Part 53

1853. An earthquake at Cumana, in Venezuela, South America, destroyed many edifices and killed 600 persons.

1855. The first legislature of the new state of Panama, formed of the provinces of Panama, Azuen, Veraguos and Chiriqui, met at Panama. Justo Arogemena was appointed superior chief.

JULY 16.

523 B. C. One hour before midnight at Babylon the moon was eclipsed 6 digits on her northern disk. This is believed to be the 5th eclipse on record.

622. The Hegira, or Mohammedan era, commenced. It was instituted by Omar, the second caliph, in imitation of the era of the martyrs, beginning with the first appearance of the new moon (the crescent), 68 days before the flight of Mohammed from Mecca to Medina.

1054. MICHAEL CERULARIUS, the Greek patriarch, excommunicated at Constantinople by the pope's legates. "Shaking the dust from their feet, they deposited on the altar of St. Sophia, a direful anathema, which enumerates the seven mortal heresies of the Greeks, and devotes them to the eternal society of the devil and his angels." The Greeks have never abandoned their errors, the popes have never repealed the sentence, and from this thunderbolt we may date the consummation of the schism between the two churches.

1212. Battle of Tolosa in Spain; the Moors defeated by Alphonso of Castile. This day became an anniversary festival called _The triumph of the Cross_.

1216. INNOCENT III died; he was a steadfast friend of king John of England.

1377. The baron PERCY created earl of Northumberland, by Richard II at his coronation.

1429. The town of Rheims in France was taken from the English by Joan of Arc, and on the following day the dauphin was crowned, an exploit which Joan had sworn to accomplish.

1439. Commencement of a direful pestilence and famine, which scourged England and France for two years, and caused an intermission of hostilities between the two countries.

1519. The first embassy sailed from Cortez to the king of Spain. He accompanied his letter by a present of all the gold he had received from the king of Mexico, including the two great wheels, one of gold, representing the Mexican century, curiously wrought, valued at 10,000 sequins, and the other of silver, representing the Mexican year, also wrought with figures in bas-relief. His object was to prepossess the king against the representations which might be made by the governor of Cuba.

1546. ANNE ASKEW (or _Ascough_), an accomplished protestant lady, after having been tortured, was burnt for heresy. It is remarkable that her husband was _accuser_, the lord chancellor _extortioner_, and the mayor of London _incendiary_, in that unmanly work.

1640. CORNELIUS VAN TIENHOVEN, secretary of New Netherland, at the head of one hundred men, made a rash attack upon the Raritans, who lived at a small river five miles behind Staten island; the soldiers committed excesses, which the Indians resented the following year.

1647. THOMAS ANELLO (or _Massaniello_), a fisherman of Naples, killed. He headed an insurrection, caused by the viceroy's laying a new tax on fruit, fish, &c. The sedition continued for ten days, when all kinds of barbarity were practiced, and Anello became supreme dictator over 150,000 people. He gave himself up to debauchery, and was despatched by four assassins and his body dragged through the streets with every mark of indignity.

1676. MARIA MARGARET DE BRINVILLIERS, a French lady known for her intrigues and crimes, executed at Paris. She cut off her relatives by poison, and spared her husband only because he looked upon her crimes with indifference.

1691. FRANCIS MICHAEL LE TELLIER, a French statesman, died. He was a great favorite with Louis XIV, who on a certain occasion treated him with so much coolness that he returned home from the levee and died in his own apartment of vexation and grief. He was endowed with splendid talents, which he exerted for the benefit of his country.

1696. JOHN PEARSON, an English prelate, died; known by his valuable _Exposition of the Creed_.

1710. Battle of Alamanza, in Spain; Philip V of France defeated by the allies under Stanhope, with the loss of 1500 killed.

