Part 45

1815. BONAPARTE attacked the Prussian posts of Sombref, St. Amand and Ligny, under prince Blucher. The contest was very severe, and the Prussian loss very great; they notwithstanding kept their position until after night, when they retreated upon Wavre. Blucher had a horse killed under him, and narrowly escaped with his life. Ligny was taken and retaken several times. At the same time Bonaparte attacked the British troops under Wellington, at Quartre Bras, and compelled him to fall back upon Gemappe. The loss of the allies was very severe.

1818. The village of Bagnes, in Switzerland, overwhelmed by the giving away of an ice barrier.

1818. Irruption of lake Mauvoisin, in the Alps, occasioned by the bursting of its icy mound, by which six hundred millions cubic feet of water were in an instant let loose upon the beautiful valley of the Drana, carrying before its overwhelming torrent every vestige of civilized life which stood within its reach.

1819. An earthquake near Poonah, in the East Indies, swallowed up a large district and more than 2000 persons.

1821. JOHN BALLANTYNE, the confidential printer of sir Walter Scott's Waverly novels, died at Edinburgh. He also established the _Kelso Mail_, a respectable provincial paper, yet in existence.

1830. An eruption of mount Etna, which destroyed eight villages, and buried many of the inhabitants under the ruins of their houses.

1831. The president of Hayti ordered all the French white inhabitants to leave the island before the 15th July.

1843. Died at Boston, whither he had accompanied president Tyler to attend the Bunker Hill celebration, HUGH S. LEGARE, a distinguished American statesman.

1843. Count WITTGENSTEIN, the Russian field marshal, who distinguished himself in the wars with Napoleon, died at St. Petersburg, aged 87.

1851. TOM JOHNSON, a Norwegian, died at the Naval asylum, Philadelphia, aged 100; the last survivor of the gallant crew who fought with Paul Jones, in the desperate conflict with the Serapis in 1799.

1852. The sultan of Turkey issued a firman granting new rights and privileges to his Christian subjects.

1854. The siege of Silistria raised; the Turks made a sortie, causing a complete defeat of the Russians, forcing them to recross the Danube in all haste, took several standards and a great quantity of baggage, and killed or severely wounded five Russian generals.

1857. A riot took place in the city of New York, occasioned by a dispute about the public offices, there having been two sets appointed by different authorities. Mayor Wood was arrested for assault and battery.

JUNE 17.

431 B. C. The dictator TUBERTUS POSTHUMUS gained a victory over the Æqui and Volsci, inconsiderable but noxious enemies of the commonwealth.

1081. ROBERT GUISCARD opened the famous siege of Durazzo, now in European Turkey, on the gulf of Venice.

1272. An attempt made to assassinate Edward I of England in his tent at Acre, by a messenger of the emir of Joppa. He received the blow on his arm, grappled with the assassin, and throwing him on the ground despatched him with his own dagger. The life of the prince was saved by his wife, who sucked the poison from the wound.

1458. ALFONSO V, of Arragon (_the magnanimous_), died. He made himself master of Naples and Sicily; aside from his exploits as a warrior, he was a learned man and the patron of learning, and the father of his people.

1614. WILLIAM BATHE, an Irish Jesuit, died. He was rector of an Irish school at Salamanca, and a writer on music and divinity.

1639. The king and his Scottish subjects met at Dunse, in Scotland, and agreed that matters ecclesiastical should be decided by an assembly, civil matters by parliament.

1658. Dunkirk surrendered to the French, and by them put into the hands of the English.

1673. Father MARQUETTE, and JOLIET a citizen of Quebec, employed by M. Talon for the discovery of the Mississippi, entered that noble river. They descended to within three days' journey of the gulf of Mexico.

1685. The unfortunate duke of Argyle taken in a morass.

1696. JOHN SOBIESKI, king of Poland, died. He distinguished himself on many occasions in the Polish wars but the greatest of his exploits was the raising of the siege of Vienna, by which Europe was saved from the calamities consequent upon an irruption of the Turks.

1719. JOSEPH ADDISON, editor of the _Spectator_, died. He was the ornament of his age and country, and his writings will long continue to be read and admired.

1734. LOUIS HECTOR VILLARS, peer of France, died, aged 82. He early adopted the profession of arms, and distinguished himself through a long life as a brave and efficient officer.

