Part 76

1779. Several individuals who had voluntarily remained in King's bench prison, London, for the purpose of letting their rooms, were turned out.

1790. HENRY CULLEN, an eminent physician of Edinburgh, died.

1791. The bank of Providence, the first bank in Rhode Island, began to discount.

1797. Battle off Camperdown, between the British fleet, 17 vessels, admiral Duncan, and Dutch fleet, 23, admiral Winter. The Dutch were defeated with the loss of 9 ships.

1808. JOHN PAGE, governor of Virginia, died; a patriot, statesman and philosopher.

1817. ANDREW PICKENS, a distinguished revolutionary officer, died, aged 78. He commenced his military career in the French war which terminated in 1763. He was one of those who indefatigably kept up the spirit of resistance in South Carolina, till the enemy was expelled.

1820. The printers of London went in grand procession to Brandenburgh house to present an address to queen Caroline. It was printed on white satin, and was a superior specimen of typographical skill.

1837. SAMUEL WESLEY, a distinguished English musician, died. "His compositions are grand and masterly; his melodies sweet, varied and novel; his harmonies bold, imposing, unexpected and sublime; his resources boundless."

1841. WILLIAM LIDDIARD, an admired and popular English writer in prose and verse, died at Clifton, aged 68.

1841. GEORGE MAIRS, an eminent preacher of the Associate reformed presbyterian church, died at Argyle, N. Y., aged 81.

1846. Great hurricane in Havana, which began on the previous evening, wrecked or severely injured nearly 100 vessels, destroyed 1275 houses, and injured as many more.

1848. The Hungarian army advanced to within six miles of Vienna; their videttes being visible from the city towers.

1855. The propeller Arctic and the barque Release, under command of Lieut. Hartstene, forming the arctic expedition in search of Dr. Kane and his companions, arrived in New York, bringing with them the objects of their search.

OCTOBER 12.

638. HONORIUS I, pope, died. He presided over the church with great zeal and wisdom.

1303. BONIFACE III (_Benedict Cajetan_), pope, died. His ambition and insolence were unbounded, and he hurled the thunders of the Vatican against the kings of France and Denmark; but the former despising his threats, had him seized.

1307. All the knights templars in France ordered to be arrested, and on the following day the grand master, the templars and all their possessions were seized.

1424. JOHN DE TROEZNOU ZISCA, a famous Bohemian patriot, died. He was the formidable general of the Hussites, who undertook to avenge the death of their leader; he also defended his country against the emperor Sigismund, and performed prodigies of valor after he had lost both his eyes.

1428. The siege of Orleans commenced, memorable as one of the most extraordinary incidents in history.

1492. COLUMBUS landed on the island of Guanahani, of which he had seen the first twinkling on the previous night; thus in the space of 36 days completing a voyage which he had been 20 years in projecting, which opened to Europeans a new world, which enlarged the empire of Spain, and stamped with immortality the name of Columbus.

1573. Great naval victory of the Dutch over the Spaniards.

1576. MAXIMILIAN II died. He was elected king of the Romans 1562, and afterwards succeeded his father as king of Hungary and Bohemia, and emperor of Germany.

1621. PETER MATTHIEU, a French historian, died. He was historiographer to the king, and wrote the history of France, and of several of the French kings.

1646. FRANCIS BASSOMPIERRE, marshal of France, died; a distinguished statesman, whom Richelieu confined 10 years in the Bastile, during which he wrote his own memoirs.

1649. The fall and massacre of Wexford under Oliver Cromwell.

1653. HUMPHREY CHETHAM, a great patron of learning and libraries, died, aged 73, at Manchester, England, endowing the city with munificent bequests.

1711. KING CHARLES III, of Spain, elected emperor of Germany at Frankfort, by the name of Charles IV.

1716. LUDOLF KUSTER, a learned German critic, died.

1753. Sir DANVERS OSBORNE, who had arrived at New York on the 7th to succeed Clinton as governor of the province, was found in the morning suspended by the neck in the garden, and dead.

1764. RENE MICHAEL SLODTZ, an eminent French sculptor, died.

1793. St. Domingo ceded by its inhabitants to the British.

1798. British fleet, admiral Warren, intercepted the French fleet and captured several ships laden with troops and stores destined for Ireland. Theobald Wolfe Tone, the founder of the united Irishmen, was on board, and taken.

