Brother Jonathans Images, No.

8
(First issued 3 January 2006 as Random Rebels, No. 1)

Captain Samuel Blodget, Jr., 2d New Hampshire Regiment or New Hampshire Militia
Artist: John Trumbull
Year: circa 1786
Collection: Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond


Note: In the interest of accurate attribution, this edition of Brother Jonathans
Images is actually a forgotten precursor of Gregory Urwins short-lived series
Continental Images. We reissue it here with a mix of Dr. Urwins original narrative,
augmented with additional information provided by Eric Schnitzer, Saratoga
National Historic Park, and the Brother Jonathan consortium.
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To begin, there were two Samuel Blodgets, father (1724-1807) and son (1757-1814),. Eric
Schnitzer pointed this out in his response to the original 2006 edition. Add to that, there is a
single entry for Samuel Blodget in Francis Heitmans Historical Register of Officers of the
Continental Army (1914 edition), which leaves us with a quandary. Heitman notes Blodget
was a 2d lieutenant in Col. Asa Whitcombs 6th Continental Regiment raised in Massachusetts
(Capt. Abner Cranstons company as per the National Archives muster rolls). His commission
dated from 1 January 1776, and was promoted captain in June of the same year. On 8
November 1776 Blodget was appointed captain in the 2d New Hampshire Regiment
commanded by Col. Enoch Poor, and later Lt. Col. Nathan Hale. His final year of military
service was in 1777; having been wounded on 7 July at Skenesborough, New York , Captain
Blodget retired the following December. All well and good, but it begs the question, which
Blodget? The oft-found answer is that Samuel the elder was the Continental Army officer,
while the younger Blodget was a New Hampshire militia captain, and served at the Battle of
Princeton. Unfortunately, the New Hampshire service records give no age for the Continental
captain, and no sources are given to back up the claim of Samuel, juniors stint in the militia,
or the unlikely claim regarding his presence at Princeton on 3 January 1777. Perhaps tellingly,
both men are noted to have resigned from service in December 1777.
So, before continuing, I leave it up to the reader what to believe: That Samuel Blodget, Jr.
was the man referred to by Heitman, began his service as an 18 year old ensign in 1776, and
in November, at 19 years of age, received his commission in the 2d New Hampshire Regiment?
Or, that Samuel, senior, with prior military experience, was a 51 year old ensign in 1776, was
promoted to captain in June 1776, and continued in the service until retiring at age 53 in
December 1777.
In any case, the featured portrait is certainly that of Samuel Blodget the younger.
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Samuel Blodget, Jr., was born to a good family in Goffstown, New Hampshire, on August
28, 1757. With the outbreak of the American War, he joined the New Hampshire Militia
and was commissioned a captain [as noted, this claim is made without any proof]. He
served for seventeen months [one source says one year], fighting at the Battle of Princeton
on January 3, 1777. Deciding he preferred commerce to the dangers and hardships of
military life, Blodget resigned in December 1777.
Blodget relocated to Boston and made a quick fortune in the East India trade. In 1789,
he moved to Philadelphia, the largest and most important city in the young United States,
as well as the young republics capital. Two years later, Blodget became one of the
directors of the Insurance Company of North America. He also enhanced his position that
year by marrying well. His wife, Rebecca Smith, was the beautiful daughter of Rev. William
Smith, provost of the University of Pennsylvania. (Mrs. Blodgets portrait by Gilbert Stuart
also appears here. Samuel and Rebecca must have made a handsome couple.)

In addition to an aptitude for business, Blodget turned out to be a talented amateur
architect. He designed the First Bank of the United States, which became one of
Philadelphias most striking buildings. Completed in 1795, it was the first structure in the
young republic to have a marble faade. It still stands opposite the site of the Museum of
the American Revolution, currently under construction and expected to open at the end of
2016. It is the oldest bank building in the United States and the countrys oldest surviving
neo-classical building.
After the federal government decided to build a new federal capital along the Potomac
River, Blodget became intensely interested in the project and began buying real estate on
the future site of Washington, D.C. In addition to this bit of speculation, Blodget launched a
campaign to raise funds to equip the Federal City with suitably grand administrative
buildings. In 1792, he entered a competition to design the national capitol building. His
plans were based on the Maison Carre and featured a large dome and four Corinthian
porticoes. Blodget did not win the competition, but his drawings so impressed the
Commissioners of the Federal City that they appointed him Superintendent of Buildings in
1793. While the commissioners remained in Philadelphia to enjoy the comforts of an
established metropolis, Blodget would represent them in the rising capital. After a year,
however, Blodgets position was abolished. Unwilling to see his vision die, Blodget tapped
his own resources to design new buildings. He tried to raise additional funds by running
lotteries for the sale of Washington real estate, putting up his own property as security for
paying the promised prizes. Unfortunately, the scheme failed due to a lack of public
interest. Blodget went bankrupt and then suffered the indignity of being imprisoned for
debt.


