Table of Contents


Collection Overview

Biographical Sketch

Scope and Content

Restrictions

Subject Headings

Administrative Information

Related Material

Contents:

I. Correspondence

II. Militia papers

III. Receipts, Accounts, and Bills

Jonathan Trumbull, Jr. Papers

A Guide to the Jonathan Trumbull, Jr. Papers at the Connecticut Historical Society



Collection Overview

Repository : Connecticut Historical Society
Creator : Jonathan Trumbull, Jr.
Title : Jonathan Trumbull, Jr. Papers.
Dates : 1753-1832
Extent : 3.5 linear feet (4 boxes)
Abstract : Collection consists of Jonathan Trumbull, Jr.'s personal and professional correspondence, militia papers, financial records, and some documents relating to specified fugitives.
Location: Ms Trumj1809
Language: English

Biographical Sketch

Jonathan Trumbull, Jr. was born on March 26, 1740 in Lebanon, Connecticut, the eldest son of Jonathan and Faith (Robinson) Trumbull. He received his early education from Nathan Tisdale and at the age of fifteen commenced studies at Harvard College. He was the salutatorian for his class in 1759, and three years later delivered the valedictory address when he obtained his M.A.

Following graduation, Trumbull returned to his native Lebanon, Connecticut, where he confined his business to a small store and thereby avoided the financial woes that would plague the trading interests of his father and brother. In 1769, he married Eunice Backus, daughter of Ebenezer and Eunice (Dyer) Backus of Norwich, Connecticut. Together they had one son and four daughters.

Trumbull's long political life began in 1770, when he was elected to the Lebanon Board of Selectmen. Five years later, in March 1775, he was elected to sit in the Connecticut General Assembly. While still in that position, the Continental Congress elected him "pay master of the forces for the New York department," with the rank of colonel. Following this was his November 3, 1778 election to be the first comptroller of the U.S. Treasury. His public duties became even more illustrious when on June 8, 1781 he was appointed to succeed Alexander Hamilton as George Washington's secretary. His military duties ended with Washington's resignation in 1784, and at this time he returned to Connecticut where in 1788 he once again sat in the General Assembly, this time as Speaker.

Trumbull left his home state once again in 1789, upon his election to the House of Representatives, where he served from 1789-1795 (and as Speaker of the House from 1791-1794). He advanced to the Senate in 1795, but resigned in 1796 to return to Connecticut. There, he served as Lieutenant Governor under Oliver Wolcott, and in 1797 he became Governor upon Wolcott's death. Still serving as Governor, he became embroiled in a political crisis in 1809 over the Embargo Act. James Madison ordered that the State militia be called out to enforce the Embargo. Trumbull (with the support of many of the state's residents) refused to comply. Later that year his time as governor ended with his death from "dropsy of the heart" on August 7, 1809.

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Scope and Content

Collection consists largely of correspondence written in both personal and official roles. Such correspondence is arranged chronologically. Also numerous are militia records, including several folders of court martial documents and militia returns. Third in quantity are receipts, accounts, and bills, most of which stem from Trumbull's time as Paymaster. Of special interest are papers relating to Jonathan Trumbull, Jr.'s estate, including his Last Will and Testament, as well as records from the votes of Connecticut towns on the controversial Embargo of 1809. Some notable correspondents include Eliphalet Dyer, William Williams, Oliver Wolcott, Henry Knox, John Pierce, James Madison, John Hancock, and Timothy Dwight.

Arrangement

Materials are organized into three series based largely on form.

Series I: Correspondence consists of correspondence, both professional and personal. Much of it comes from Trumbull's time as Paymaster and from his time in Congress.

Series II: Militia Papers consists of court martials and militia returns.

Series III: Receipts, Accounts, and Bills consists of receipts, accounts, and bills, most of which were created during Trumbull's time as Paymaster for the New York forces and Comptroller for the U.S. Treasury.

Collection is arranged chronologically within in each series.

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Restrictions

Access Restrictions

There are no restrictions on access to the collection.

Use Restrictions

Use of the material requires compliance with the Connecticut Historical Society's Research Center's regulations.

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Subject Headings

Personal Names

Dwight, Timothy, 1752-1817.
Dyer, Eliphalet, 1721-1807.
Goodrich, Chauncey, 1759-1815.
Hancock, John, 1737-1793.
Hillhouse, James, 1754-1832.
Knox, Henry.
Livingston, Henry Brockholst, 1757-1823.
Madison, James, 1751-1836.
Pierce, John.
Schuyler, Philip John, 1733-1804.
Trumbull, John, 1756-1843.
Trumbull, Jonathan, 1710-1785.
Trumbull, Joseph, 1737-1778.
Williams, William, 1731-1811.
Wolcott, Oliver, 1726-1797.
Wolcott, Oliver, 1760-1833.

