Part 61

1822. ROBERT STUART, lord Castlereagh, premier of England, committed suicide by opening the jugular vein with a penknife.

1828. WILLIAM BLAKE, an English painter, died. He is described as a gentle visionary in shapes and fancies, and airy somethings upon paper.

1830. First American rail road, Mohawk and Hudson, between Albany and Schenectady, completed.

1849. ALBERT GALLATIN, a statesman and scholar, died at Astoria, N. Y., aged 88. He was a native of Switzerland, and emigrated to America in 1780. He settled in Pennsylvania, and became soon a prominent member of the legislature, and then of congress. He was secretary of state under Jefferson, and spent many years abroad as American minister.

1851. The steamer Prometheus arrived in New York from San Juan, the Atlantic terminus of the Nicaragua route, now for the first time opened.

1854. Lord JOCELYN died in London, aged 38; military secretary of the Chinese expedition, and author of _Six Months in China_.

AUGUST 13.

582. TIBERIUS II, emperor of Constantinople, died. His character was conspicuous for humanity, justice, temperance and fortitude.

587. RADEGONDE, the queen of Clotaire of France, died. At the age of 18 she renounced paganism, and was celebrated for her personal charms, and devotedness to religious duties.

875. LOUIS II, king of France and emperor of Germany, died. He was a brave and virtuous monarch.

1415. HENRY V of England sailed for the conquest of France with a fleet of about 1,300 vessels, and landed his force at Harfleur on the second day following, consisting of 24,000 foot and 6,500 cavalry.

1482. SIXTUS IV (_Francis Albecola_), pope, died. He was the son of a fisherman at Geneva, became professor of divinity at Padua, and rose by degrees to the papal chair.

1521. CORTEZ retook the city of Mexico, assisted by 10,000 Tlascalans, and an innumerable host of other Indian allies from the neighboring nations, whom he had attached to his service. It was not, however, till after seventy-five days of fierce and almost daily fighting, that he accomplished his victory. On no occasion did native Americans so bravely oppose European troops; but the superior discipline of the Spaniards carried the day: and thus a daring adventurer, regarded and treated by his countrymen as a rebel, after a bloody struggle, gained possession of a country which for more than three centuries formed one of the brightest gems in the Castilian crown. It is computed that during this siege 100,000 Mexicans were slain and 50,000 died of sickness and famine. The inhabitants being ordered to leave the city without arms or baggage, the three roads leading from it were full of men, women and children, in the most wretched condition, for three days and nights, seeking an asylum in the open country. The city contained at this time 50,000 houses. Sixty dangerous battles were fought in which 100 Spaniards were killed, or taken and sacrificed, and some thousands of the allies slain.

1535. HIPPOLYTO DE MEDICIS, an Italian cardinal, died. He possessed great talents as a negotiator and military man.

1553. The chaplain of bishop Bonner preached a sermon at St. Paul's abusing the administration of the late Edward, whereupon the people very much abused him; but he was rescued by two protestant ministers.

1587. MANTEO, a friendly Indian, who had been to England, was baptized, according to a previous order of sir Walter Raleigh, and in reward of his faithful service to the English, was called lord of Roanoke and Desamonguepeuk.

1636. DE VRIES, who had been two years on the coast of America, with a view to settling a colony, entered on his diary this day, that he requested Wouter Van Twiller to put Staten island down to his name, intending to form a colony there, which was done, and two days after he sailed on his return to Holland.

1660. A proclamation was issued by Charles II against dueling.

1667. JEREMY TAYLOR died; an eminent English theological writer and controversialist.

1704. Battle off Malaga, between the British fleet of 33 ships of the line and several frigates, admiral Rooke and Cloudesley Shovel, and the French fleet of 54 ships and 24 galleys. The action continued all day, and at night the French bore off. No vessels were taken by either.

1743. FRANCIS PECK died; an eminent English antiquary, biographer and critic.

1762. Cuba surrendered to the British. The booty was great; £3,000,000 in specie, large quantities of goods and munitions of war, 9 ships of the line and 4 frigates. It was exchanged into the hands of the Spanish again the next year for the Floridas.

1775. WASHINGTON informed congress that the whole stock of powder in New England amounted to no more than 9,927 pounds, about 9 rounds to a man. Although this information was communicated to the British by a deserter, they could not believe it possible that the Americans possessed such consummate assurance as to continue to invest them in Boston, while so destitute of ammunition.

