Table of Contents
Joseph Trumbull Papers
A Guide to the Joseph Trumbull Papers at the Connecticut Historical Society
Collection Overview |
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| Repository : | Connecticut Historical Society |
| Creator : | Trumbull, Joseph Jr. |
| Title : | Joseph Trumbull Papers. |
| Dates : | 1753 - 1791 |
| Extent : | 4 boxes (2 linear feet) |
| Abstract : | Collection consists of personal and business correspondence; receipts, bills and accounts. |
| Location: | Ms Trumj1778 |
| Language: | English |
Biographical Sketch
Joseph Trumbull was born in Lebanon, Connecticut on March 11, 1737, the eldest son of Jonathan Trumbull, Sr. and Faith (Robinson) Trumbull. Following his father's footsteps, Joseph Jr. spent his undergraduate years at Harvard, graduating in 1756. After Harvard he spent eleven years working with his father in trade.
In 1766, the Trumbull business was suffering and Joseph concluded his affairs as best he could and moved to Norwich, where he restricted his trade to chandlery and to the importation of tea, sugar, cotton, rum, and indigo.
In October 1767, his political career began when he was sent to Connecticut's General Assembly. His first act of public service, however, had been in 1763 when he had served as a captain in the Twelfth Connecticut.
Trumbull spent a brief time around 1769 practicing law. In 1770 the colony of Connecticut appointed him to collect the papers of former governors and to sort, arrange, and file them chronologically. The papers were then deposited in the Office of the Secretary. His political career moved forward yet again in 1773 when the General Assembly appointed him to its Committee of Correspondence and Enquiry. The following year, the towns of Norwich and Groton appointed him to their Committees of Correspondence. The peak of his prestige came on July 19, 1775, when he was appointed to be the first Commissary-General of Stores and Provisions for the army of the United Colonies. But he was given little in the way of funds to feed the army and in order to help the Arnold Expedition; he borrowed seven hundred pounds from Nathaniel Tracy. In December 1775 a Court of Enquiry appointed by George Washington criticized the prices he fixed for provisions, but acquitted him of fraud.
In March 1777, Joseph Trumbull married Amelia Dyer, daughter of Eliphalet Dyer, in Windham, Connecticut. In November of that year, he accepted a Congressional appointment to the Board of War, but he had to resign his post in April 1778 due to ill health. A few months later, on July 23, 1778, he died insolvent and without children at his family home in Lebanon, Connecticut. His inscription read, "Full soon may this person, his virtue, and even his extensive Benevolence be forgotton." On January 5, 1785, his widow married Colonel Hezekiah Wyllys.
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Scope and Content
Collection consists largely of correspondence, letters, and supporting material written in both personal and official roles. Such correspondence is arranged chronologically. The correspondence is predominantly from the period of the American Revolution. There are also a few folders of receipts, bills, and accounts, including one folder of receipts from Joshua Smith. Some notable correspondents include Eleazer Fitch, Jonathan Trumbull, Jr., Eliphalet Dyer, Charles Miller, Christopher Leffingwell, Alexander Hamilton, Elisha Avery, Oliver Phelps, and John Hancock.
Arrangement
Materials are organized into two series based largely on form.
Series I: Correspondence consists of correspondence written by and to Joseph Trumbull, most of which relates to his activities during the American Revolutionary War.
Series II: Receipts, Bills, and Accounts consists of receipts, bills, and accounts, including one folder of receipts from Joshua Smith.
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 regulations.
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Subject Headings
Personal Names
Genre Forms
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Administrative Information
Preferred Citation
Item, Collection Title, Collection number (Box #, Folder #). Connecticut Historical Society, Hartford, Connecticut.
