Part 51

1758. Battle of Ticonderoga, in which the British and provincial troops of 16,000 men under Abercrombie, were repulsed in attempting to storm the fort, then under the command of Montcalm. The British general was induced to this rash attack by the favorable report of the engineer, and from having learned that a reinforcement was expected from Canada. The French had felled a breastwork of trees in front of the fort with their branches pointing outward and sharpened, so as to form an almost impenetrable abatis: in this the assailants became entangled, and were exposed to a murderous fire. Abercrombie, finding the attack fruitless, ordered a retreat after a contest of near four hours. Nearly 2,000 of the British were killed or wounded. Of the Highland regiment nearly half were either killed or desperately wounded. The loss of the enemy, who were covered by their works, was inconsiderable.

1760. Action in the bay of Chaleur, between the British and French fleets, in which the latter were defeated with the loss of 3 large ships of war and 20 sail of schooners, sloops and small privateers.

1768. Thirty men boarded a schooner at Boston that had been seized by the officers of the customs, for having 30 hogsheads of molasses on board; they confined the officers and carried off the molasses.

1775. Lord DUNMORE, the royal governor of Virginia, with his family, took refuge on board the Fowey, British man-of-war, at Yorktown.

1776. The Declaration of Independence of the United States proclaimed from the steps of the state house at Philadelphia, and read to the army in the city of New York.

1777. Battle of fort Ann; the British defeated the Americans under colonel Livingston, who retreated to fort Edward. The Americans lost 128 cannon and considerable stores.

1778. The French fleet under count d'Estaing arrived off the Delaware, having been at sea 87 days.

1779. The British under governor TRYON plundered and burnt Norwalk, Conn. Two churches, 80 dwellings, 87 barns, 22 stores, 4 mills and 5 vessels were destroyed.

1784. TORBERN BERGMAN, a Swedish chemist and natural philosopher, died. He was the friend of Linnæus, and an able and successful investigator of the secrets of nature.

1790. RENWICK WILLIAMS, known in London as the _Monster_, was convicted of cutting the garments of Miss Porter. The judge reserved the case till he could determine whether the crime was felony or only a misdemeanor. Williams was a dancing master and for years a great nuisance in London.

1793. The dauphin, LOUIS XVII, taken from his mother and placed in the care of the _sans culotte_ cobbler, Simon, under whose tender mercies he soon yielded up his life.

1797. EDMUND BURKE, a British writer, orator and statesman of great eminence, died. His complete works have been published in 16 vols. octavo.

1813. Outposts of the American encampment at fort George attacked by the British and Indians. A company under lieutenant Eldridge was sent to support the posts, but fell into an ambush, and after an obstinate struggle 13 were killed, 5 escaped; the remainder, including lieutenant Eldridge, were taken prisoners and put to death by the Indians with great barbarity. In consequence of this event and similar outrages, general Brown received into the service of the United States a party of Seneca and Tuscarora Indians, under young Cornplanter.

1814. The Americans under Gen. SCOTT succeeded in throwing a bridge over the Chippewa, and compelled general Riall to retreat to Ten-mile creek. General Brown occupied the British works the same evening.

1822. THOMAS FANSHAW MIDDLETON, bishop of Calcutta, died. He was the first to hold that office, and was distinguished for talents and acquirements, zeal and fidelity.

1838. Treaty of peace concluded between Russia and Turkey.

1847. The canal from the Durance to Marseilles in France completed. More than one-fifth of its length is through the Alps in tunnels.

1848. To test the effect of an eclipse upon animals five healthy linnets were put in a cage together and fed; at the end of it three of them were found dead; a dog which had long been kept fasting, and which was eating hungrily when the eclipse commenced, left his food as soon as the darkness set in; a colony of ants which had been working actively, suddenly ceased from their labors at the same moment.

1850. The Alabama historical society was organized at Tuskaloosa.

1852. A destructive fire at Montreal laid waste a considerable portion of the city.

1853. The American expedition under commodore Perry arrived at Japan.

1856. PRESTON S. BROOKS, indicted at Washington for an assault upon senator Sumner, was sentenced to pay a fine of $300.

JULY 9.

597 B. C. An eclipse of the sun, foretold by Thales.

518. ANASTASIUS I, the silentiary, died; who from obscure birth became emperor of the East by marrying the widow of the emperor Zeno.