1778. The Languedoc of 90 guns, count d'Estaing's flag ship, having lost her rudder and masts in the storm of the day before, was attacked by the British ship Renown, 50 guns, which was beaten off. At the same time a British ship of 50 guns attacked another of d'Estaing's ships, of 80 guns, having only her mainmast standing, but was also beat off.

1782. HENRY LEWIS DU HAMEL died at Paris; eminent for his knowledge of mechanics, agriculture and commerce.

1786. GILBERT STUART, an eminent Scottish historian, died.

1794. Battle of Bellegarde, between the French and Spanish. The action was a severe one; both claimed the victory.

1806. MIRANDA abandoned his conquests on the Spanish main, and sailed to Aruba.

1808. The French in the night raised the siege of Saragossa, in Spain. It had been most nobly defended since July 2d, by general Palafox and the countess de Burita, who raised a company of ladies, that exposed themselves to the greatest personal dangers and fatigues.

1810. JAMES FRANCIS MENON, a French general and politician, died. He was in the employ of the national convention and of Bonaparte.

1812. The British sloop of war Alert, attacked the United States frigate Essex, captain Porter, and after an action of eight minutes struck her colors with seven feet of water in her hold, much cut to pieces and three men wounded. The Alert had been sent out to capture the Hornet, and mounted twenty 18 lb. carronades, and had 130 men.

1817. JOHN BEALE, aged 87, a member of the society of Friends, died at his residence in Bucks county, Pennsylvania, in the same house in which he was born, having never resided in any other.

1819. Just after a brilliant meteor a mass of gelatinous and very fetid matter fell at Amherst, Mass.

1822. An earthquake devastated the greater part of Syria. It began about half past nine in the evening, and in ten or twelve seconds, Aleppo, Antioch, and every village and detached cottage in the pashalic of Aleppo, and several towns in the adjoining territories, were entirely ruined. There were 20,000 people destroyed by it, and as many more maimed or wounded.

1826. LAENNEC died; author of the _Auscultation System of Ascertaining Diseases of the Lungs_.

1838. JOHN FARMER, an American archæologist, died. He published several works relating to the early history of the country, which evince great patience and industry, and bring to light many important facts which would have perished otherwise. For some time previous to his death he was engaged in arranging the state papers in the public offices at Concord, containing the old province and council records, and revolutionary papers. By supplying omissions, transcribing papers that were scarcely legible, and having them arranged and bound, the state of New Hampshire has a very complete set of its early records.

1841. J. B. RICHSONVILLE, principal chief of the Miami nation, died near fort Wayne, Indiana, aged 80. He is said to have left $200,000 in specie, besides immense quantities of valuable real estate.

1842. THOMAS P. EMMET, son of Thomas Addis Emmet, and a contributor to _Silliman's Journal_, died in New York, aged 47.

1851. The people of Litchfield county, Connecticut, celebrated the two hundredth anniversary of its settlement.

1854. General PAIXHANS died at his estate of Jouy-aux-Arches, near Metz, aged 72. He was renowned by his connection with the artillery, and especially with the celebrated gun which bears his name.

1854. At Marysville, Kentucky, a powder magazine, containing 800 kegs, was fired, and the explosion caused the entire destruction of 13 houses, involving a great loss of property.

AUGUST 14.

394 B. C. An eclipse of the sun noticed by Xenophon, which just preceded the battle of Coronea, where Agesilaus stood his ground against the Greek confederates. Xenophon, who fought under the Spartan, describes it as the most desperate conflict in his time.

376 B. C. CHABRAS defeated the Lacedæmonian fleet off Naxos, full moon of Boedromion. The youth Phocion here distinguished himself.

1211. LLEWELLYN, prince of Wales, made his submission to king John of England, and delivered 28 hostages at the foot of Snowdon, for his good faith. These young noblemen were hanged the ensuing year.

1248. The great cathedral of Cologne commenced. It was prosecuted at intervals during 200 years, and then suspended 400 years. It was taken up again with new vigor in 1842, and became a popular enterprise of the day to strive for its completion.

1433. JOHN I, king of Portugal, died. It was under his reign that the Portuguese began their famous discoveries.

1457. JOHN FAUST and PETER SCHOEFFER published at Mainz the _Psalter_, supposed to be the first printed book of any magnitude, on record.