Corporate Names

Connecticut Militia.

Subjects

Courts-martial and courts of inquiry.
Embargo, 1807-1809.
Fugitives from justice.

Geographic Names

Connecticut Politics and government 1775-1865.
United States History Revolution Sources.
United States Politics and government 1789-1797.

Genre Forms

Holographs; holographs, signed.

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Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Item, Collection Title, Collection number (Box #, Folder #). Connecticut Historical Society, Hartford, Connecticut.

Processing Details

Original EAD instance compiled by Stephen Yearl in July 1999, based on a previous arrangement. Updated to EAD 2002 in December 2010

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Related Material

An index of catalog cards is available to aid access to this collection and material in other collections. Access is through writer, recipient and date. The card catalog is located in the Research Center reading room.

Microfilm copy available.


Contents:

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I. Correspondence

Box Folder
1 1 Correspondence with Congressmen, including E[liphalet] Dyer, Jonathan Trumbull, Jr., William Williams, and Jeremiah Wadsworth. 1780-1796
1 2 U.S. Government letters; correspondence to and from such men as Geo[rge] Bond, Robert Morris, and Oliver Wolcott. 1776-1793
1 3 U.S. Government letters from Henry Knox. 1793
1 4 U.S. Government letters; correspondence to and from such men as Henry Knox, Alexander Hamilton, Oliver Wolcott, Sam Otis, and Timothy Pickering. 1794-1797
1 5 U.S. Government letters; correspondence to and from such men as Jonathan Trumbull, Jr., Timothy Pickering, J. Huntington, and William Lambert. 1797-1799
1 6 U.S. Government letters; correspondence to and from such men as Jonathan Trumbull, Jr., James Henry, Timothy Pickering, and John Porter. 1799-1800
1 7 U.S. Government letters; correspondence to and from such men as Jonathan Trumbull, Jr., Jacob Wagner, James Madison, and Sam Otis. 1800-1803
1 8 U.S. Government letters; correspondence to and from such men as James Madison, Jonathan Trumbull, Jr., and J[acob] Wagner. 1804-1809
Volume
2 Correspondence from Jonathan Trumbull's term as Paymaster of the forces for the New York department, including letters to and from Elisha Phelps, Alexander McDougall, John Winslow, Jed Huntington, Roger Sherman, and David Trumbull. 1775-1776
Volume
3 Correspondence from Jonathan Trumbull's term as Paymaster of the forces for the New York department and Comptroller of the U.S. treasury, including letters to and from Charles Thompson, John Winslow, Jonathan Trumbull, Sr., David Trumbull, John Pierce, Roger Sherman, and Sam Huntington. 1776-1783
Volume
4 Correspondence -- mostly from Trumbull's time as a Congressmen -- including letters to and from Jeremiah Wadsworth, William Williams, Chauncey Goodrich, James Hillhouse, and Uriah Fray. 1780-1801
Volume
5 Correspondence with Congressmen, including letters to and from Uriah Fray, James Hillhouse, Simeon Baldwin, C. Goddard, and Benjamin Tallmadge. 1801-1818
Box Folder
6 1 Correspondence with such men as Benjamin Butler, Christopher Leffingwell, John Lane, David Trumbull, John Hancock, and Horatio Gates. 1756-1777
6 2 Correspondence with such men as Charles Thomson, Timothy Pickering, and Joseph Loomis. 1778-1783
Note: Transcript available
6 3 Correspondence with such men as Isaac Winslow, Roger Alden, Benjamin Huntington, and Andrew Billings. 1784-1788
6 4 Correspondence with such men as David Trumbull, George Phillips, Jabez Huntington, and William Williams. 1789-1795
6 5 Correspondence with such men as William Williams, Richard Saltonstall, Timothy Pickering, and Frederick Wolcott. 1796-1797
6 6 Correspondence with such men as Frederick Wolcott, Benjamin Trumbull, Guy Richards, and Jabez Huntington. January-July 1798
6 7 Correspondence with such men as Samuel Huntington, Daniel Jones, and John Smalley. August-December 1798
6 8 Correspondence with such men as Jabez Huntington, Timothy Dwight, Samuel Dana, and Timothy Phelps. January-July 1799
6 9 Correspondence with such men as Benjamin Trumbull, John Allen, and Samuel Wyllys. August-December 1799
Note: Transcript available
6 10 Correspondence with such men as Jesse Rook, John Porter, John Jay, Timothy Dwight, and Philip Bradley. January-April 1800
6 11 Correspondence with such men as Joseph Isham, William Tully, James Monroe, Jesse Rook, Andrew Huntington, and Elisha Hale. May-September 1800
6 12 Correspondence with such men as Elizur Goodrich, William Tully, John Mix, and George Cabot. October-December 1800
6 13 Correspondence relating to the case of fugitive Gould Linell. February-July 1800
Box Folder
7 1 Correspondence with such men as Joseph Wilcox, Timothy Dwight, Timothy Crane, Elijah Chapman, and Elizur Goodrich. January-June 1801
7 2 Correspondence with such men as Joseph Willcox (sic), George Morgan, William Edmond, John Walden, and Jabez Clark. July-December 1801
7 3 Correspondence with such men as William Woodbridge, Abraham Jarvis, and Henry Seymour. January-August 1802
7 4 Correspondence with such men as Joshua King, John Mix, Stephen Brown, and Andrew Huntington. September-December 1802
7 5 Correspondence with such men as John Porter, Justus Barnum, Eli Mather, Henry Seymour, Peter Whitney, and Samuel Williams. January-June 1803
7 6 Correspondence with such men as John Porter, Elias Perkins, John Felch, and Simeon Baldwin. July-December 1803
7 7 Correspondence with such men as Justus Barnum, John Porter, Daniel Winship, David Humphreys, and William Edmond. January-July 1804
7 8 Correspondence with such men as Elijah Parsons, William Seymour, Uriah Tracy, and James Madison. August-December 1804
7 9 Correspondence with such men as Andrew Hull, Ebenezer Huntington, John Porter, Frederick Wolcott, and Jeremiah Guild. 1805
7 10 Correspondence with such men as Thomas Sanford, Charles Thompson, William Cogswell, Nathan Perkins, Jed Huntington, and James Mason. 1806
7 11 Correspondence with such men as Seth Smith, Michael Abott, and Joshua Huntington. January-July 1807
7 12 Correspondence with such men as John Elliott, E.S. Thomas, and Ebenezer Huntington. August-December 1807
7 13 Correspondence with such men as George Elliott, William Pinchney, Roswell Colt, Matthew Griswold, and Jesse Brown. 1808
7 14 Correspondence with such men as George Cabot, Josiah Griffin, and Ebenezer Huntington; and an account of Jonathan Trumbull, Jr.'s death, probably written by his son-in-law, Daniel Wadsworth. 1809
7 15 Correspondence with such men as Grenville Temple and William Williams. 1756-1809
7 16 Correspondence regarding fugitive Israel Stone. January 1797-December 1798
7 17 Correspondence regarding fugitive Robert Rogers. May-June 1798
7 18 Correspondence regarding the separate cases of fugitives Noah Agard, Anna Bishop, and John S. Green. October 1798-December 1799
Note: Transcript available
7 19 Correspondence regarding fugitive Abram Frost. August 1800
7 20 Correspondence regarding the separate cases of fugitives Joseph Brown and Elisha Rose. December 1805; January-May 1807

