Part 50

1653. CROMWELL'S first parliament met.

1660. CHARLES II, of England, resumed touching for scrofula; placing his hands on the neck of the patient, the chaplain saying "He laid his hands on them and healed them."

1759. WILLIAM PEPPERELL died; an officer in the British service before the American revolution, and 32 years a member of his majesty's council. He was born in Maine, rose to the highest military honors, and in 1745 commanded the expedition against Louisburg, which was reduced. He was rewarded with the title of baronet of England.

1767. MICHAEL BRUCE, an elegant Scottish poet, died, aged 21.

1775. Congress issued a manifesto, setting forth the causes and necessity of taking up arms in defence of their rights, against England.

1777. Ticonderoga and mount Independence evacuated by the American general St. Clair, who retreated to fort Edward. At the same time the Americans at Skeenesborough were obliged to burn their vessels, and retreat to the same place. The British under Burgoyne had advanced their works so far as to threaten a complete inclosure of the continental army.

1779. Action off Granada between the British fleet, admiral Barrington, 21 ships, and French fleet, 27 ships, admiral d'Estaing. Although the French avoided a close action, it is supposed that their loss was 1,200 killed, owing to their ships being crowded with men. British loss 529 killed and wounded.

1781. Battle of James river; general Wayne with 800 men, intending to strike Cornwallis's rear guard, was deceived by a countryman, and met the whole army of 4,000 regulars, drawn up to receive him. He instantly attacked them and retreated. Cornwallis, from the daring singularity of the manœuvre, concluded it to be a feint to draw him into an ambuscade, therefore did not pursue him. Wayne, however, lost his artillery.

1782. Sixth action between the British fleet, admiral Hughes, and French, admiral Suffrein, in the night, in close action. Both fleets suffered much; French lost the Orient, crew saved.

1790. Some workmen engaged in digging near Donadea, Ireland, discovered a vault, 12 feet by 8, and 6 f. 3 in. deep, containing a stone coffin in which rested a skeleton measuring 8 feet 3½ in. in length, by the side of which was a spear 7 feet in length and two brass urns, having the sun and moon engraved on them in a most curious, though antique manner. The vault was seventeen feet from the surface of the ground and no clue could be found to the identity of the body, or the time of its deposit there.

1790. GEORGE AUGUSTUS ELIOTT, lord Heathfield, died. He gained much celebrity in the Prussian service, and during the seven years' war in Germany; but his constancy and talent in defence of Gibraltar during three years of constant investment, in which all the powers of Spain were employed, excited the admiration of the world.

1796. ADAM STANISLAUS MARUSZEWICH, a Polish poet and historian, died.

1801. Action off Algesiras between the British and French fleets. A British 74 grounded and was captured.

1809. British sloop of war Bonne Citoyenne captured in 6 hours 50 minutes French frigate La Furieuse. British loss 1 killed, 5 wounded; French loss 35 killed, 37 wounded.

1809. Battle of Wagram, between the French army of 180,000 under Napoleon, and the Austrians under the archduke Charles, of about half the force. The battle commenced on the 5th, and was decided on the 6th. The Austrians were compelled to retreat, after having taken 7,000 prisoners and 12 eagles, and retired fighting three days in succession, leaving the field of battle covered with their slain. It is stated that 27,000 fell on both sides. The French reckoned their loss 15,000 killed, about 4,000 wounded. Of the Austrians 12,000 were wounded, and 20,000 taken prisoners; 19 generals were killed or taken, and 40 cannon lost.

1813. GRANVILLE SHARP, a learned English philanthropist, died. He interested himself in the abolition of slavery, and to his exertions "England owes the verdict of her highest court of law, that the slave who sets his foot on English ground becomes that instant free."

1815. SAMUEL WHITBREAD, member of the British parliament and one of the most extensive brewers in the world, died by his own hand.

1823. PIUS VII (_Gregory Barnabas Chiaramonti_), pope, died. He was a prisoner under Napoleon from 1808 to 1814, during which time he rejected with firmness the offers of the emperor.

1835. JOHN MARSHALL, chief justice of the United States, died, aged 80. He was an extraordinary man, and the object of universal respect and confidence, on account of his extraordinary talents, his unsuspected integrity, his exemplary private virtues, and his important public services, which by some are deemed second only to those of Washington. He wrote the _Life of Washington_, 5 vols.

1838. ALEXANDER AIKMAN, late printer of the _Jamaica Royal Gazette_, died. His exertions spread much light in that island.

1839. Great fire at Eastport, Me., by which the larger portion of the business part of the town was destroyed.

1849. Successful sortie of the Danes besieged in the fort of Frederick by the Schleswig Holsteiners, of whom 3,112 were slain and taken prisoners.

1851. DAVID MACBETH MOIR, a Scottish writer, died at Dumfries, aged 53. He was the _Delta_ of _Blackwood's Magazine_, to which he was long a contributor, and in whose pages first appeared _Mansie Wauch_, which was long ascribed to Galt.