1464. PIUS II (_Æneas Sylvius_), pope, died; celebrated for his wise and witty sayings.

1613. JOHN HARRINGTON, an English nobleman, died, aged 22. He was distinguished for the talents and genius which he displayed at a very early age.

1621. An army of _fourteen men_ sent out from Plymouth colony to awe the Indians. Corbitant, a petty chief, had seized Squanto, a friendly Indian, and threatened Massasoit; the menaces of revenge in case of any disturbances, are said to have settled all difficulties.

1678. Three days after the conclusion of a peace between France and Holland, the prince of Orange fell upon the marshal of Luxemburg, by which 4,000 lives were sacrificed.

1681. The Scottish parliament adopted a resolution asserting that difference in religion does not bar the right of succession, or make void the magistrate's just and lawful authority.

1711. Sir HOVEDEN WALKER, with the British and colonial fleet intended to invade Canada, arrived at the mouth of the St. Lawrence. A succession of untoward winds and accidents rendered it necessary to put back soon after, without accomplishing any thing.

1756. Fort Oswego capitulated to the French under Montcalm. It was commanded by colonel Mercer with 1,400 men. Montcalm besieged it with an army of 5,000. Colonel Mercer was killed by a cannon ball on the 13th, and there being no probability of aid, the fort surrendered on condition that they should be exempted from plunder, conducted to Montreal, and treated with humanity. The terms were agreed to, the garrison marched out, and the fort was demolished.

1761. Action between British ships Bellona and Brilliant, and one French ship and three frigates. The Frenchmen were captured with the loss of 240 killed and 110 wounded; British loss 6 killed, 28 wounded.

1775. The celebrated Liberty Tree of Boston _consecrated_, by exposing on it the effigies of the men who had rendered themselves odious by their agency in procuring the passage of the stamp act. A copper plate 30 inches by 42 was fixed upon it, bearing the inscription in golden letters--_The Tree of Liberty, Aug. 14, 1765_. Ten years afterwards the British cut it down, at which time it had been planted 119 years. They left nothing but the stump above ground--the _root_ they could not exterminate. It produced fourteen cords of wood. One of the party engaged in demolishing it lost his life.

1775. ARNOLD left the camp at Cambridge, with a detachment of 1,000 Americans, to penetrate into Canada by way of Kennebec river and the wilderness. They reached Quebec after great suffering from fatigue, hunger and cold.

1776. Constitution of Maryland adopted.

1776. Lords DUNMORE and CAMPBELL, and sir PETER PARKER, joined lord Howe at Staten island, having taken from the Virginians about 1,000 negroes.

1779. American general LOVEL raised the siege of Penobscot, having sustained very considerable loss of stores, 19 armed vessels, besides transports, &c.

1787. EDMUND LAW, bishop of Carlisle, died, aged 84; an eminent theological writer.

1788. THOMAS SHERIDAN died, aged 67; an eminent English actor, philological writer, and lexicographer, son of Thomas Sheridan, the divine and poet.

1788. First newspaper in Goshen, Orange County.

1790. AGOSTINO CARLINI, a Genoese statuary, died at London, where he was keeper of the Royal academy. He was celebrated for the grace and skill with which he executed drapery.

1794. GEORGE COLMAN (_the elder_), died, aged 61; an eminent English scholar and dramatic writer.

1794. Le Quesnoy taken by the French republican army. The garrison consisting of 28,000 men, were made prisoners of war.

1799. Battle of Novi; between the French under Joubert and the allied Russian, Austrian and Piedmontese armies, under Suwarrow. Joubert was mortally wounded.

1813. Action between United States brig Argus, 20 guns, lieutenant Allen, and British brig Pelican, captain Maples. The Argus was captured in 43 minutes, with the loss of lieutenant Allen and 8 others killed, mostly officers. She had taken, prior to her capture, 19 British vessels prizes.

1814. British captured, off fort Erie, two United States schooners, laden with provisions for the garrison of that fort. The fort was bombarded same day.

1814. The Swedish army having obtained possession of several strong places in Norway, prince Christian resigned his pretensions to that crown, and his resignation was followed by the union of Norway and Sweden.

1819. ERIK ACHARIUS, an eminent Swedish physician and botanist, died, aged 82.

1837. A great fete for the inauguration of the statue by Thorwaldsen to Guttenberg, one of the inventors or improvers of the art of printing, at Mainz. It continued three days, and was attended by about 20,000 strangers from different parts of Germany.