1740. WILLIAM WYNDHAM, an eminent English statesman, died. His abilities led to his promotion to the highest offices in the state.

1745. Louisbourg, cape Breton, taken from the French by the British and Massachusetts forces, under governor Shirley and admiral sir Peter Warren.

1761. The first English "navigation canal" opened, extending from Worsley to Manchester, 18 miles. It originated with Scroope, duke of Bridgewater.

1775. Battle of Bunker's hill, and burning of Charlestown by the British. The Americans were defeated with the loss of 453 killed, wounded and missing. The killed, and those who died of their wounds were 139, including general Warren. British loss, 1,054, of whom 226 were killed, and among them colonel Abercromby and major Pitcairn, who occasioned the first shedding of blood at Lexington.

1776. British transports, George and Arabella, captured in Boston bay by six American privateers. Among the prisoners taken was the honorable Archibald Campbell, and 271 Highlanders.

1780. Bank opened in Philadelphia for supplying the army with provisions, and £189,000 subscribed, payable in gold and silver.

1788. Convention at Poughkeepsie, N. Y., to consider the federal constitution.

1789. The tiers etat, of France, were joined by the whole body of inferior clergy with some nobles. They constituted themselves into a legislative body, and took the name of national assembly.

1791. SELINA, countess of Huntington, died. From habits of gaiety and dissipation, she became suddenly grave and pious, and was distinguished by very extensive charities.

1792. Battle of Zielime, in which the Polish army was defeated by a superior force of Russians. The action lasted from 7 in the morning till 5 in the evening. Loss of the Russians 4,000; that of the Poles 1,100.

1794. Ypres, in Belgium, surrendered to the French under Moreau. Four battalions of Austrians, 6 of Hessians, 2 of Baden, 200 horse chasseurs, 150 Austrian cannoniers, were taken prisoners, with 140 cannon.

1799. First day's battle of the Trebia, between the French under Macdonald, and the Russians and Austrians under Suwarrow. The French were compelled to fall back.

1807. Konigsberg, the capital of Prussia proper, taken by the French under Soult. Immense stores, with nearly 300 loaded vessels, 160,000 stand of arms, &c., were taken.

1810. JAMES CHALMERS, printer to the city and university of Aberdeen, and proprietor of the _Aberdeen Journal_, died.

1812. The _Decameron_ of Boccacio, a single volume small folio, printed in 1471, sold at the sale of the duke of Roxburgh's library to the marquis of Blandford, for £2,260.

1814. HENRY TRESHAM died; an Irish poet and painter of merit.

1815. The allied army under Wellington fell back on Waterloo, and Blucher to Wavre. The earl of Uxbridge made a brilliant charge of cavalry at Gemappe.

1815. British order in council, forbidding the Americans to use the British territories for purposes connected with the Newfoundland fisheries.

1825. Corner stone of Bunker hill monument laid with great and enthusiastic ceremonies; Lafayette being present.

1839. WILLIAM BENTINCK, an English statesman, died. He had sustained many high public offices, was a general in the army, and ten years governor-general of India.

1850. The steamer Griffith on lake Erie was burnt and 300 lives lost.

1852. THOMAS BUFFUM died, aged 75; an active man in the political history of Rhode Island, who had filled with credit many offices of honor and trust.

1852. JOHN TRIMBLE, a Kentucky judge, died, aged 69; having sustained the character of an able and upright man.

1852. WILLIAM KING, first governor of Maine, died, aged 84. He removed to Bath early in the present century, and his name is identified most intimately with all that relates to the separation from Massachusetts, and the adoption of the state constitution. He held various civil offices with ability and fidelity.

1852. The city of Sonora, in California, was nearly destroyed by fire.

1854. SEWARD BARCULO, a New York jurist of distinction, died, aged 50. He was chosen justice of the supreme court at the first judicial election held under the new state constitution.

1854. JOSIAH HOLBROOK, a distinguished advocate of popular education, died, aged 65. He was a native of Derby, Ct., and graduated at Yale college in 1810. He was very successful in diffusing among the young a love for the study of mineralogy and geology. He lost his life by accidently falling into Blackrock creek, near Lynchburg, Va., while on a geological excursion.

JUNE 18.

64. The conflagration of Rome, attributed by Nero to the Christians, which was the ostensible cause of the first persecution. (See 24th June.)