1822. The independence of Brazil, under don John, was proclaimed.

1834. THOS. S. GRIMKE, of South Carolina, died of an attack of cholera. He distinguished himself in a speech against the test oath of his native state.

1842. BARTLETT BENNETT, one of the early pioneers of Kentucky, and a baptist preacher, died at Cincinnati, aged 99.

1851. LEWIS WASHINGTON, an American commodore, died, aged 69. His services in the Tripoli war and the war of 1812 made his name familiar to the American people, as a brave, energetic and skillful captain.

1851. SAMUEL BEAZLEY, a distinguished English architect died, aged 66. He was not only the designer of more theatres than any other modern architect, but also a dramatic compiler.

1855. General WALKER took possession of Grenada, with a loss to the enemy of 15 killed and several wounded.

OCTOBER 13.

49. TIBERIUS DRUSUS CLAUDIUS, emperor of Rome, died of poison administered by his wife. He succeeded Caligula, and became contemptible for his vices and weakness.

409. Irruption of the Vandals into Spain, who, dividing her prolific territories, turned their swords into ploughshares.

643. OSWY, of Northumberland, and 10th king of Britain, ascended the throne. The great controversy for the celebration of Easter, was decided by him.

1164. The great council opened at Northampton, England, for the trial of Thomas Becket, by whose sentence he was placed at the king's mercy.

1269. The bones of Edward the Confessor enshrined in gold.

1417. GREGORY XII (_Angelo Corario_), pope, died, aged 92. He was elected during the schism of the west, while the opposite party supported Benedict XIII. They were both deposed, and another elected.

1503. THEODORE BEZA, a learned French protestant, died. He was professor of Greek at Lausanne, in Switzerland.

1515. Battle of Marignon, in Italy; the Swiss defeated by the French under Francis I.

1698. The French missionary GERBILLON, returned to Pekin from his eighth and last journey, from thence into Tartary, journals of all which are published in Du Halde's _History of China_.

1705. The parliament of Scotland convened for the last time.

1754. JACOB POWELL died at Stebbing, England. He weighed five hundred and sixty pounds. His body was five yards in circumference, and his limbs were in proportion. He had sixteen men to carry him to his grave.

1771. JOHN GILL, an eminent English Calvinistic divine, died. He was a learned orientalist and voluminous writer on theological subjects; his greatest work is a commentary on the Bible.

1777. Esopus, on the Hudson river, burnt by the British under general Vaughan; not a house escaped.

1782. Battle in Persia for the sovereignty, between Abdul Fatcan and Murat Kan, the lord regent. The latter and his three sons were slain, and Abdul caused himself to be proclaimed king.

1793. The allies under Wurmzer invested Landau, and carried the lines of Weissembourg; the French retreated with loss.

1797. BENJAMIN HAMMETT fined £1,000 sterling, for refusing the office of lord mayor of London.

1812. Battle of Queenston, in Canada; the Americans, under colonel Van Rensselaer, attacked and carried the heights and fort; but owing to the refusal of 1,200 militia to cross over to their support, and the arrival of British regulars and Indians from fort George, the Americans, to the number of 764, were obliged to surrender. General Brock was killed in this affair, and Van Rensselaer was wounded by four balls. American loss, 90 killed, 82 wounded.

1815. JOACHIM MURAT, king of Naples, shot. He was a soldier of fortune, who emerged from obscurity during the French revolution, became a distinguished general in the armies of France, married a sister of Napoleon, and was placed upon the throne of Naples.

1815. NAPOLEON BONAPARTE landed at St. Helena, a perpetual exile.

1822. ANTONIO CANOVA died; the most eminent sculptor of the age. His statues are in possession of the noble and the rich throughout Europe.

1828. VINCENT MONTI died; one of the most celebrated poets of modern Italy.

1836. JACOB SPENCER, a revolutionary pensioner, died at Washington, N. J., aged nearly 100. He had had seven wives, and left but one child living.

1845. DOUGLAS HOUGHTON, state geologist of Michigan, died, aged 36. He was prosecuting a combined geological and linear survey of the region near lake Superior, on a plan suggested by himself.

1845. W. K. ARMISTEAD, a general officer in the United States service, died at Upperville, Va., aged about 60. He had served long in the engineer department, and in 1840-41 had chief command in the campaign against the Florida Indians.

1846. Right honorable HENRY STEPHEN FOX, late her Britannic majesty's minister plenipotentiary to the United States, died at Washington, D. C. He was much respected as well for his prudence and urbane manners, as for his decision and diplomatic talent.