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II. Militia papers

Box Folder
8 1 Militia papers: court martials. May 1798-January 1802
8 2 Militia papers: court martials. May 1802
8 3 Militia papers: court martials. November 1802-March 1803
8 4 Militia papers: court martials. May 1803
8 5 Militia papers: court martials. June 1803-October 1804
8 6 Militia papers: court martials. November 1804
8 7 Militia papers: court martials. January 1805-June 1806
8 8 Militia papers: court martials. July-November 1807
8 9 Militia papers: court martials. 1808
8 10 Militia papers: court martials. January-March 1809
8 11 Militia papers: court martials. April 1809
8 12 Militia papers: militia returns. 1795-1797
8 13 Militia papers: militia returns. 1798-1799
8 14 Militia papers: militia returns. 1800-1801
8 15 Militia papers: militia returns. 1802-1803
Box Folder
9 1 Militia papers: militia returns. 1804
9 2 Militia papers: militia returns. 1805-1806
9 3 Militia papers: militia returns. 1807
9 4 Militia papers: militia returns. 1808

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III. Receipts, Accounts, and Bills

Box Folder
9 5 Receipts, accounts, bills: Paymaster General letter book 1775-1778
9 6 Receipts, accounts, bills: Paymaster General letter book 1779-1780
9 7 Receipts, accounts, bills: Paymaster General 1776
9 8 Receipts, accounts, bills: Paymaster General 1776
9 9 Receipts, accounts, bills: Paymaster General 1777
9 10 Receipts, accounts, bills: Paymaster General 1775-1784
9 11 Receipts, accounts, bills: personal business papers 1753-1805
9 12 Receipts, accounts, bills: account sheets of Jonathan and David Trumbull 1780-1785
9 13 Receipts, accounts, bills: votes on the embargo, from towns including Hampton, New Haven, Derby, and Canterbury 1809
9 14 Receipts, accounts, bills: documents relating to the personal estate of Jonathan Trumbull, Jr., including his Last Will and Testament 1808-1832