741. LEO III (_Isaurian_), emperor of Constantinople, died. He was the son of a cobbler, and disgraced the imperial dignity by acts of barbarity and tyranny. He was the enemy of learning and learned men, and set fire to the valuable library of his capital, by which 30,000 volumes were destroyed, besides many of the choicest paintings and medals.

1053. Battle of Civitella; the forces of the pope, Leo IX, routed by Robert Guiscard, the Norman.

1314. EDWARD II marched upon Scotland from Berwick, with his vast army.

1429. Battle of Patray, in France; the English under Talbot defeated by Joan of Arc, with the loss of 1,500 slain, and 1,000 taken. It was in this conflict that the notable sir John Falstaff, considering discretion to be the better part of valor, dropped his _thirsty lance_, and ran away.

1538. Truce for 10 years between Charles V of Germany, and Francis I of France. Hostilities were renewed three years after.

1580. The colony of Virginia discouraged with their losses and various misfortunes embarked for England.

1588. ROBERT CROWLEY, a scholar, preacher and printer, died. One of his principal works was in metre, entitled:

Pleasure and pain, heaven and hell, Remember these four and all shall be well.

1602. The fort and store house built by Gosnold on Elizabeth island for a settlement, was abandoned in consequence of discontents arising among those who were to have remained in the country, and the whole company returned to England. The ruins of this ephemeral settlement were seen as late as 1797.

1616. THOMAS BILSON, a celebrated English divine, died. He was distinguished for his eloquence as a preacher, and his learning as a theological writer and controversialist. He was one of the two final correctors of the present translation of the Bible.

1621. The first duel in New England fought by two servants with sword and dagger, both of whom were wounded. For this outrage they were sentenced to lie 24 hours with their heads and feet tied together.

1633. CHARLES I, of England, crowned king of Scotland at Holyrood house, by the archbishop of St. Andrews.

1667. WILLIAM RAWLEY, an English divine, died. He was chaplain to Charles I and II, and also to Bacon, whose works he edited.

1675. Battle of Fehrbellin; the elector Frederick William, at the head of 6,000 cavalry, attacked the Swedish invading army under the celebrated Wrangel, and gained a complete victory.

1684. The English court of chancery gave judgment for the king against the governor and company of Massachusetts; their charter was declared forfeited, and their liberties were seized into the king's hands.

1697. RICHARD, earl of Bellomont, was appointed to succeed colonel Fletcher as governor of New York.

1718. An earthquake extended through several inland provinces of China, by which the gates and walls of cities were thrown down. The city of Yong-ning-tchin was entirely swallowed up, and several mountains were thrown over a plain to the distance of about two leagues.

1741. FRANCIS POURFOUR died; a French physician and skillful herbalist.

1749. AMBROSE PHILIPS, an English poet, died. He wrote also for the stage with some success, although his performances were ridiculed by Pope.

1756. Calcutta, in India, taken by Surajah Dowla: of 146 prisoners put into a dungeon called the "black hole," 123 were suffocated.

1756. Minorca surrendered to the French by the British general Blakeney. The British had taken it from the Spaniards in 1708.

1757. Battle of Kolin; the Prussians under Frederick II defeated by the Austrians under count Daun, with the loss of 8,000 killed and wounded. Frederick lost his battle through the rash bravery of one of his generals.

1764. Lighthouse at Sandyhook first put in operation.

1772. GERARD VAN SWIETEN, a Dutch physician, died. He settled in Vienna, where he became a distinguished practitioner, and his memory is still held in great veneration by the profession there.

1776. Gen. BURGOYNE entered St. Johns, Canada, the Americans having evacuated it, and burnt the fort and barracks.

1779. British West India island St. Vincent, surrendered to the French under Romain and d'Estaing.

1783. The volcano of Skaptar Jokul, in Iceland, which had recently become very active, poured out an immense amount of lava, which, taking a new direction, dammed up the streams, and caused great destruction of property and lives. After flowing several days it was precipitated down the cataract of Stapafoss, where it filled a profound abyss, which that great waterfall had been excavating for ages, and thence the fiery flood continued in its course.

1783. WASHINGTON announced to the governors of the several states his intended resignation of the command of the army.

1793. British frigate La Nymphe, capt. Pellew, captured French frigate Cleopatra, after an action of 55 minutes. French captain and about 60 of his men killed or wounded. The British loss 25 killed, 27 wounded. This was the first capture made after the declaration of war.

