Part 46

1843. HUGH S. LEGARE, attorney-general of the United States, died at Boston, aged about 50. He was eminent for his acquirements as a scholar, his fine taste as a writer, and his learning and eloquence as a lawyer and advocate. He was acting secretary of state at the time of his death, and experience showed that he was amply fitted for the highest trusts, and adorned every station which he was called to fill.

1844. JOHN PINTARD died in New York, aged 87. He was one of the originators of the New York historical society, and of the Savings bank.

1848. PAREDES raised the standard of revolt in Mexico, assisted by padre Jurauta.----A portion of Washington's library, consisting of 450 bound volumes, and about 1000 pamphlets, presented to the Boston athenæum by the citizens.----A loan negotiated at Washington by the government, of sixteen million dollars, at a premium of half a million.

1852. WILLIAM BIDDLE SHEPARD, a noted lawyer and politician, died at Elizabeth City, N. C., aged 51. He distinguished himself, by his abilities, and was ten years in congress.

1854. GEORGE W. MARTIN, an efficient military officer, died at Tallahatchie, Missouri. He served in the war of 1812, and accompanied Gen. Jackson throughout the campaigns of three years, and in the Creek war.

1856. TANCRED FLORESTAN ROGER LOUIS GRIMALDI, prince of Monaco and duke of Valentinois, died at Paris. On the death of his brother in 1841 he became sovereign prince of Monaco, under the title of Florestan I.

JUNE 21.

545 B. C. THALES, a Grecian philosopher, died. He was the chief of the seven sages of Greece, and founder of the Ionic sect of philosophers. He divided the Grecian zodiac into seasons, and the year into 365 days.

1339. Battle of Laupen; the citizens of Bern, in Switzerland, defeated an army of 18,000 from its rival cities, headed by 700 of its own nobility and 1,200 knights, who were totally vanquished.

1377. EDWARD III, of England, died, aged 65, having reigned 51 years.

1529. Trial of CATHARINE, first queen of Henry VIII of England.

1529. JOHN SKELTON, an English poet, died. He wrote sonnets and satires, and was invested with the laureate.

1585. HENRY PERCY, the 8th earl of Northumberland (exclusive of Dudley), was found in the tower, dead, his breast pierced with three pistol bullets--alleged suicide, but supposed violence.

1596. Naval victory of the English over the Spaniards, at Cadiz, when the earl of Essex, in a fit of delight, threw his hat into the sea!

1611. HENRY HUDSON, having wintered in the bay which bears his name, and pursuing the object of his voyage, a north-west passage, a conspiracy broke out on this day among the ship's crew, when Hudson, his son, and five others, most of whom were sick and lame, were forced into the shallop, with a small quantity of meal, one gun and ammunition, two or three spars and an iron pot, and with the most savage inhumanity turned adrift. This is the last account of Hudson.

1631. JOHN SMITH, one of the early settlers of Virginia, died. He was a brave and daring man, and it was mainly owing to him that the colony was made permanent.

1652. INIGO JONES, a celebrated English architect, died. He surpassed most of the great men of his age in learning and ability.

1675. Foundation laid of the cathedral of St. Paul's, London. It stands upon upwards of two acres of ground, and its height is 404 feet.

1738. GEORGE WILLIAM FREDERICK, the young English prince, _re-baptized_ by the bishop of Oxford, with great pomp. Private baptism at his birth was first administered, fearing his immediate death.

1747. British fleet under commodore Fox captured 48 sail of French West-Indiamen.

1759. Fort George erected at the head of lake George.

1764. British commodore Byron sailed from the Downs in the Dolphin, on his voyage round the world.

1768. JOHN LINDSAY died; a learned English divine, and a historical and theological writer.

1770. Fete on account of the marriage of Louis XVI of France, when 15,000 persons were trampled to death.

1770. WILLIAM BECKFORD, one of the most popular mayors of London, died.

1773. GEORGE JUAN, a Spanish knight of Malta, and an able mathematician, died. His writings have been translated into various languages.

1782. The British government sent Mr. Woodyear in the Tiger man-of-war, to the West Indies to determine the longitude.

1783. About 300 American troops with fixed bayonets, surrounded the house in which congress was sitting, and demanded a redress of grievances.

1788. New Hampshire adopted the federal constitution, recommending amendments, being the ninth state to do so; votes 57 to 46.

1791. A flood near the Havanna, swept away 3,000 persons.

1792. An immense body, headed by Santerre, forced their way into the Tuilleries, and compelled Louis XVI to wear the red cap.

1797. ANDREW PETER BERNSTORFF died; a German who settled in Denmark, became a distinguished statesman, and a great favorite with the people.

