Yorktown campaign, Colonel Samuel Blachley Webb, who first fought at Bunker Hill, and Captain Seth Harding, commander of a U.S. Navy frigate built in Connecticut with the help of Mohegans.