1857. JOHN LAURIS BLAKE, an American divine, died at Orange, N. J., aged 68. His principal work is a _Biographical Dictionary_, of which several editions were printed.

JULY 7.

715 B. C. ROMULUS, founder and first king of Rome, disappeared on the _nones_, during the _quirinalia_, in a chariot of fire, _patriis equis_, as he was reviewing his people. There seems to be no other way of explaining this account, than that he was a victim of some of the elements.

587 B. C. The city of Jerusalem, with the temple, palaces and walls, razed to the ground, the inhabitants carried into captivity, and the entire Israelitish monarchy terminated (after it had stood 468 years from the accession of David), in the 11th year of Zedekiah, on the seventh day of the Hebrew month _Ab_. It is still observed as a day of lamentation.

1307. EDWARD I, ninth king of England, died in the 35th year of his reign, aged 69. He was distinguished for his wisdom and the equity of his laws, as well as for his military abilities. (See Jan. 2, 1774.)

1415. JOHN HUSS, a celebrated German reformer, burnt by the council of Constance. He was the first opposer of the doctrine of transubstantiation, and the defender of Wickliffe.

1520. Battle of Otumba; the retreating army of Cortez being hotly pursued by the Mexicans, that general resolved to halt and risk a battle. The Tlascalan allies were of incalculable service to the maimed and wretched band of soldiers, who now faced about to resist the whole Mexican force, determined not to leave a trace of the Spaniards upon the earth. This battle lasted four hours; the Spaniards performed prodigies of valor, and were victorious. The cavalry penetrated the masses of Mexicans and struck down the chiefs when they began to give way, and the Tlascalans mowed down all before them with the arms which were thrown away by the fugitives.

1572. SIGISMUND II, king of Poland, died, and with him the Jaghellon race became extinct.

1573. JAMES BORAZZIO VIGNOLA died; an eminent Italian architect.

1607. The national anthem, _God save the King_, written by Ben Jonson, and composed by Dr. Bull, first _vocalized_ in Merchant Taylor's hall, by the choir of the royal chapel, the king being present.

1640. The inhabitants of Providence, 40 in number, united in forming a civil government, after their own model.

1647. Revolt in Naples against the Spanish authorities, headed by the famous Thomas Aniello (_Massaniello_) a fisherman.

1647. THOMAS HOOKER, an English dissenting divine, died. He emigrated to Holland to escape persecution, and thence to America, and settled in Connecticut. In 1647 he removed with his whole congregation to the banks of the river, and may be considered the founder of the town of Hartford. He was a rigid puritan, and a man of learning and talent.

1648. Battle of St. Neots in England.

1667. The British admiral sir JOHN HARMAN destroyed the entire French fleet, 33 sail, at Martinique, and left the vessels to rot on the strand.

1696. A party of French and Indians under count Frontenac left the island of Montreal to invade the country of the Five Nations with a great army. The expedition was unsuccessful.

1708. CONRAD SAMUEL SCHURTZFLEISCH died; professor of history, poetry and Greek at Wittenberg, and counselor and librarian to the duke of Saxe-Weimar.

1713. WILLIAM COMPTON, bishop of Oxford, died. He was a dissenter, and took a conspicuous part in the politics of the day, particularly in the cause of William of Orange, whom he crowned.

1721. Sir WILLIAM KEITH, governor of Pennsylvania, held a council with the Indians at Connestogo.

1725. Treaty of Vienna between the emperor Charles VI and Philip V of Spain concluded by the baron de Ripperda, of Pragmatic sanction memory.

1776. JEREMIAH MARKLAND died; a very learned and acute English critic.

1777. Action between the United States frigate Hancock, 32 guns, captain Manley, and three British ships, under sir George Collier. The Hancock was captured; she wanted upwards of 60 of her complement, they being on board her prize, the British frigate Fox, which was soon after recaptured.

1779. British under governor TRYON plundered and burnt at Fairfield, Conn., 2 churches, 82 dwellings, 55 barns, 15 stores and 15 shops; and at Green Farms 1 church, 15 dwellings, 11 barns, and several stores; and sailed thence to Norwalk.

1784. Fort Dauphin, St. Domingo, entered by a negro, Jean Francois, a lieut. general in the Spanish service, with several hundred men, who massacred the white French, about 771 in number. The town had been delivered to the Spaniards for protection, conditioned that the negroes should not be permitted to enter it.

1791. THOMAS BLACKLOCK, an eminent Scottish poet and divine, died. His talents and acquirements were the more extraordinary, when it is considered that he lost his eye sight at the age of six months, by small pox.

1797. Congress declared the existing treaties with France no longer obligatory.

1798. WASHINGTON appointed lieutenant general of the armies of the United States.

1799. WILLIAM CURTIS, a distinguished English botanist, died. His great work, the _Flora Londinensis_, gave him an enduring reputation.