1797. PETER THELLUSSON, a rich London merchant, died. His will, devising lands to the amount of £4,500 per annum and £600,000 personal property to be funded to aid in liquidation of the national debt, gave rise to the act regulating devises.

1798. Battle of Vinegar hill, at which the Irish rebels were completely routed and the insurrection crushed.

1809. DANIEL LAMBERT, an English giant, died at Stamford, aged 36. His weight was 739 lbs. when last weighed, but at the time of his death, it was supposed to have been full 800. His coffin contained 112 superficial feet of Elm timber.

1813. Battle of Vittoria, in Spain, between the French under Joseph Bonaparte and Jourdan, and the allies under Wellington. French met with a disastrous defeat, losing 15,000 killed and wounded, and 3,000 prisoners, 150 cannon, 400 wagons of ammunition, 14,000 cattle, and the military chest, containing 42,000,000 reals. Loss of the allies 4,645.

1814. JOHN MARTIN MILLER, a professor of oriental languages, and poet of some note, died at Ulm.

1816. The king of the Netherlands acceded to the holy alliance.

1828. LEANDRO FERNANDEZ MORATIN died at Paris. He was a dramatic writer of much merit.

1832. SIMON WARONZOW, a Russian statesman, died in London. He had been for 30 years Russian ambassador to Great Britain.

1832. ANNA MARIA PORTER, an English novelist, died. Her works, together with those of her sister Jane, had gained a great degree of popularity, which was in a measure swept away, with every thing else, before that splendid series, the Waverly novels.

1848. About 3,000 houses destroyed by fire in Constantinople; damage estimated at $100,000,000.

1850. MATTHEW L. DAVIS, a distinguished citizen and printer in New York, died.

1850. JACOB HAYES, long a leading police officer of New York, died. His notoriety was very great.

1852. MARY ANN CLARKE died at Boulogne, in France, aged 74; the notorious mistress of the duke of York, to whose name, for a time, much consequence was given, in parliament and in London society, by the charges against the duke in 1809.

1853. A boat's crew from the Austrian brig-of-war Huzzar, lying in the harbor of Smyrna, seized in that port a Hungarian refugee, named Martin Koszta, and carried him to the ship. The populace, excited by the outrage attacked three Austrian officers, of whom two were slain. Koszta having protection, in virtue of his primary declaration of an intention of becoming an American citizen, captain Ingraham, of the American sloop-of-war St. Louis demanded his release. The affair caused a good deal of excitement throughout the civilized world. (See July 2.)

JUNE 22.

168 B. C. Battle of Pydna; Perseus, the last king of Macedon, defeated by the Romans under Paulus Æmylius, who brought to Rome a great number of books and manuscripts. The date is settled by an eclipse which happened the preceding night. This battle terminated the independence of a country which had seen a succession of thirty legitimate monarchs and eight usurpers, since its foundation by Caranus 814 B. C., six years after the fall of Assyria.

431. Third Œcumenical council assembled at Ephesus, to execute the decree of pope Celestine as to the heresy of Nestorius. He was deposed from his see and banished to an oasis.

1191. A remarkable eclipse of the sun, when the crusaders were at Acre, at 8 o'clock in the morning. In that year a parhelion appeared undistinguishable by the naked eye from the real sun.

1298. Battle of Falkirk; Edward I with 80,000 English defeated the Scottish army under Wallace, with great slaughter.

1415. JOHN HUSS, a Bohemian clergyman who had adopted the opinions of Wickliff, was burnt at the stake.

1476. Battle of Morat, in Switzerland, and defeat of Charles the Bold, duke of Burgundy. Philip de Comines, speaking of this celebrated conflict for liberty, mentions arquebusiers as troops.

1483. Accession of the usurper Richard III.

1527. NICCOLO MACHIAVELLI, a Florentine writer, died. His works are numerous, but that called _The Prince_ is the most famous, and has generally given him a bad character, though defended by Bacon and Clarendon.

1535. JOHN FISHER, an English prelate, beheaded at the age of 77. He pertinaciously opposed the measures of the king, in relation to his wives. He was the opponent of Erasmus, who, however, gives him a superior character.

1596. The combined English and Dutch fleets under lord Effingham and admiral Van Duvenwoord, attacked the Spanish fleet in Cadiz bay, burnt 3 galleons, captured two, and drove a great number on shore. To save the latter the Spaniards agreed to pay 2,500,000 ducats.