551. The city of Berytus overthrown by an earthquake. It gave birth to Sanconiatho, the Phœnician historian, about the period of the Trojan war, in the time of Hercules.

552. The Armenians commenced their era, Tuesday. The year, like the Noetic, consists of twelve months of thirty days, with an insertion of five, or (in leap year) six days, after the 5th of August, when their ecclesiastical year commences. In their correspondence with Europeans, they usually adopt, as in Russia, the old Julian style, and the months.

1228. STEPHEN LANGTON, archbishop of Canterbury, died. He was a man of great abilities as a writer and a politician. He was nominated to the office of archbishop by the pope, 1207, which being considered as an usurpation of the rights of the king of England, lead to a quarrel between those dignitaries, which terminated disastrously to the king.

1386. Battle of Sempach, in the canton of Lucerne, which established the independence of Switzerland. Leopold II, duke of Austria, was killed in this battle.

1535. ANTHONY DUPRAT, a very eminent French statesman, died. He was president of the parliament of Paris, and a man who, to increase his fortune or enlarge his power, did not hesitate to sacrifice either fame or virtue.

1546. ROBERT MAXWELL died. He was chiefly instrumental in bringing and procuring the passage of an act in the Scottish parliament permitting the reading of the scriptures in the vulgar tongue.

1598. DAVID BOUCHARD, governor of Perigord, killed at the siege of Lisle. He was a famous chieftain under Henry IV of France.

1669. The encenia, or dedication of the incomparable theatre at Oxford, endowed and founded 1664, by archbishop Selden. The first act held in a secular building was kept there on the same day. Wren adopted his ground plan from the theatre of Marcellus at Rome.

1693. The English or confederated army defeated by the French at Landon.

1742. JOHN OLDMIXON, an English historian and poet, died. He was a man of learning and abilities, but a violent party writer, and a severe and malevolent critic.

1746. PHILIP V of Spain, died. His accession to the throne was opposed by the archduke of Austria, and gave rise to one of the most bloody wars on record.

1755. Memorable defeat of BRADDOCK on his march to fort Du Quesne. The English army of 1,200 was ambuscaded, the general having neglected all precautions against such an event, and totally routed by the French and Indians, about 900 in number. Of 85 officers 64 were killed, and about half the privates. The remains of the army were brought off by Washington, who was the only officer on horseback that escaped.

1762. Revolution in Russia, followed by the abdication of Peter III. The empress Catharine was declared autocratrix, and Peter imprisoned, where he died seven days afterwards.

1762. A substance called honey dew fell in the neighborhood of Rathiermuc, Ireland, which loaded the trees and long grass in such a manner that quantities of it were saved by scoops.

1766. JONATHAN MAYHEW died; a distinguished American clergyman, and missionary among the Indians.

1776. The leaden statue of George III, in New York, thrown down by the revolutionists, and sent to Litchfield, Conn., where the women manufactured it into bullets.

1781. Captain EGGLESTON, of Lee's legion, routed a British foraging party at Friday's ferry, Congaree river, and took 45 dragoons.

1785. WILLIAM STRAHAN, an eminent Scottish printer, died. Having served a regular apprenticeship, he settled in London, where he rose to great eminence in his profession, and finally sat in parliament.

1790. Action off cape Musalo, between the Swedish fleet under the king in person, and the Russian fleet. It continued into the following day, and resulted in the destruction of 5 Russian frigates, 15 galleys, 2 floating batteries, 9 galliots, and 2 other floating vessels. The Swedes lost but one of their galleys burnt.

1794. Seventy-one persons were guillotined at Paris.

1805. GEORGE WOLFGANG PANZER, a distinguished German bibliographer, died. He published a catalogue of all the works known to have been printed from the invention of the art of printing to the year 1536. The works in all languages are chronologically arranged, the place of printing given, also a short account of them, and the libraries and publications in which they are contained.

1806. Confederation of the Rhine signed at Paris, between Bonaparte and several of the smaller German states, who placed themselves under the protection of France, and renounced their connection with the German empire.

1810. The kingdom of Holland annexed to France; Amsterdam to rank as the third city in the empire, Paris being first and Rome second.

1814. United States army under general Brown left Riall's works on the Chippewa, and pursued the British to Queenstown, and encamped there.

