Artist John Trumbull was born on June 6, 1756, in Lebanon, Connecticut. Trumbull’s father was the governor of Connecticut and the family was descended from early Puritan settlers in the state. As a child, Trumbull suffered an accident that cost him the use of one eye. He went on to attend Harvard at the age of 15, graduating in 1773. Like many patriots of his time, Trumbull joined the Continental Army at the outbreak of hostilities in the Revolutionary War. His drawing skills were particularly valued as he was able to provide sketches of the British works in Boston. He was present at the Battle of Bunker Hill and was later made a second personal aide to George Washington. Trumbull was then made deputy adjutant-general to Horatio Gates but resigned from the army in 1777 over a dispute over the date of his officer commission.