Samuel Blodget Jr., Portrait by John Trumbull, circa 1784. National Portrait Gallery,
NPG.2013.29. http://1814.baltimoreheritage.org/samuel-blodget-merchant-
economist-and-amateur-architect-dies-penniless-at-a-baltimore-hospital/

Prison robbed Blodget of much of his ambition and optimism, and he became less active
in public affairs. He could not, however, surrender all his grand dreams for his countrys
future. Before his release, he began soliciting funds to create a national university. This
became his main interest in life, but he only managed to raise $7,000 for this purpose. He
died in obscurity in a Baltimore hospital on April 11, 1814.
It is believed that John Trumbull painted Blodget in 1786 when both men were in
London. Trumbull had just completed The Death of General Warren at the Battle of
Bunkers Hill, and it is possible he painted Blodget as a study for his depiction of the death
of Brigadier General Hugh Mercer at the Battle of Princeton. Apparently, Trumbull
ultimately decided to not include Blodgets likeness in that larger work.


John Trumbulls sketch of Brig. Gen. Hugh Mercer, likely based on one of his sons, Hugh, Jr. or
William. The latter apprenticed under C.W. Peale, and later produced a painting of the Battle
of Princeton (circa 1779-1786)

In the 1786 Trumbull painting, Blodget appears in a white linen hunting shirt with the
customary fringe. Under his hunting shirt, he wears a scarlet waistcoat unbuttoned at the
top to expose the ruffle of his white shirt. He wears no neck stock, roller, or cravat. His
legwear poses something of a puzzle. It could be that he is wearing a pair of white linen
trousers with fringe. This garment has a strip of horizontal fringe sewn on each leg just
below the knee. The trousers are worn with black leather garters. The bottoms of the
trouser legs are stuffed inside black half gaiters, which cover Blodgets black leather
shoes. Blodget swings his black hat with his left arm, as if to beckon his troops forward
into battle. He is armed with a rifle and a sword that hangs down his left side. [His firelock
may be a fusil or a rifle, though rifled longarms were much more common from
Pennsylvania to the Carolinas. Smoothbore fusils were commonly carried by early war
Continental Army and British officers.] His only accoutrement is a powder horn that rides
on the right side of his torso from a leather strap slung over his left shoulder. A crimson
waist sash knotted on Blodgets right side denotes his status as an officer.
This painting was offered for sale early in the 20
th
century to the federal government that
Blodget had served so selflessly. In 1912, some congressman drafted a bill to purchase it
for no more than $700, but the legislation never passed. The painting was rediscovered in
1986 in a collection in southern England.
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In Samuel Carroll Derbys work, A List of The Revolutionary Soldiers of Dublin, N.H.
(Columbus, Ohio, 1901), the elder Blodgets biography is as follows:

SAMUEL BLODGETT of Goffstown, b. 1724, Woburn, Mass.; d. Goffstown, 1807. Capt.
Blodgett was a man of great energy and business capacity, who took part in many
enterprises. He saw service in the Louisburg expedition, was a sutler in the Crown
Point campaign of 1757, and had a narrow escape from death at the surrender of Fort
William Henry. In 1775, he was sutler in Sullivan's brigade at Winter Hill. Since he was
more than fifty years old at the beginning of the war, he did less active service, yet, in
1777, commanded a company in Col. Nathan Hale's regiment, but resigned his
captaincy, Dec. 22, 1777. Captain Blodgett was accounted the wealthiest citizen of
Goffstown, and was prominent in its affairs, civil and religious. He had been a justice
under the royal government, 1774, a fact which shows that he was an influential
citizen. ADDITIONS AND CORRECTIONS, OCTOBER, 1904.Capt. Samuel Blodgett, b.
Apr. 1, 1724; d. Sept., 1807.