Procesing Details
Original EAD instance compiled in September 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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Return to the Table of Contents I. Correspondence |
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| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 1 | 1 | Personal accounts and correspondence concerning such men as Silas Deane, Jonathan Trumbull, Sr., Jonathan Allen, G. Saltonstall, Charles Dickson, and Eleazer Fitch. 1753 - 1763 | |||||||||
| 1 | 2 | Correspondence concerning such men as Jonathan Trumbull, Sr., William Bryant, and Stephen Apthorp. 1764 - 1766 | |||||||||
| Note: Transcript available | |||||||||||
| 1 | 3 | Correspondence concerning such men as John Lane, Joseph Slyman, John Wendell, Jonathan Trumbull, Jr., and Eleazer Fitch. 1766 - 1771 | |||||||||
| 1 | 4 | Correspondence concerning such men as Thomas Sumner, Zebulon Butler, G. Saltonstall, John Hurd, Arnold Welles, and Joseph Rose. 1772 | |||||||||
| 1 | 5 | Correspondence concerning such men as Isaac Wharton, Silas Deane, Henry Hill, and Roger Newberry. 1773 | |||||||||
| 1 | 6 | Correspondence concerning such men as Charles Whiting, Henry Hill, Silas Deane, Roger Newberry, and William Townsend. 1774 | |||||||||
| 1 | 7 | Correspondence concerning such men as Jonathan Randall, Thomas Potter, Henry Hill, William Townsend, Henry Bromfield, Jonathan Carter, and Daniel Hyde. January - April 1775 | |||||||||
| 1 | 8 | Correspondence concerning such individuals as Jeremiah Ripley, Stocker Wharton, Nathaniel Shaw, Jr., Sarah Deming, Jedediah Huntington, Eliphalet Dyer, Jabez Hatch, and Edmund Quincy. May 1775 | |||||||||
| Note: Transcripts available | |||||||||||
| 1 | 9 | Correspondence concerning such men as Eliphalet Dyer, John Ripley, William Ledyard, Christopher Leffingwell, Nathaniel Hazard, William Hubbard, and Elisha Avery. June 1775 | |||||||||
| 1 | 10 | Correspondence concerning such men as Moses Gill, William Townsend, Elisha Phelps, George Wyllys, Henry Hill, and Samuel Williams. July 1775 | |||||||||
| 1 | 11 | Correspondence concerning such men as Charles Nightingale, William Tallman, Joshua Smith, Tristram Dalton, and Joseph Cutler. August 1-4, 1775 | |||||||||
| 1 | 12 | Correspondence concerning such men as William Hunt, Jabez Huntington, Thomas Mumford, Edmund Quincy, Christian Harnes, and Joshua Smith. August 5-8, 1775 | |||||||||
| Note: transcript available | |||||||||||
| 1 | 13 | Correspondence concerning such men as Moses Emerson, Moses Gill, Jedediah Huntington, Christopher Leffingwell, Thomas Mumford, Horatio Gates, and Edmund Quincy. August 9-13, 1775 | |||||||||
| Note: transcript available | |||||||||||
| 1 | 14 | Correspondence concerning such men as Joseph Blaney, Moses Emerson, Jedediah Huntington, Pelatiah Webster, Christopher Leffingwell, and Thomas Mumford. August 14-31, 1775 | |||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 2 | 1 | Correspondence concerning such men as Tristram Dalton, Samuel Parsons, Eliphalet Dyer, Alex Shepard, William Hubbard, Moses Emerson, Walter Livingston, and Andrew Huntington. September 1-15, 1775 | |||||||||
| 2 | 2 | Correspondence concerning such men as Jabez Huntington, Jonathan Lovell, Christopher Leffingwell, Silas Deane, Jonathan Trumbull, Sr., Tristram Dalton, and Jedediah Huntington. September 16-20, 1775 | |||||||||
| 2 | 3 | Correspondence concerning such men as William Tallman, Tristram Dalton, William Loring, and Thomas Mumford. September 21-30, 1775 | |||||||||