1816. Rio de la Plata declared itself independent of Spain, and took the title of the United Provinces of South America.

1818. RICHARD BEATNIFFE, the well known author of the _Norfolk Journal_, died at Norwich, England.

1830. Erzeroum, the capital of Turkish Armenia, surrendered to the Russians.

1831. The Belgian congress acceded to the articles agreed on at London by the plenipotentiaries of the five great powers, and declared Leopold of Saxe-Coburg king of Belgium.

1838. ROBERT GRANT, governor of Bombay, died; a man greatly respected for his talents and his public services.

1843. WASHINGTON ALSTON, the great historical painter of South Carolina, died.

1850. ZACHARY TAYLOR, president of the United States, died, aged 65. He was a general in the United States army, and won laurels in the Mexican war.

1853. CHARLES CALDWELL, a medical writer and teacher of great celebrity, died at Louisville, Ky., aged 90.

1854. RICHARD SHUBRICK PINCKNEY, a naval officer of the United States, died at Charlestown, S. C., aged 57. He entered the navy in 1814, and was engaged in the operations against the Algerine pirates of the Mediterranean, where he was severely wounded. He commanded the Decatur during the Mexican war.

JULY 10.

70. Conflagration of the second temple of the Jews, in the night following the ninth day of Lous (Ab) the second year of Vespasian.

138. PUBLIUS ÆLIUS ADRIAN, emperor of Rome, died. He was a renowned general and great traveler; and on a visit to Britain built the British wall, extending from Newcastle to Carlisle, 80 miles in length.

983. Pope BENEDICT VII died.

1024. BENEDICT VIII, pope, died. To the arts of the politician he added the valor of the warrior, and exterminated the Saracens who invaded Italy. He also defeated the Greeks, who were ravaging Apulia.

1212. Burning of London bridge, when 3000 persons inhabiting that borough perished in the flames.

1440. An anniversary was held in Haarlem for two days, commemorating the invention of printing on movable wooden types in this year, by Lawrence Coster. The emblems on his monument are a branch of beech, a winged A, a wreathed snake and a lamp. It was also celebrated by the printers of Dortrecht and Rotterdam.

1460. Battle of Northampton, England; the forces of Henry VI defeated by earls Warwick, Salisbury and March, with great slaughter among the gentry and nobility on both sides, and Henry was taken prisoner.

1472. The siege of Beauvais, France, raised by Charles the Bold, duke of Burgundy, who had invested it with an army of 80,000 men. An anniversary is still held on this day in memory of the heroine Jeane Hachette, and her regiment of women, who signalized themselves at this famous siege.

1559. HENRY II, of France, died. He was a persecutor of the protestants, and during the thirteen years of his reign, much embroiled in war. He recovered Calais from the English, and was wounded at a tournament, of which he died. (See June 26, 1574; 29, 1559.)

1579. WILLIAM WHITTINGHAM, dean of Durham, died. He was one of the translators of the Genevan or German Bible, usually called the _Breeches Bible_.

1584. WILLIAM I, prince of Orange, assassinated. He is styled the father of the Dutch republic, having brought about the union of the provinces. He was shot in the breast with three balls by an assassin supposed to have been employed by the king of Spain, who claimed the sovereignty of the Netherlands.

1634. DE VRIES sailed from the Texel in the ship King David, 14 guns, with 25 head of cattle, and 30 planters, intending to form a colony on the coast of Guyana.

1680. LEWIS MORERI, a learned French writer, died, aged 37; author of the great historical dictionary, which appeared 1674, and was afterwards enlarged to 10 vols. folio, and greatly improved in the numerous editions it underwent.

1683. FRANCIS EUDES DE MEZERAI, a French historian, died. He entered upon the laborious character of historian of France at the age of 26, and his work was received with universal applause. Several other books were also published by him, reflecting great honor upon his integrity, candor and faithfulness.

1686. JOHN FELL, an English prelate, died. During the civil war he bore arms for the king, and lost his offices by his loyalty. He was distinguished for learning and assiduity, and published many excellent works.

1688. The city of Smyrna in Asia destroyed by an earthquake.

1689. "Here lyeth the Body of Mr. David Gardiner, of Gardiner Island, deceased IVLY 10, 1689, in the Fifty-fourth year of his Age. Well, sick, dead, in one hour's space. Hartford, Con." He was the first white child born in Connecticut.