1795. Russian manifesto issued by gen. Thimothie Tutomlin, on taking possession of Russian Poland.

1799. Second day's battle of Trebia; French under Macdonald obliged to retire across the river by the Russians under Suwarrow.

1805. ARTHUR MURPHY, an English dramatic writer of eminence, died. Many of his plays still keep the stage. His translation of Tacitus is also in common use.

1811. RUTH PIERCE, the mother of sir Benjamin Thompson, count Rumford, died at Baldwin, Maine.

1812. United States declared war against England.

1815. Hostilities ceased between England and the United States throughout the world.

1815. Battle of Waterloo, in the Netherlands. The forces of the two armies are differently stated, but are supposed to have been about 75,000 each. The battle began about noon, and continued with great obstinacy till night, when the French were completely defeated with the loss of more than 30,000 men, 210 cannon, several military chests, and all Napoleon's baggage. The loss of the allies was probably upwards of 20,000. This great battle gave peace to Europe.

1823. WILLIAM COOMBE, a British author of considerable merit, died. He did not attach his name to his works.

1832. The duke of Wellington attacked by a mob in the streets of London--the anniversary of his victory at Waterloo.

1835. WILLIAM COBBETT, an English poetical and miscellaneous writer, died. He was a self-taught and self-made man, who for many years made a conspicuous figure in the politics of England, and was finally elected to parliament.

1841. The constitution of the newly constituted state of the isthmus of Panama publicly sworn to, and Dr. Thomas Herrara elected president.

1848. HENRY TOOLEY, a consistent member of the methodist episcopal church, the first masonic grand master in Mississippi, and a son not only but the father of temperance in Natchez, died there, aged 75.

1848. The city of Prague, which had revolted on the 12th, was bombarded and reduced to ruins.

1848. The Austrians defeated by the Piedmontese near Rivoli.

1848. Venice garrisoned by 13,000 Romans.

1848. Carlowitz bombarded.

1854. HENRIETTA SONTAG, one of first lyric artists of the day, died at Mexico, aged about 50.

1855. The allies made a combined attack upon the Malakoff and Redan towers, at Sebastopol, without success, and with a loss of 56 officers killed, 146 wounded and 17 prisoners; and 1,694 men killed or missing, and 2,690 wounded.

JUNE 19.

325. The first council of Nice began and continued to 25th August; present 318 bishops.

1215. JOHN, king of England, signed the famous magna charta, and the charter of the forests, in a meadow at Runnimede between Staines and Windsor. (See 29th.)

1312. PIERS GAVESTON, the favorite of Edward II, executed. In his elevation he was proud, overbearing and cruel, and the barons rose up against him, and accomplished his destruction.

1566. JAMES VI of Scotland and I of England, was born in a small room in Edinburgh castle.

1579. Maestricht, in Holland, taken by the Spaniards under the duke of Parma, after a siege of four months, during which about 8000 persons perished miserably. It was given up to pillage.

1619. The first assembly of Virginia met at Jamestown. The settlements had now become so numerous that 11 corporations appeared by their representatives to exercise the noblest function of freemen, the power of legislation.

1690. EZEKIEL HOPKINS, a learned English prelate died, aged 57.

1707. WILLIAM SHERLOCK, an eminent English divine, died, aged about 66; famous for his controversial works, in which he took sides against the dissenters, as also against Dr. South on the subject of the trinity.

1709. ISAAC PAPIN, a French divine, died. His views differed a hair from those of his sect, and persecution followed him from one country to another, till he finally took refuge with the catholics.

1715. NICHOLAS LEMERY, a French chemist, died, aged 70. He was ardently devoted to the science, and contributed much to spread a correct knowledge of it among the people by his lectures.

1720. JOHN MATTHEWS, aged about 18, was executed at Tyburn, for, while an apprentice, printing a political work.

1729. ROBERT KNELL, the compositor, and JOHN CLARK, the pressman, of _Mist's Journal_, were pilloried, but protected by their friends from being pelted by the mob.

1741. Admiral VERNON seized the castles of Carthagena, South America. The British were afterwards compelled to retire on account of pestilence.

1754. A convention of the states at Albany proposed a union for defence against the common enemy. Delegates were present from New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Maryland and New York.

1755. WILLIAM HAY died in England; remarkable for his deformity, on which he wrote an essay. He was a member of parliament, and an author of some merit.