| 2 | 4 | Correspondence concerning such men as Nathaniel Shaw, Jr., Elisha Avery, William Bassell, Samuel Squier, and Thomas Mumford. October 1775 | |||||||||
| 2 | 5 | Correspondence concerning such men as Anthony Ellsworth, Christopher Leffingwell, Jabez Huntington, Thomas Mumford, Samuel Broome, and William Tallman. November 1775 | |||||||||
| 2 | 6 | Correspondence concerning such men as David Trumbull, Jonathan Fitch, Nathaniel Shaw, Jr., Daniel Gray, Christopher Leffingwell, Daniel Gray, and Joshua Hooper. December 1775 | |||||||||
| 2 | 7 | Correspondence concerning such men as Clark & Nightingale, Tristram Dalton, Samuel Parsons, Eliphalet Dyer, Alex Shepard, William Hubbard, Moses Emerson, Walter Livingston, and Andrew Huntington. January 1776 | |||||||||
| 2 | 8 | Correspondence concerning such men as William Cooper, Joseph Farnsworth, Eliphalet Dyer,William Bartlett, and Samuel Gray. February 1776 | |||||||||
| 2 | 9 | Correspondence concerning such men as Jabez Huntington, Joseph Gale, William Tallman, Eliphalet Dyer, Christopher Leffingwell, Thomas Mumford, and Samuel Huntington. March 1776 | |||||||||
| 2 | 10 | Correspondence concerning such men as Robert Ogden, Samuel Squier, Jabez Huntington, Peter Colt, Henry Champion, and Elisha Avery. April 1-14, 1776 | |||||||||
| 2 | 11 | Correspondence concerning such men as Elisha Avery, Christopher Leffingwell, Peter Colt, Thomas Mumford, David Trumbull, and Robert Ogden. April 15-30, 1776 | |||||||||
| 2 | 12 | Correspondence concerning such men as Thaddeus Burr, Nathaniel Shaw, Jr., Peter Colt, Jabez Huntington, Walter Livingston, and Thomas Cogswell. May 1776 | |||||||||
| 2 | 13 | Correspondence concerning such men as Jabez Bowen, Nathan Miller, Walter Livingston, Nathaniel Shaw, Jr., Thaddeus Burr, Peter Colt, Robert Ogden, Thomas Mumford, and Christopher Leffingwell. June 1-14, 1776 | |||||||||
| 2 | 14 | Correspondence concerning such men as Walter Livingston, Robert Benson, Andrew Huntington, Joshua Huntington, John Collins, Moses Emerson, and Samuel Squier. June 15-30, 1776 | |||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 3 | 1 | Correspondence concerning such men as James Bowdoin, Christopher Leffingwell, Eliphalet Dyer, Robert Ogden, Stephen Gorham, and Oliver Phelps. July 1-24, 1776 | |||||||||
| 3 | 2 | Correspondence concerning such men as Moses Emerson, Christopher Leffingwell, Walter Livingston, Robert Ogden, and John Morgan. July 25 - August 1776 | |||||||||
| 3 | 3 | Correspondence concerning such men as Peter Colt, William Hoskins, Nathaniel Shaw, Jr., and Andrew Huntington. September 1-16, 1776 | |||||||||
| 3 | 4 | Correspondence concerning such men as John Brown, Elijah Hollister, Peter Colt, Nathaniel Shaw, Jr., John Chester, and Walter Livingston. September 17-25, 1776 | |||||||||
| 3 | 5 | Correspondence concerning such men as Charles Miller, Samuel Squier, John McLean, Daniel Gray, and William Williams. September 26 - October 1776 | |||||||||
| 3 | 6 | Correspondence concerning such men as Andrew Huntington, Matthew Irvin, Robert Yates, and Peter Livingston. November 1-9, 1776 | |||||||||
| 3 | 7 | Correspondence concerning such men as Daniel Gray, Peter Phillips, Peter Colt, Oliver Phelps, Jabez Huntington, and Eliphalet Dyer. November 10-30, 1776 | |||||||||
| 3 | 8 | Correspondence concerning such men as Peter Livingston, Daniel Gray, Eliphalet Dyer, Charles Miller, and James Bate. December 1-15, 1776 | |||||||||