1704. The fortress of Gibraltar in Spain taken by the British.

1733. Nearly 800,000 quarters of grain exported from England to Portugal; cost, £1,000,000 sterling.

1767. ALEXANDER MONROE, a Scottish physician, anatomist and writer, died. His _Osteology_ has been translated into several languages.

1776. New York declared an independent state.

1777. Major-general Prescott, commander of the British army at Newport, surprised at night in his quarters, and carried off by a party of 40 Americans.

1780. French fleet under admiral Ternay, arrived at Rhode Island, having on board 6000 French troops under count Rochambeau, intended for the American service.

1791. Battle of Maclin; a body of 70,000 Turks under the grand vizier, defeated by the Russians. The Turks lost 4000 killed, and the whole of their camp; 30 cannon, and 15 standards were taken. The flower of the Asiatic troops, with their chiefs were in this battle.

1792. CHABANON, a French dramatist and translator, died. His best works belong to a species of criticism which is characterized by learning and taste.

1794. Battle in India between the British army, and the Hindoos under Viziaram Rauze, rajah of Vizigapatam. The rajah and most of his officers were killed; British loss 10 killed, 50 wounded.

1796. Island of Elba seized by the English under Duncan and lord Nelson.

1799. The French under LA GRANGE surprised the Mamelukes at Sababier, in Egypt, took their baggage, 50 horses and 700 camels.

1799. Action between American ship Planter, captain Watts, 18 guns and 43 men, and a French privateer of 22 guns, which was beaten off "after an action of 5 glasses." Two female passengers, Mrs. MacDowell and Miss Mary Harley, dressed the wounded and supplied cartridges. The Planter had 4 killed, 8 wounded.

1804. FRANCIS AMBROSE DIDOT, a learned and ingenious French printer, died. He made some important improvements in the printing press and paper mill, and is supposed to have hastened his death by a too close application to the revision of an edition of Montaigne's works.

1810. Ciudad Rodrigo surrendered to the French under Massena, with a garrison of 6000, after having been bombarded 25 days, a great quantity of artillery, ammunition and rich stores were taken. This fortress was built by the Spanish as a rampart against Portugal, from which it is distant only 8 miles. (See Jan. 19.)

1810. Holland incorporated with the French empire, by which all the 17 provinces of the Netherlands were united under the dominion of Napoleon.

1826. LUTHER MARTIN, an eminent lawyer and one of the delegates from Maryland in forming the constitution of the United States, died, aged 82.

1828. LOUIS AUGUSTIN GUILLAUME BOST, a well known French naturalist and professor at the Jardin du Roi, died.

1834. Abolition riots in New York.

1850. JAMES LOVEL, oldest member of the society of the Cincinnati, died at St. Matthews, S. C., aged 92.

1852. A fire in Boston destroyed the Mariner's church, the Sailor's home, the Boylston school house, and many dwellings and stores.

1855. The British bombarded the Redan tower at Sebastopol, for one day.

1856. JOHN LOCKE, an American physician and naturalist, died at Cincinnati, aged 64. He was a native of Maine, but spent a considerable portion of his life in Cincinnati; was connected with the geological survey of the state, and of lake Superior, and seems to have had a knowledge of various other sciences.

JULY 11.

472. PROCOPIUS ANTHEMIUS, emperor of Rome, murdered. He acquired the title of Augustus by his valor. Ricimir, a general to whom he had given his daughter in marriage, burst the gates of Rome, and imbrued his hands in the blood of his father-in-law, while his barbarian followers were indulged without control, in the three-fold license of murder, rapine and indiscriminate pillage.

1103. ERIC (the good), king of Denmark, died at Cyprus.

1191. Acre, in Palestine, surrendered by the Saracens to the crusaders under Richard of England and Philip of France, who had besieged it two years. Nine battles were fought in the vicinity of mount Carmel, with such vicissitudes of fortune, that in one attack the sultan forced his way into the city, while in a sally the Christians penetrated the royal tent. There were slain, by the computation of the minister of Saladin, 100,000 Christians.

1450. JACK CADE, an Irishman who headed a rebellion in England, was slain near Lewes, and his head placed on London bridge.

1576. MARTIN FROBISHER, the navigator, descried Friesland "rising like pinnacles of steeples and all covered with snow;" and entered, with his two small barks, the strait which bears his name.