1757. Action between British ship Experiment, 20 guns, 142 men, and French ship Telemaque, 26 guns, 460 men, in which the latter was captured with the loss of 125 killed, 110 wounded. It had been fitted out expressly to capture the Experiment, which had 12 killed, 36 wounded.

1781. Assault on fort Ninety-six, by the Americans under Gen. Greene, who were repulsed with the loss of 185. The Americans then abandoned the siege. British loss 85.

1783. HENRY LOYD, a military officer and writer, died. He was born in Wales, entered the service of Austria, and afterwards served in the armies of Prussia and Russia. On his return to England he produced several military works of great merit.

1786. NATHANIEL GREENE, an officer in the revolutionary army, died, aged 46. He was of quaker descent, born in Rhode Island. He distinguished himself at the battles of Trenton, Princeton, Germantown and Monmouth, and finally covered himself with glory at the battle of Eutaw Springs, which closed the war in South Carolina.

1794. French general DUMOURIER, arrived in London on his escape from the convention, but was ordered to depart the British dominions immediately.

1794. The Corsicans accepted their new constitution, and acknowledged George III their king.

1794. RICHARD HENRY LEE, a revolutionary patriot, died. He originated the first resistance to British oppression, and during the struggle continued to hold some important civil office, where his talents were conspicuous.

1798. BONAPARTE left Malta at the head of the French expedition which was destined for Egypt, leaving behind him 4,000 men under Gen. Vaubois, to regenerate the island after the pattern of the French republic.

1799. Third day's battle of Trebia. The French under Macdonald crossed the river and attacked the Austrians and Russians. But after an obstinate and bloody conflict they were compelled to fall back with a loss of 1700 killed and 500 prisoners.

1799. Five French frigates bound from Jaffa to Toulon, with 1340 men, were captured by a British squadron.

1800. Battle of Blenheim; the French under Moreau, after a short but obstinate action, defeated the Austrians under Gen. Starray, and obliged them to abandon Ulm and retire into Franconia.

1807. Naval action off Lemnos between the Russians and Turks, in which the latter were defeated with the loss of an 80 gun ship and two other ships of the line taken, and five burnt.

1808. Action off the Nase of Norway; the British sloop Seagull sunk by a Danish brig and several gun boats. Several of the Danes went down with her.

1809. Congress renewed the non-intercourse act.

1811. SAMUEL CHASE, a judge of the United States supreme court, died. He was a distinguished member of the congress of 1774.

1813. British landed from their shipping on lake Ontario, and destroyed the public stores at Sodus; they burnt several of the best houses and stores in the village.

1818. PATRICK BRYDONE, a Scottish traveler, died. He published a narrative of his travels in Sicily and Malta, which has been often republished.

1820. JOSEPH BANKS, an eminent English literary and philosophical writer, died. He made several voyages in pursuit of science, one of which was with captain Cook.

1821. Battle of Dragashan, in Turkey, between the Greeks and Turks. The Greeks were commanded by the brave Ypsilanti; but owing to the treachery of the Arnauts, who abandoned their posts, the Greeks were totally defeated, and the "sacred band" of the _hetaireia_, the flower of the Greek youth, were annihilated. This affair nearly proved fatal to the cause of the Greek revolution.

1829. JOHN CLEVES SYMMES, an American officer, died. He is to be remembered for the enthusiasm with which he maintained the theory that the earth was hollow, with an opening at each of the poles.

1830. Battle of Strouli, between 50,000 Algerines, Turks and Arabs, and 25,000 French under Gen. Bourmont, in which the former were defeated.

1853. RICHARD TAYLOR, second chief of the Cherokee nation, died at Tahleguah, Arkansas. He commanded under Gen. Jackson in the war against the Creek Indians.

JUNE 20.

404. The illustrious JOHN CHRYSOSTOM banished from his patriarchate to the remote and desolate town of Cucusus, among the ridges of mount Taurus, by a command of the empress Eudoxia. The day of this his final exile was marked by the conflagration of the cathedral, senate-house, and the adjacent buildings, and by the destruction of the incomparable statues of the Muses from the temple of Helicon.

840. LOUIS I (_Debonnaire_), king of France and emperor of the West, died. He had not sufficient ability to manage the conflicting interests of his large dominions, and was harrassed by the rebellion of his brothers and sons.