1602. "Lent unto Benjamy Johnsone, at the apoyntment of E. Allen and William Birde, in earnest of a booke [play] called _Richard Crook-back_, and for new adycions of _Jeronimo_, the sum of x_lb._"--_Henslowe Manuscripts._

1632. GALILEO and his books condemned by the inquisition.

1664. CATHARINE PHILIPS, an English poetess, died.

1679. Battle of Bothwell bridge; the Scottish covenanters defeated by the English under the duke of Monmouth.

1691. MAHOMET IV, of Turkey, assassinated in prison. In the beginning of his reign he was eminently successful in war; but the resistless valor of John Sobieski drove the Turks within their own dominions. These calamities were attributed to the sultan, and the janizaries deposed him.

1691. SOLYMAN III, of Turkey, brother of the preceding, died. He was taken from prison and placed on the throne, on the deposition of his brother, Mahomet, 1687. He was indolent and superstitious.

1714. MATTHEW HENRY, an eminent English dissenting divine, died. His writings are highly valued, particularly the _Expositions of the Bible_, 5 vols. folio.

1734. EDMUND POURCHAT died; a French professor of philosophy, and a man of extensive learning.

1741. This day is memorable for the impressment of seamen into the British service. Nothing could protect the unhappy individuals; in 36 hours the names of 2370 were enrolled.

1763. JOHN PETER DE BOUGAINVILLE died; a French author, of great acquirements, whose application hastened his death, at the age of 41.

1770. PHILIP CARTERET WEBB died; a distinguished English lawyer and antiquary.

1772. Chief-justice MANSFIELD, of England, gave judgment that the master of a negro slave which had been brought to England had no right to send him back to the plantations.

1775. Congress resolved to emit $2,000,000 in bills of credit.

1777. British evacuated New Brunswick and retired to Amboy; they suffered severely from Morgan's riflemen and Wayne's brigade.

1780. The forts on Licking river attacked by 600 Indians and Canadians under colonel Bird, with 6 field pieces; they took all the inhabitants captives, and loaded them with heavy baggage; such as failed on the journey were tomahawked and scalped.

1803. WILLIAM HEINSE, a German author, died. His works are in 10 vols., and manifest great ability.

1807. British ship Leopard, 50 guns, attacked American frigate Chesapeake, 36 guns, captain Barron. The Chesapeake struck in 30 minutes; 3 men killed, 18 wounded. Four men were taken out of the Chesapeake, when she was permitted to proceed. One of these was hanged. Barron was suspended for five years.

1813. Battle of Craney island, in Chesapeake bay. British under sir Sidney Beckwith and admiral Warren defeated by 480 Virginia militia and 150 sailors. British loss 1200 killed, wounded or drowned. None of the Americans were injured.

1815. BONAPARTE'S second abdication. He announced that his political life had terminated, and proclaimed his son, Napoleon II, emperor of the French.

1835. CHARLES BUTLER, the reminiscent, died.

1834. FERDINAND WILHELM BECKER died; a distinguished German physician.

1835. FRANCISCO TACON Y ROSISQUE died; a Spanish statesman, and minister from Spain to the United States. He had filled many distinguished offices, and was greatly respected and esteemed for his talents and amiable qualities.

1839. DEBORAH KNIGHT died at Sumner, Me., aged 105.

1848. The difficulties and disturbances occasioned by the disbanding of the operatives in the national workshops at Paris began.

1848. Civil war in Paris; barricades erected, and a terrible slaughter of the people; general Cavaignac declared dictator.

1848. MARTIN VAN BUREN nominated for president of the United States at a convention at Utica.

1849. ELIZABETH GRINDELL died in Goshen, N. H., aged 104¼ years, leaving a descendant of the _fifth_ generation.

1852. CHARLES C. BERRY, commander of the steamship United States, died at Brooklyn, N. Y., aged 39. He had been connected with the mercantile marine of New York from an early age.

1854. JEREMIAH M. SCARRITT, a United States military engineer, died at Key West. He was a native of New Hampshire, graduated at the military academy of West Point in 1838, served with distinction in the war with Mexico, and was brevetted for gallant and meritorious conduct.

1855. SAMUEL SUMNER WILDE died, aged 84. He was one of the delegates to the Hartford convention, and the last survivor of that assemblage; he also held the office of a justice of the supreme court of Massachusetts 35 years. His judicial career was distinguished by great legal learning and stern integrity.

1855. WILLIAM HENRY STONE, the correspondent of the _London Times_ from the seat of war, died at Balaclava, aged 30. He was employed by the British government in administering the fund for the relief of the sick and wounded, and was a young man of brilliant promise.

JUNE 23.

