The Origin of Brother Jonathan
WHEN General Washington, after being appointed commander of the army of the Revolutionary War, went to Massachusetts to organize it, he found a great want of ammunition and other means of defense, and on one occasion it seemed that no means could be devised for the necessary safety. Jonathan Trumbull, the elder, was then governor of the State of Connecticut, and the general, placing the greatest reliance on his excellency's judgment, remarked: "We must consult Brother Jonathan on the subject." The general did so, and the governor was successful in supplying many of the wants of the army; thenceforward, when difficulties arose, and the army was spread over the country, it became a by-phrase, "We must consult Brother Jonathan." —Gleanings for the Curious.