1839. MARIE JEANNE ROBIN died at New Orleans, aged 108.

1840. The steam packet Britannia arrived at Liverpool in 10 days from Halifax, the quickest passage hitherto made between the American continent and England.

1846. JOSHUA L. WILSON, pastor of the first presbyterian church erected in Cincinnati, died there, aged 72. He was born in Virginia, and brought up in Kentucky as a blacksmith. He was a preacher of the highest character and influence, during a ministry of 38 years.

1850. GERARD TROOST died at Nashville, Tenn., aged 74. He was a native of Holland, who came to this country in 1810. He was first president of the Academy of natural sciences, at Philadelphia, and for a long time professor in the university at Nashville, and also geologist of the state.

1856. WILLIAM BUCKLAND, an English divine, died, aged 72. He is best known by his scientific pursuits, particularly in mineralogy and geology, upon which subjects he published valuable treatises.

AUGUST 15.

1356 B. C. The Eleusinia, or great Grecian mysteries, founded in this year, so celebrated throughout the classical world, were observed by the Athenians at Eleusis, every fifth year for nine days, commencing on the 15th Boedromion; introduced in memory of Ceres.

310 B. C. AGATHOCLES landed in Africa during an eclipse of the sun, not many weeks subsequent to his defeat by the Carthagenians at Himera. Epicurus began in that year to teach at Mitylene and Lampsacus.

423. HONORIUS, emperor of Rome, died; who, with his brother Arcadius, first divided the empire into east and west sovereignties.

718. The second and memorable siege of Constantinople (under the reign of Leo the Isaurian), by the Saracens, raised. It commenced, according to Theophanes, on the same day of the preceding year.

1038. STEPHEN I, of Hungary, died. He introduced Christianity into his kingdom, and enacted wise laws for the benefit of his people.

1096. The princes of the crusade began their march through Germany.

1118. ALEXIUS COMNENUS I, emperor of Constantinople, died. He usurped the throne 1080, and distinguished himself in his wars with the Turks.

1279. ALBERT (_the great_), of Brunswick, died; a monk who acquired great knowledge in an age of ignorance.

1369. PHILIPPA, of England, died; memorable for her humanity towards the six condemned citizens of Calais, when that city fell into the hands of Edward.

1635. Great storm in New England. The tide rose 20 feet, a great many houses and plantations were destroyed, and the Narragansetts were obliged to climb trees for safety; the tide of flood returning before the usual time, many of them were drowned.

1656. JAMES BOWELS, a native of Killingworth, England, died, aged 152.

1661. THOMAS FULLER, an English historian and divine, died. It is said of his memory, among other incredible things, that he could repeat a sermon verbatim on once hearing it.

1702. Unsuccessful attack of the British under admiral Rooke and the duke of Ormond, on Cadiz.

1702. Battle of Lauzara, in Italy, between the allies under prince Eugene, and the French under the duke de Vendome.

1725. GERARD NOODT, an eminent Dutch civilian, died.

1728. The queen of Sardinia died; she was the daughter of Charles I of England.

1729. BENJAMIN NEUKIRCH, a German poet, died. He deserves a place in history rather as having taken the first step to reform German literature, than as a good writer.

1733. A Roman pavement of mosaic work discovered in Little St. Helen's, Bishop gate street, London; supposed to have lain over 1700 years.

1741. BEHRING discovered East cape, the easternmost point of Asia.

1746. NICHOLAS HUBERT DE MONGAULT, an ingenious and learned French critic, died.

1751. THOMAS SHAW, an English divine and antiquary, died; a writer on Barbary and the Levant.

1758. Kustrin, the capital of the new march of Brandenburg, bombarded by the Russians, and reduced to a heap of ruins.

1758. PIERRE BOUGUER, a celebrated French mathematician, died. He was employed to measure a degree of the meridian in Peru, a difficult task, which he accomplished with great fidelity.

1760. LACY RYAN died; an English dramatic writer, but more eminent as an actor.

1764. IWAN, son of prince Anthony Ulric, of Russia, massacred in prison by his keepers. He was grandson of Peter the Great, and had been kept in prison almost from his birth.

1769. Birthday of NAPOLEON BONAPARTE, at Ajaccio, in the island of Corsica.

1771. Birthday of sir WALTER SCOTT, at Edinburgh.

1780. American general SUMPTER attacked and carried a redoubt on the Wateree, and intercepted a convoy from fort Ninety-six, with 40 wagons loaded with stores, and took 100 prisoners.

