He was born in Lebanon, Connecticut. He attended Nathan Tisdale's school at Lebanon, and was graduated from Harvard college, devoting his leisure to painting, in which art he attracted much attention. He taught Tisdale's school,on the outbreak of the Revolutionary war, went to Boston as adjutant of the 1st Connecticut regiment with Col. Joseph Spencer.He conceived the idea of painting historical pictures of scenes of the American Revolution, and went to Paris, where he painted The Declaration of Independence and the Sortie from Gibraltar. Among his other historical paintings are The Battle of Bunker Hill; Battle of Quebec, Surrender of Lord Cornwallis, Surrender of General Burgoyne.