217 B. C. Battle of Thrasymene, in Italy, between the Romans under Caius Flaminius, and the Carthaginians under Hannibal. The Romans were defeated, and Flaminius killed.

303. ST. ALBAN, the first martyr for Christianity in England, beheaded at Verulam in Hertfordshire. Nearly five hundred years after his death his memory was honored by Offa, king of the Mercians, who built a stately monastery over him, whence the town of St. Albans receives its name.

1137. ALBERTUS, archbishop of Mentz, died. He abused the confidence and liberality of the emperor, Henry V, by raising a conspiracy, for which he was imprisoned.

1281. A terrible convulsion of Mount Etna, about sunset.

1485. RICHARD III published his famous proclamation, stating that Henry Tudor intended to "change and subvert the laws of the realm, and to do the most cruel murders, slaughters, robberies and disherisons, that were ever seen in any Christian country."

1579. The famous union of Utrecht effected. It included Gelderland, Holland, Zealand, Friesland and Utrecht. Ghent and Ypres afterwards acceded.

1596. Cadiz surrendered to the English by capitulation. A ransom of 120,000 crowns was paid by the inhabitants for their lives, and the town and merchandise were abandoned to the rapacity of the conquerors.

1606. HENRY GARNET, provincial of the Jesuits, executed for the _gunpowder_ plot.

1645. VIERA'S plot discovered, to deliver Olinda and the other Dutch possessions into the hands of the Portuguese. He was originally a butcher's boy.

1650. CHARLES II arrived on the coast of Scotland, but was compelled to take the covenant before landing.

1654. SOUTHWORTH, a catholic clergyman, executed in his 72d year. He reproached his persecutors for arming themselves for liberty of conscience, and killing him for differing with them.

1664. The duke of York conveyed a part of his tract in North America to John lord Berkley, baron of Stratton, and sir George Carteret, by the name of Nova-Cæsarea, or New Jersey. Thus the New Netherlands became divided into New York and New Jersey.

1687. M. DENONVILLE, with 1,500 French and 500 Indians marched from Canada for the purpose of humbling the Seneca Indians. When he had reached the foot of a hill about a mile from the principal village of the Senecas, he aroused an ambush of 500 Indians, which at first threw his army into confusion, but they soon rallied again and the Senecas were defeated, with the loss of 80, and laid their own village in ashes. The French found only two old men, whom they cut in pieces and boiled to make soup for their allies.

1707. JOHN MILL, a learned English divine, died; editor of a _Greek Testament_, with various readings and critical notes; a labor of thirty years, and which was published only a fortnight before his death.

1728. GABRIEL DANIEL, a learned French Jesuit, died. His books were rapidly republished, and several translated.

1736. ACHMET III, ex-emperor of Turkey, died, aged 74. He waged war with Russia, Persia and Venice successfully, and is entitled to some regard for the hospitality he showed to that unfortunate madman, Charles XII of Sweden.

1757. Battle of Plaissey, in Hindostan; the British under lord Clive defeated Surajah Dowla, and took his camp, baggage, and 50 cannon.

1758. Battle of Crefelt; French defeated with the loss of 600 by the allies under Ferdinand of Brunswick, who lost 1,500.

1759. Battle of Kay, on the Oder; the Prussians under Wedel attacked the Russians, and were defeated with the loss of 4,000.

1760. Battle of Landshut; the Austrians assaulted and carried the town with great loss on both sides.

1764. JOSEPH BARRY, a French ecclesiastic and author, died. His _History of Germany_, 11 vols. quarto, is reckoned the best work in French on the subject.

1770. MARK AKENSIDE, an English poet, died. He wrote also on medicine; and possessed an original and powerful mind.

1780. Battle of Springfield, N. J.; the British took the town and burnt it, and retreated.

1791. CATHARINE MACAULEY (Graham), an English historian, died. She wrote several histories, essays and political works, which are now nearly obliviated.

1793. New declaration of the rights of man by the French convention.

1793. Cape François burnt by the negroes and mulattoes, after an indiscriminate massacre of the whites, which had been in progress since the 7th, by which several thousands perished. (See 20th.)

1795. Action between the British and French fleets off L'Orient, in which the latter were defeated, with the loss of several large ships.

1824. STEPHEN AIGNAN, a French poet and dramatic writer, died. He filled several offices under Napoleon.

1824. WILSON LOWRY, an English artist, died. He made many improvements in the art of engraving.

1836. JAMES MILL, a Scottish divine, died; celebrated for his literary and philosophical works, author of a _History of British India, &c._

1839. HESTER STANHOPE, a learned English lady, died at D'Joun, in Syria. She had resided in Syria nearly thirty years, and was celebrated for her eccentricity and singular mode of life. She was a niece of William Pitt, and abandoned civilized society to reside among Arabs, over whom she acquired great command.