1847. A body of 200 German catholics met at the Tabernacle, in New York, and made a public and formal secession from the Romish church.

1853. TRISTRAM BURGESS, a Rhode Island statesman, died, aged 83. He stood in the front rank of the public men of his day.

1853. THOMAS KEMPER DAVIS died at Boston. He stood high in his profession as a lawyer, and having acquired a fortune, devoted himself to and became learned in English and classical literature.

1854. Howard college, at Marion, Ala., destroyed by fire.

OCTOBER 14.

1066. Battle of Hastings, and defeat of Harold by William of Normandy, which placed the latter upon the throne of England. The battle lasted from morning till sunset. William had three horses killed under him, and there fell about 15,000 Normans; but on the side of the vanquished, the loss was much greater, and included Harold and his two brothers, who were slain.

1066. The first earl created in England. Alfred in 920 used this word as king is now used.

1292. EDWARD I, of England, declared John Baliol king of Scotland.

1519. The Spaniards under Cortez entered without opposition the strong and populous city of Cholula, where a plot was laid for their destruction, but which resulted in a terrible massacre of the inhabitants.

1529. A placard appeared at Brussels, whereby all such as had any prohibited books in their custody, not brought forth to be burnt, should be put to death.

1537. JANE SEYMOUR, third queen of Henry VIII, died.

1644. Birthday of WILLIAM PENN, the first proprietor of Pennsylvania, son of admiral sir William Penn.

1645. Battle of Basing, in which Cromwell at the head of the parliamentary forces stormed and took, after an action of only three-quarters of an hour, the fortress of Basing house, which the royalists considered almost impregnable. There was immense booty taken with the place, of every kind. The plunder of treasure and furniture amounted to more than $1,000,000; in one room was found a bed which cost nearly $6,000. The mansion was set fire to and destroyed, with most of the valuable paintings, papers, &c., by the roundheads, who acted up to the scripture, "cursed is he that doeth the work of the Lord negligently."

1656. Act of the Massachusetts authorities, prohibiting the immigration of quakers, and subjecting such as should arrive to 20 lashes, and imprisonment at hard labor until transported, and if they returned to suffer death.

1660. PAUL SCARRON died; an eminent French comic writer and satirist.

1660. HUGH PETERS, chaplain to Oliver Cromwell, hanged at London. His death was the result of the most infamous trial on record. He was 7 years in New England as minister, first at Salem then in the Great church at Boston.

1734. Birthday of FRANCIS LIGHTFOOT LEE, a distinguished statesman and signer of the declaration of independence. The day of his death is not known.

1736. GEORGE CLARKE delivered his first speech to the assembly, as governor of the province of New York; and consented to introduce the practice which has ever since prevailed, of absenting himself from the council while they sit as a branch of the legislature.

1747. Six ships of war taken by admiral Hawke off the isle of Aix.

1756. JOHN HENLEY, an eccentric English writer, died. He acquired the appellation of _orator Henley_, and entertained the public by theological orations on Sundays, and political and miscellaneous subjects on Wednesdays; also by a weekly paper called _The Hyp Doctor_.

1758. Battle of Hochkirchen; the Prussians under their king Frederick II, defeated by the Austrians under marshal Daun, with the loss of 7,000 men, all their tents, and baggage, &c. James Keith, a brave and experienced Scottish general, who had distinguished himself in the memorable wars of the king of Prussia, was killed, and general Geist mortally wounded.

1761. Volcanic phenomenon seen at Great Malvern in Worcestershire, Eng.

1781. Two British redoubts at Yorktown taken, and included in the second parallel, which greatly facilitated the subsequent operations of the besiegers.

1783. ANTONIO NUNES RIBEIRO SANCHEZ, an eminent Portuguese physician and writer, died.

1791. GREGORY ALEXANDER POTEMPKIN, a Russian statesman, died. He was descended from a Polish family, was the favorite of Catharine, and her minister of war.

1805. Battle of Ulm; the French under Bonaparte captured the bridge and the Austrian position of Elchingen.

1806. Battle of Jena, or Auerstadt, in Saxony, between the French under Bonaparte and the Prussians under king Frederick William. The Prussian line extended 18 miles, and numbered 150,000 strong; the total number of men engaged on both sides was over 250,000, and the number of cannon employed over 700. The Prussians were defeated with the loss of 20,000 killed and wounded, and 40,000 taken prisoners; together with 300 cannon, and immense magazines of stores. The French admitted a loss of only 1,200 killed and 3,000 wounded.

