184 MMiscellanies. 
He was born at Cheshire, near New-Haven, and died of the pre- 
vailing epidemic Jan. 31st, 1832, at the age of 78, with his faculties 
and even his eye-sight unimpaired. With only one serviceable eye, 
he engraved the finest lines without glasses. 
Self-taught, he at the age of 21, first commenced the business of 
an engraver, having previously served a regular apprenticeship with 
a silver-smith. For more than half a century, he industriously ap- 
plied himself to this art, and it is believed that he accomplished more 
personal labor in it than any other individual living. When the news 
of the Battle of Lexington arrived in New-Haven, Mr. Doolittle, 
with forty other members of the Governor’s Guard, immediately 
went on to Cambridge as volunteers under Captain Benedict Arnold, 
(afterwards General Arnold,*) who then commanded the company. 
While they were at Cambridge, Mr. D. visited the battle ground at 
Lexington, and upon his return to New-Haven, he made an engra- 
ving ¢ of the action, which was his first attempt in this art. In this 
print, the British troops under Maj. Pitcairn are represented as 
firing on the Americans, a number of whom have fallen, with the 
blood streaming from their wounds. The representation though 
somewhat rude, had at that time a great effect in exciting and sus- 
taining the patriotism of the country. This print is believed to be 
the first regular Historical Engraving ever executed in America, and 
it is somewhat remarkable, that about three weeks previous to Mr. 
D’s death, the last day on which he was able to perform any engra- 
ving, he was engaged on a copy of this print, which after a lapse of 
fifty-seven years is republished in Mr. Barber’s useful little work, 
the History and Antiquities of New-Haven. 
There were three other historical prints executed by Mr. Doolittle 
in relation to the expedition to Lexington and Concord, -and it is 
not uninteresting to trace in this country, the progress of the fine 
arts of painting and engraving during half a century, from this hum- 
ble beginning, to the historical pictures of Col. Trumbull, four of 
which adorn the Capitol at Washington; the eight originals will 
soon be deposited in his native State. The art of engraving re- 
mained ina humble state in this country many years after Mr. Doo- 
little’s youthful essays, and he was becoming an old man at the 
* General Arnold was then a citizen of New-Haven and a large house which he 
erected there, is still in perfect order, 
t The drawing was by Earl. 