In January 2006 a sword owned by either father or son was sold by Christies for
$132,000.00. Information from their website is appended (note the discussion of military
service; no mention is made any connection with the Continental Army):

Lot Description
THE SAMUEL BLODGET SILVER-MOUNTED SWORD AND SCABBARD**
The hilt and scabbard mount signed by John Bailey (c.1737-1815), Verplanck's Point,
New York, 1776-1778
With ivory and silver-wire wrapped hilt. The underside of the quillon with maker's
mark, Bailey; the steel blade marked ANDREA on one side and FERARA on the other
with turbaned Moor's head touchmarks; the leather scabbard with upper silver mount
engraved on the obverse, S. Blodget and on the reverse J. Bailey Verplank's Point;
the lower silver mount engraved Capt. D. Jewell West Point 1778
33 in. long (the sword), 27 in. long (the scabbard)



Provenance
Probably Samuel Blodget, Jr. (1757-1814) or possibly his father, Samuel Blodget
(1724-1807)
Daniel Jewell (1744-1831), Stratham, New Hampshire
Thence by descent in the Jewell family
Purchased from Katrina Kipper, Accord, Massachusetts, July 1929
As suggested by inscriptions on the scabbard, the sword was owned by S. Blodget
and D. Jewell. Blodget was most likely the first owner as his name appears at the top of
the scabbard, the engraving is similar to Bailey's signature, and the descent of the
sword in the Jewell family indicates that Jewell was the later owner. According to
Katrina Kipper, who sold the sword to Mrs. Blair in 1929, S. Blodget stands for Samuel
Blodget (or Blodgett) (1724-1807), who was born in Woburn, Massachusetts, served
during the French and Indian War and was a Judge in Goffstown, New Hampshire.
However, there is no indication that he was in service from 1776 to 1778, the years in
which this sword is thought to have been made. Instead, his son, Samuel Blodget, Jr.
(1757-1814) is known to have served as a Captain in the New Hampshire militia from
the outbreak of the War until December 1777, and it is quite possible that he was the
first owner of the sword. Portrayed by John Trumbull in 1786 (fig. 1), the younger
Blodget later became a prominent figure in civic buildings projects and was the
designer of the first Bank of the United States (see www.
europeanpaintings.com/exhibits/xviiicent/trumblod.htm). Furthermore, the younger
Blodget's resignation in late 1777 coincides neatly with the 1778 date on the Jewell
engraved mount and it is possible that on his way home from active duty, Blodget gave
or sold his sword to Jewell. As noted by Katrina Kipper, the Jewell referred to was
Daniel Jewell (1744-1831) of Stratham, New Hampshire and was purchased from one
of his descendants (Katrina Kipper, untitled notes on the history of the sword, August
6, 1929, Blair Collection Papers).
http://www.christies.com/lotfinder/lot/the-samuel-blodget-silver-mounted-
sword-the-hilt-4639343-details.aspx?intObjectID=4639343#top


Hunting shirt, made circa 1785-90. Barring the three-inch standing collar and very
small cape, the construction of this garment is similar to those made during the War
for American Independence, 1775-1783. (Courtesy of the Museum of the American
Revolution, Philadelphia, Pa.)

For more on this garment see:
Neal Thomas Hurst, Kind of armour, being peculiar to America: The American
Hunting Shirt
http://www.academia.edu/3336557/_kind_of_armour_being_peculiar_to_Ame
rica_The_American_Hunting_Shirt
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Brother Jonathans Images Consortium
Neal T. Hurst tailor@nhursttailor.com
John U. Rees
R. Scott Stephenson
Matthew C. White

The British were very civil, and indeed they generally were after they had received a check from
Brother Jonathan for any of their rude actions. Connecticut soldier Joseph Plumb Martin writing
in his 1830 memoir of the October 1776 Battle of White Plains.

It will give you great pleasure to hear that we gave Brother Jonathan a good trimming the other
day we marched [at night] in two columns, so as to be able to beat up his Lordships [Maj. Gen.
William Alexander, Lord Stirlings] Quarters at day Break, the Right Column under Lord Cornwallis
in which I had taken was to command an advanced Squadron fell in with just a little after day Break
& we drove them Above the distance of eight Miles from height to height till at last Brother
Jonathan thought better to go quite off, we killed I believe a great many (though I cant say I saw
many as we push[ed] on so quick,) Capt. Thomas Stanley, 17
th
Light Dragoon Regiment, writing
of the Battle of Short Hills on 26 June 1777, from Camp near New York July 15 1777.
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