1854. A terrible hurricane occurred at Manteno, Illinois, extending from six to eight miles in width, prostrated many houses, and caused much other damage.

1854. DANIEL WELLS, chief justice of the court of common pleas of Massachusetts, died at Cambridge, aged 63. He was born in Greenfield, Mass., and in 1837 was appointed district attorney for the western district, the duties of which office he discharged with marked ability, propriety and success until appointed chief justice.

1855. The Russians, 30,000 men, under general Mouravieff, invested Kars in the Crimea; the Turkish garrison was commanded by general Williams, an Englishman.

1856. Prince ESTERHAZY, an eminent Austrian ambassador, died at Berlin, in Prussia, where he was envoy.

JUNE 24.

64. The first Christian persecution under Nero.

79. TITUS FLAVIUS VESPASIANUS, emperor of Rome, died, after a popular reign of 10 years. He was the first of the Roman emperors who died a natural death.

1203. The third, or Boniface's crusade, reached Chalcedon.

1314. Battle of Bannockburn in Scotland. The English army of 100,000 men under Edward II totally defeated by the Scots, 30,000, under Bruce. The loss of the English was 154 earls, barons and knights, 700 gentlemen and upwards of 10,000 common soldiers.

1340. Battle of Sluys: the English under Edward III, with 240 ships, defeated the French fleet of 400 ships. The French lost 230 vessels and 30,000 men killed.

1450. Battle of Seven Oaks, in England, when Cade, the rebel, turning on his pursuers, put them to flight, killed sir Humphrey Stafford, and arrayed himself in the knight's panopli and spurs.

1497. JOHN CABOT and his son SEBASTIAN, in the service of England, first descried land on the continent of America, which they called Prima Vista, and is generally supposed to have been some part of Newfoundland. No one had yet reached the continent.

1534. JOHN BOCCOLD (of Leyden) a journeyman tailor, crowned king of Sion at Munster, in Germany, by the anabaptists. The German princes took the city by surprise on this day the year following, and deposed the king, and afterwards put him to death.

1577. SEBASTIAN III of Portugal embarked at Lisbon against the Moors in Africa, with 1,000 sail.

1637. NICHOLAS CLAUDE FABRI PEIRESC, a distinguished French antiquary, died. He was a learned man, and highly esteemed by his cotemporaries.

1643. JOHN HAMPDEN, an English statesman, died. He was a leader of the parliamentary forces, and mortally wounded at the battle of Chalgrove field.

1675. King PHILIP'S war began at Swanzey, in the Plymouth colony, not far from mount Hope. Having sent their wives and children to the Narragansetts for safety, a party of the Wampanoags advanced to Swanzey, where they menaced the people, and proceeded to rifle their houses, and even to kill the cattle. An Indian was shot, whereupon the party rushed forward and slew eight or nine of the inhabitants; thus opened the bloody scene, which for more than a year spread terror and devastation over the New England colonies, and shed a deluge of human blood. It was a contest for extirpation, and ere it ended the flower of the English and the chivalry of the Indians were laid low.

1711. Queen ANNE'S fleet, sent to reduce Canada, arrived at Boston, New England.

1724. Great tumult in Glasgow, occasioned by a tax on malt. Preparations of malt liquor were at that time deemed essential articles of comfort.

1736. English act of parliament against witchcraft, passed in the reign of James I, repealed.

1741. A daily mail first instituted in London.

1750. Pension of £30 per annum conferred on Hannah Snell, the female soldier, who under the name of James Gray, served king George more than 5 years.

1762. Battle of Graebenstein; the allies under prince Ferdinand, defeated the French under Soubisse, and d'Estrees, who lost 300 men.

1770. CHRISTOPHER DRAKENBERG died in Norway, aged 146.

1782. JOHN BLAIR, a Scottish chronologist, died. His principal work is a chronology and history of the world.

1796. DAVID RITTENHOUSE, an American natural philosopher, died. From a manufacturer of clocks and mathematical instruments he became, by his own exertions, one of the most scientific men of the day.

1799. Division of the territory and treasures of Tippo Saib, by the English.

1803. MATTHEW THORNTON, a signer of the declaration, died. He was a practicing physician in New Hampshire, when the war of the revolution broke out.

1804. The spire of Hanslope church, Buckinghamshire, England, fell immediately after divine service and crushed down the roof also; no lives were lost.

1810. Battle of Beaverdams; 570 Americans surprised and taken by the British.