1799. The Kennet and Avon canal in England was opened.

1808. Desperate action, at night, between the British ship Sea Horse and Turkish frigate Badere Zaffer, 52 guns and 500 men, and another Turkish ship of 24 guns. At daylight the Badere struck, having 165 killed and 195 wounded; the other escaped. Sea Horse had 5 killed, 9 wounded.

1809. Cuxhaven, a fortified town of Hanover, taken by storm, by the boats of a British squadron.

1809. St. Domingo surrendered to the British and Spaniards.

1814. The three estates of the British realm offer public thanksgiving at St. Paul's for the peace of Europe.

1814. The United States troops under major general Brown, attacked the British at Chippewa; the latter retreated, and in the evening the Americans occupied their works.

1816. RICHARD BRINSLEY SHERIDAN, an English dramatist, wit and orator, died. His dramas were undertaken for a subsistence; afterwards, for thirty-two years, he pursued a splendid parliamentary career, but died in great poverty.

1820. PIERRE LOUIS LOUVEL executed for the murder of the duke de Berri.

1843. JOHN HOLMES died at Portland, Me. He was the first United States senator sent from that state.

1844. The disgraceful riots of Philadelphia again commenced; many were killed.

1848. JULIA RUSH, widow of Dr. Rush, died, aged 90.

1848. OLIVER W. P. PEABODY died; an accomplished scholar, and able contributor to the _North American Review_.

1849. During the week closing with this day, 21,297 immigrants arrived at the port of Quebec, Lower Canada.

1853. A plot to assassinate the emperor of France while on his way to the opera, was discovered. Many armed conspirators were seized near the theatre, of whom 21 were convicted on trial.

1854. Battle of Giurgevo; the Turks defeated the Russians, and drove them from their position, with a loss in the conflict of 1,700 killed and wounded.

1855. WILLIAM EDWARD PARRY, the noted Arctic explorer, died at Ems, aged 64. He succeeded in extending his expeditions beyond those of his predecessors, for which he received the parliamentary reward, and was knighted in 1829.

JULY 8.

17. The isle of Thia, one of the scattered cluster called the Sporades, in the Grecian archipelago, rose brightly from the sea.

1117. ADAM DE ST. VICTOIRE, a French ecclesiastic and writer, died.

1174. HENRY II of England performed severe penance before the shrine of Thomas a Becket in the cathedral of Canterbury.

1497. The Indian expedition of Emanuel, king of Portugal, sailed from the Tagus. It consisted of three vessels, under Vasco de Gama.

1520. The retreating and almost annihilated army of Cortez entered the dominions of their faithful allies, the Tlascalans. Here the Spaniards rested to repair their fortunes, and the Mexicans meanwhile employed themselves in restoring their devastated capital.

1524. JAMES VERRAZZANUS, the Florentine discoverer, dated his letter to the king of France from Dieppe, giving an account of his voyage along the coast of the United States, in which he is supposed to have visited the outer harbor of New York.

1533. LUDOVICO ARIOSTO, the Italian poet, is by some authorities said to have died on this day. (See June 6.)

1550. The king of Denmark entered into a written contract to bind the Danish Bible in whole leather with clasps, for two marks Danish a copy and lodging; and to complete 2,000 copies in a year and a day. It was a middle sized folio, of 1,090 pages and sold for three rix dollars a copy.

1560. A peace between England, France and Scotland concluded.

1623. GREGORY XV (Alexander Ludovisio), pope, died. He erected the see of Paris into an archbishopric, and assisted the emperor and the king of Poland in their wars.

1639. BERNARD, duke of Weimar, a German officer in the 30 years' war, died, supposed to have been poisoned by Richelieu. With him fell one of the chief supports of the protestants.

1709. Battle of Pultowa, in Russia, between the Swedes under Charles XII, and the Russians under Peter the Great. The Swedes were entirely routed, and forced to take refuge within the dominions of the sultan of Turkey. The czar had his hat pierced by a ball, and prince Menzikoff had three horses killed under him.

1716. ROBERT SOUTH, a celebrated English divine, died, aged 83, and was buried with great honors to his memory. He shone as a polite scholar and a wit, and is famous for his controversy with Dr. Sherlock on the subject of the trinity. His sermons were published in 11 vols. octavo.

1721. ELIHU YALE, the benefactor of Yale college, died. He was descended from an ancient and wealthy family in Wales; born in New Haven 1748; acquired an estate in the East Indies, and on his return was chosen governor of the East India company.

1738. JOHN PETER NICERON, a popular French preacher, died; also author of _Memoirs of Men illustrious in the Republic of Letters_, of which the 39th volume was finished in the year of his death. He addicted himself to laborious studies and had an extensive knowledge of ancient and modern languages.

1747. Unsuccessful attempt of the French and Spaniards to force the pass aux Exiles in Dauphiny; the chevalier Belleisle and 5,000 men were left dead on the field of battle.

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.