1813. BONAPARTE arrived at Leipsic, in Germany, having in the course of four days assembled there an army whose numbers are variously stated at from 150 to 400,000 men, with 600 cannon, and commanded by the ablest generals of the age.

1831. LOUIS PONS, an eminent Italian astronomer, died at Florence.

1836. JAMES WILD, an English geographer, died; distinguished for his numerous maps and charts.

1841. HEYER embarked at Boston for India, as the first missionary of the Lutheran church in the United States. He established a mission at Guntoor.

1842. Grand celebration in New York of the completion of the Croton water works; more than 15,000 persons joined in the procession.

1843. A check was put on the progress of Irish agitation by the arrest of Daniel O'Connell and his son on a charge of conspiracy and other misdemeanors.

1845. WILLIAM PRIDGEN died, in Bladen county, N. C., aged 123. He was a volunteer in the revolutionary army, although even then exempt from service by his age. His grand children were aged people at the time of his death.

1850. The convention for amending the constitution of Virginia assembled at Richmond.

1854. HUGH A. GARLAND, an eminent lawyer of St. Louis, died; author of a life of John Randolph.

1854. SAMUEL PHILLIPS died at Brighton, England, aged 39. He was some time the literary reviewer for _The Times_ and author of _Readings on the Rail_.

OCTOBER 15.

55 B. C. TITUS LUCRETIUS CARUS, one of the best of the Latin poets, died.

1564. ANDREAS VESALIUS, a celebrated Dutch anatomist, died. He revived the study of anatomy in Europe, which had been neglected, and impeded by the prejudices of ignorance.

1608. Birthday of EVANGELISTE TORRICELLI, the Italian mathematician, and inventor of the barometer.

1634. About sixty men, women and children, with their horses, cattle and swine, commenced a journey from the vicinity of Boston, through the wilderness to Connecticut river. After a tedious journey of fourteen days through swamps and over mountains and rivers, they arrived at the place of their destination, and commenced the settlements of Hartford, Windsor and Weathersfield.

1644. GABRIEL DU PINEAU, an eminent French _avocat_, died; celebrated for his genius and eloquence; his counsel was often sought by the court, and he acquired the title of father of the people.

1651. JOHN OWEN, an eminent English divine, died. His works amount to 7 vols. folio, 20 quarto, and 30 octavo.

1651. King CHARLES II, who since his defeat at Worcester had wandered about from one royalist family to another, sleeping in their barns at night and concealing himself in the woods by day, escaped to France. A large oak on which he frequently stood in the woods near White-ladies, obtained the name of the royal oak.

1671. JOHN AMOS COMENIUS, an eminent German protestant divine and grammarian, died.

1711. The Edgar, admiral Hovenburgh's ship, blown up with 400 seamen on board, the officers being on shore.

1728. BERNARD DE LA MONNOYE, an elegant French poet, died. He also wrote in Greek, Latin and Italian.

1743. JOHN OZELL, an indefatigable English writer, died; he is immortalized by Pope in the _Dunciad_.

1760. Battle of Campen; the French defeated the prince of Brunswick, who had a horse killed under him, and lost 1,600 men, chiefly British troops.

1764. GIBBON says that on this day, as he sat musing among the ruins of the Roman capitol, while the barefooted friars were singing vespers in the temple of Jupiter, he first conceived the idea of writing the _Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire_.

1778. PULASKI'S infantry surprised in the night by the British, and 50 killed, including baron de Bose. The timely arrival of Pulaski with the cavalry alone saved them from utter destruction.

1783. PILATRE DE ROZIER, the first aerial adventurer, made his first ascension from a garden in Paris. The balloon was of an oval shape.

1793. Battle of Tirlemont; the French defeated by the Austrians under Clairfait, with the loss of 2,000 killed, and 24 cannon, &c.

1793. Battle of Maubege; the French under Jourdan defeated the prince of Coburg, being his first defeat in a pitched battle, and compelled him to repass the Sambre.

1797. Celebration at Mantua of the birthday of the poet Virgil, when handsome dowries, raised by voluntary contributions among the "friends of learning and rural felicity," were distributed among fifty poor girls, who were the same day married to fifty industrious but poor young men.

1806. PAUL JOSEPH BARTHEZ, a learned French physician, died. He founded the celebrated medical school at Montpellier, and acquired so great reputation that he became a member of almost every learned society, and some of his works were translated into most of the European languages.