1628. WILLIAM DANIEL died; a famed Greek and Hebrew scholar, translator of the New Testament and liturgy into Irish.

1708. Battle of Oudenarde, in Belgium, between the French and the allied army under the duke of Marlborough and prince Eugene. The French were defeated with the loss of 15,000; loss of the allies 5000.

1724. MARY MANLEY died; an English authoress, of considerable reputation as a writer, but of a wanton and licentious character. She wrote principally plays and romances.

1754. The Indians, who had been assembled to attend the congress of the colonies at Albany, were dismissed apparently well pleased and had engaged their coöperation with the colonies against the French. One of the sachems chalked out a sketch of the interior forests, rivers and lakes, with a clear discernment of their relations, and made the judicious remark, that Louisburg was one key of the inland country, and New York another, and that the power which had both, would open the great chest, and have Indians and all.

1763. PETER FORSKAL died; a celebrated Swedish naturalist and oriental traveler.

1764. ANDREW CANTWELL died; an Irish practitioner and writer on medicine of considerable abilities.

1782. JOHN JAMES FLIPART, a French engraver of great merit, died.

1782. Savannah, Georgia, evacuated by the British, and taken possession of by general Wayne.

1789. JAMES NECKER, the prime minister and great financier, ordered to leave France.

1797. CHARLES MACKLIN, an Irish actor and dramatic writer, died, aged 107. His name was M'Laughlin, which he changed for one more euphonious. His last performance was at the age of 90, when his memory failed him, and he took leave of the audience forever. His comedies still keep the stage.

1804. A duel fought between Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton, at Hoboken, opposite New York. On the first fire Hamilton fell mortally wounded, on the same spot where, a short time previous, his eldest son had been killed in a duel. He lingered until the afternoon of the following day, when he expired.

1807. MICHAEL NEKITITCH MINAVIEW, a Russian author of much distinction, died. One of his most admired productions is _Oskold_, which describes the march of the northern nations against Constantinople.

1809. Battle of Znaim; the French under Marmont, duke of Ragusa, defeated the Austrians, took 2 standards, 3 cannon and 3000 prisoners.

1811. Earthquake at St. Michael's one of the Azores; an island was formed where the water had been 30 fathoms in depth.

1812. United States frigate Essex captured a British transport with a detachment of the first regiment of Royal Scots on board.

1813. Blackrock taken by the British, who burnt the barracks, blockhouse, and other buildings, spiked several cannon, and took off a quantity of provisions, leaving on the shore a part of their killed and wounded.

1814. United States brig Rattlesnake captured by a British 50 gun ship. The Rattlesnake had some time previous thrown overboard all her guns except two, to escape another British man-of-war.

1814. The fort at Eastport, Moose island, mounting six 24 pounders, commanded by major Putnam with about 80 men, surrendered to a large British force. In consequence of this capture, the whole of the islands in Passamaquoddy bay fell into the hands of the enemy.

1818. The use of the French language in judicial proceedings and by the public authorities abolished in the Netherlands, only allowing advocates to make use of it for a certain time.

1853. An earthquake destroyed the city of Teheran, the capital of Persia, having a population of 60,000.

1853. SAMUEL APPLETON, one of the most opulent, benevolent and public spirited citizens of Boston, died, aged 87. His charitable donations for many years exceeded $25,000 per annum.

JULY 12.

100 B. C. Birthday of JULIUS CÆSAR, the Roman emperor. Pliny says of him that he could employ at the same time his ears to listen, his eyes to read, his hand to write, and his mind to dictate.

1174. King WILLIAM of Scotland taken by the famous chief-justiciary, Glanville. This success of the arms of king Henry has been attributed to his having, on the Thursday previous, done penance at the tomb of Thomas a Becket.

1191. The Christians took possession of the city of Acre. The two western kings planted the royal standard each in his own portion of the conquest, and divided the booty of the Saracens between them.

1212. The Christians defeated the Moors at Toulouse.

1536. DESIDERIUS ERASMUS, the celebrated Dutch philosopher, died. He was the most learned man of the age in which he lived, and greatly contributed to the restoration of learning in Europe. The _New Testament_ in Greek (of which he was the first actual publisher, 1516), written with his own hand, is, with other relics, including his sword and pencil, to be seen at Basil, where he died.