| 3 | 9 | Correspondence concerning such men as Samuel Webb, John Lloyd, Jr., Charles Miller, David Trumbull, and Silvanus Waterbury. December 16-31, 1776 | |||||||||
| 3 | 10 | Correspondence concerning such men as Peter Livingston, William Douglas, John McLean, Peter Colt, Henry Hill, and Charles Miller. January 1777 | |||||||||
| 3 | 11 | Correspondence concerning such men as Jonathan Warren, Peter Phillips, William Hoskins, Oliver Phelps, Jedediah Huntington, and James Stevenson. February 1777 | |||||||||
| 3 | 12 | Correspondence concerning such men as Christopher Leffingwell, John McLean, David Trumbull, James Bate, and Elisha Avery. March 1 - April 14, 1777 | |||||||||
| 3 | 13 | Correspondence concerning such men as Nicholas Brown, David Cheever, Daniel Gray, George Fisher, and Charles Miller. April 15-30, 1777 | |||||||||
| 3 | 14 | Correspondence concerning such men as William Graham, Thomas Jones, James Bate, John Fitzgerald, and Abiel Leonard. May 1-6, 1777 | |||||||||
| 3 | 15 | Correspondence concerning such men as William Aylett, Jonathan Wadsworth, Thomas Richardson, John Hancock, James Bate, and William Gordon. May 7-14, 1777 | |||||||||
| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 4 | 1 | Correspondence concerning such men as James Bate, Clement Biddle, Joseph Ward, and Joseph Nousse. May 15-30, 1777 | |||||||||
| 4 | 2 | Correspondence concerning such men as Alexander Hamilton, James Lovell, John Carter, Jonathan Trumbull, Sr., and Eliphalet Dyer. June 1777 | |||||||||
| 4 | 3 | Correspondence concerning such men as John Scollay, Timothy Pickering, Charles Miller, and Oliver Phelps. July 1-9, 1777 | |||||||||
| 4 | 4 | Correspondence concerning such men as James Lovell, Jedidiah Rogers, Elisha Avery, and Eliphalet Dyer. July 10-31, 1777 | |||||||||
| 4 | 5 | Correspondence concerning such men as Jeremiah Wadsworth, Samuel Parsons, Charles Miller, and Eliphalet Dyer. August - September 1777 | |||||||||
| 4 | 6 | Correspondence concerning such men as David Redick, John Hancock, Elisha Avery, Eliphalet Dyer, and William Hubbard. October 1777 | |||||||||
| 4 | 7 | Correspondence concerning such men as Nathaniel Irwin, James Bate, Horatio Gates, and Moses Emerson. November 1777 | |||||||||
| 4 | 8 | Correspondence concerning such men as James Bate, Christopher Leffingwell, Eliphalet Dyer, and Jedediah Huntington. December 1777 | |||||||||
| 4 | 9 | Correspondence concerning such men as Moses Church, Charles Thomson, James Lovell, Charles Miller, William Hoskins, Samuel Eliot, and Eliphalet Dyer. 1778 | |||||||||
| 4 | 10 | Correspondence concerning such men as William Williams, David Trumbull, and Henry Broomfield. 1779-1791 | |||||||||
| 4 | 11 | Correspondence concerning such men as Eleazer Fitch, David Trumbull, and Jonathan Trumbull, Jr. 1753-1791 | |||||||||
| 4 | 12 | Fragments of correspondence; autographs; accounts. 1753-1778 | |||||||||
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Return to the Table of Contents II. Receipts, Bills, and Accounts |
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| Box | Folder | ||||||||||
| 4 | 13 | Joshua Smith's receipts. 1775-1778 | |||||||||
| 4 | 14 | Receipts and accounts. 1775 | |||||||||
| 4 | 15 | Accounts. 1756-1774 | |||||||||
| 4 | 16 | Receipts. 1776 | |||||||||
| 4 | 17 | Receipts. 1777 | |||||||||
| 4 | 18 | Receipts, bills, accounts. 1778-1779 | |||||||||