1808. JAMES ANDERSON, an eminent Scottish writer, died. His first literary productions were on agriculture, which produced a greatly increased attention to the subject. His learning and research were conspicuous in the various subjects on which he wrote, and he was an original and accurate thinker.

1812. Action between United States frigate President, commodore Rodgers, and British packet Swallow; the latter was captured, with nearly $200,000 on board.

1814. Skirmish between detachments of the armies of the American generals Brown and Izard, each of whom had advanced to reconnoitre the British works. Four men were killed before the mistake was discovered.

1838. LETITIA ELIZABETH MCLEAN (better known as _L. E. L._), died at Cape-Coast castle, Africa, of which settlement her husband was governor. Her writings consist of poems and novels.

OCTOBER 16.

1529. The Turks under Solyman abandoned the famous siege of Vienna.

1555. HUGH LATIMER and NICHOLAS RIDLEY, English bishops, burnt at Oxford.

1586. PHILIP SIDNEY, an English statesman, soldier and scholar, died of a wound received at the battle of Zutphen.

1660. HUGH PETERS, a famous English prelate, executed for conspiring, with Cromwell, the king's death.

1678. CÆSAR EGASSE DU BOULAI died; register and historiographer of the university of Paris, of which he wrote a history in 6 vols. folio.

1679. ROGER BOYLE died; an eminent Irish general, statesman and writer.

1725. RALPH THORESBY died; an eminent English topographer and antiquary.

1725. First newspaper published in New York.

1726. The public granaries plundered by the turners of Cornwall for want of provisions.

1756. Battle of Pirna; the Saxons defeated by Frederick II, of Prussia, with the loss of 17,000 prisoners.

1760. NICHOLAS D'ASSAS, a French officer, killed at Klosterkamp. On going out to examine the posts, he was captured, and threatened with immediate death if he alarmed his regiment. Without a moment's hesitation he summoned all his strength, and exclaimed "Onward Auverne! here is the enemy!" The threat was immediately executed, but the patriot had gained his object; the attack was unsuccessful. A pension of 1,000 livres was decreed to his family forever.

1767. BURCHARD CHRISTOPHER MUNICH, a German officer in the service of Russia, died. He was promoted by Peter I and Anne; banished by Elizabeth to Siberia, and recalled by Peter II, after an absence of 20 years, when he appeared at court in the same sheepskin dress which he had worn in his exile.

1774. ROBERT FERGUSON, an excellent Scottish poet, died at the age of 24 in a lunatic asylum.

1778. Pondicherry, after a gallant resistance by the French, surrendered to the British.

1779. The fortress of St. Fernando de Omoa, in the bay of Honduras, taken by the British by assault. In the fort was found 250 quintals of quicksilver, and on board the vessels 3,000,000 piasters.

1780. The town of Royalton, Vt., was attacked by a party of 300 Indians of various tribes from Canada, and many of the houses burnt.

1781. A sortie consisting of 360 men under Col. Abercrombie, at Yorktown, forced two American batteries and spiked 11 cannon; but the guards from the trenches immediately repulsed them and restored the cannon. In the afternoon the Americans opened several batteries in their second parallel; and in the whole line of batteries nearly 100 pieces of heavy ordnance were now mounted. The works of the besieged were in no condition to sustain the fire which might be expected next day.

1783. The inhabitants of Canada were surprised by a very extraordinary phenomenon. About 2 o'clock P. M., an unusual darkness, equal it is said to the darkest night, took place. Its approach was instantaneous. This continued about 40 minutes, when there was a short interval of light, but soon was succeeded by darkness, horrible as before, though not of so long duration. The whole is said to have continued upwards of an hour, and to have extended, more or less, throughout the province.

1793. The French convention constituted death only _an eternal sleep_! It was afterwards restored, however, to its original condition!

1793. MARIE ANTOINETTE, queen of France, and sister of the emperor of Austria, guillotined. She was tried and condemned at 4 o'clock in the morning, dragged to the scaffold in an open tumbril, amid the scoffs and insults of the populace, and beheaded at the age of 38.

1793. JOHN HUNTER, a very eminent British surgeon and anatomical writer, died. From a humble assistant of his brother he became the first surgeon in the world, both in theory and practice.

1796. VICTOR AMADEUS, king of Sardinia, died in his 71st year, and 23d of his reign.