1782. Briant's Station, near Lexington, Ky., attacked by 500 Indians and Canadians, who were repulsed, and retreated on the third day, having lost 30 killed.

1786. THOMAS TRYWHITT, an English antiquary and critic, died; author of several learned works, and one of the many commentators on Shakspeare.

1793. _Levée en masse_ was proposed in the French assembly which proved the foundation of the famous but tyrannical conscription act of Napoleon.

1794. French convention ordered the French and American flags to be united and hung up together in the hall of their sitting. James Monroe was received as minister from the United States.

1799. The French under MASSENA defeated the Austrians and Russians under the archduke Charles, at Richterswyl, Etzel and Schwindelezzi, in Switzerland. Lecourbe forced the famous pass of the Devil's bridge, took possession of St. Gothard, and seized on the Valois.

1801. CHARLES LOUIS L'HERITIER DE BRUTELLE, a French botanist, assassinated. He published _Stirpes Novæ_, a splendid book, and was engaged in preparing a work on English plants.

1802. BONAPARTE invested with the sole power of nominating his successor and of appointing two subordinate consuls, and nominating a large number of additional senators, &c.

1812. British general BROCK summoned the city of Detroit to surrender, occupied by general Hull.

1812. Battle of fort Chicago; the garrison, consisting of 54 regulars and 12 militia, was attacked by the Indians and after a resolute resistance of some hours, in which 26 of the regulars, all the militia, 2 women and 12 children, were killed, they surrendered on the promise of protection. The survivors, however, 25 men and 11 women, were brutally massacred.

1814. Assault on fort Erie by the British under colonel Drummond, who were repulsed with great loss. The attack commenced at 2 o'clock in the morning, and it was a part of the British orders that no quarters should be given. The action was desperate and bloody; the British lost by official report, 57 killed, 309 wounded, 539 missing--by another account they lost 222 killed, 174 badly wounded, and 186 prisoners, besides 200 killed at Snake Hill. Colonel Drummond was killed; acting up to his barbarous order, when a wounded American officer asked quarter, he shot him with a pistol, whereupon a soldier leveled his piece and shot Drummond in the breast. Total American loss, 93--killed 26, wounded 92, missing 11.

1815. JOHN MEERMAN, a celebrated Dutch author, died. Under Bonaparte he was made director of the fine arts and minister of public instruction, and became a count of the empire and senator. His library sold in 1824 for 131,000 florins.

1816. Great fire at Constantinople; 1200 houses and 3000 shops and magazines destroyed.

1844. WILLIAM LEET STONE, a New York editor, died, aged 52. He published memoirs of Brant, and of Red Jacket, and some other works, and edited for a long time the _New York Commercial Advertiser_. He was also superintendent of common schools in that city.

1849. Riot at Montreal; house of L. H. Lafontaine, head of the Canadian ministry, was assailed by a mob. Fire arms were discharged from the building, by which one person was killed, and the rest driven back.

1851. A violent and destructive tornado occurred at St. Louis, Missouri.

1853. A conspiracy discovered in Rome; 146 persons arrested.

1854. STEPHEN SIMPSON, died at Philadelphia. He was at one period of his life an editor, and gained considerable celebrity as a political writer, especially against the United States bank, over the signature of Brutus, in Duane's _Aurora_.

AUGUST 16.

1191. The Saracen hostages, 2500 in number, put to the sword beneath the walls of Acre, by order of Richard, with the sanction of his confederates. The galls of the murdered infidels were converted into Christian medicines.

1380. JOHN of Gaunt erected a _court of minstrels_ at Tutbury, England, with legal jurisdiction over the men in that profession in five counties. It consisted of a king and four other officers, who had sovereign authority upon this day.

1424. Battle of Verneuil, in France; the French and Scotch under Buchan, constable of France, defeated by the English. The Scottish auxiliaries were nearly annihilated.

1494. FERDINAND and Isabella addressed letters of approbation to their high admiral of the Indian seas, Columbus, from Segovia, wishing "to know all the seasons of the year, such as they take place there in each month separately: some wish to know if there are two summers and two winters in the same year."

1513. Battle of the Spurs, in France, between the French, and the English under Henry VIII, at Guingette. It received its title from the flight of the French gendarmerie, and the pursuit of the English, in which the contest was one of speed.