1717. Battle under the walls of Belgrade; the Austrians under prince Eugene defeated the Turks.

1719. JAMES KEILL, a Scottish physician, died in England; author of several valuable medical works.

1736. THOMAS YALDEN, an English poet and physician, died. His works are not the most polished, yet deserving of perusal.

1760. Battle of Exdorff; the prince of Brunswick defeated the Prussians, and took their commander Glaubitz, the prince of Anhalt-Cothen, and five battalions prisoners.

1761. Battle of Fillinghausen in the palatinate, between the allies under the hereditary prince Ferdinand, and the French under Broglio and Soubise. The French were defeated with the loss of 5000 and 9 cannon; loss of the allies 1200.

1767. CHARLES MOLLOY, an English dramatic writer, died. He also conducted _Fog's Journal_, and _Common Sense_.

1779. Stony point taken by the Americans. The assault was made at half-past 12 at night, when both columns rushed forward under a tremendous fire of musketry and grape shot, entered the works at the point of the bayonet. American loss 98 killed and wounded; British loss 63 killed, 543 prisoners, with 15 cannon and a considerable quantity of military stores.

1780. JOHN NICHOLAS HUBERT HAYER, a French ecclesiastic, died. His works display great zeal and learning.

1794. MARK ANTHONY CHARRIER, a French lawyer, beheaded at Paris. He was a member of the states general, and boldly opposed all innovations.

1786. Treaty of peace between the emperor of Morocco and the United States.

1789. The parliament of Paris insulted the king by a vote of thanks, but communicated their resolution only to the national assembly. The same day a great number of the nobility left France.

1794. Battle of Wigoya; the Poles defeated the Russians.

1795. Attack on the heights of St. Barbe at Quiberon, by the French emigrants, who were defeated by the French under Hoche, with the loss of 300.

1799. Aboukir in Egypt attacked and carried by assault by the Turks under Seid Mustapha Pasha, and the whole garrison, 700 in number, put to the sword. The castle of Aboukir with a garrison of 400, also surrendered immediately after.

1808. Battle of Baylen, in Spain, which terminated in the defeat and capture of general Dupont and his division, one of the first serious reverses of Napoleon in the peninsula.

1812. Colonel CASS with 280 men attacked and carried the bridge over the river Aux Canards, four miles from Malden. It was defended by a part of the British 41st regiment and some Indians.

1815. BONAPARTE sent a flag of truce and entered the Bellerophon man-of-war, captain Maitland, who proceeded with his illustrious _ruin_ to Torbay.

1832. The German diet, at Franckfort, issued a protocol suppressing the liberty of the press in Baden.

1833. Corner stone of New York University laid.

1838. GEORGE DOMBERGER, a soldier under prince Eugene, died, aged 130. He married for the first time when in his 100th year. He was a special pensioner of the emperor of Austria.

1843. SAMUEL HAHNEMANN, founder of the homeopathic system of medical practice, died at Paris, aged 88.

1849. DAVID B. OGDEN, an eminent New York attorney, died. For more than half a century he was associated with the councils of the state and city of New York.

1849. Frost was seen at Pittsfield and vicinity, although the thermometer had been at 90° the day before.

1852. LOUIS KOSSUTH, the Hungarian revolutionist, left New York in the steamship Africa, for Liverpool, under the assumed name of Alexander Smith.

1854. NATHANIEL BOWDITCH BLUNT, an eminent New York attorney, died at Lebanon Springs.

1854. A day of humiliation and prayer observed at Bombay, and all over India, by the natives as well as the Europeans, for the success of the British arms.

1856. A formidable insurrection which had broken out at Madrid in Spain two days before, was suppressed after a sanguinary contest of 30 hours.

1857. PIERRE JEAN DE BERANGER, a French lyric poet, died, aged 77. His songs are at once a storehouse of gayety and satire, and a record of the history of his time.

JULY 17.

855. LEO IV, pope, died. He was a wise and courageous pontiff, who, when the Saracens approached Rome to pillage it, boldly marched out to meet them, unsupported by the emperors of the east or the west. The Saracens were defeated with great slaughter, and the captives employed to adorn and fortify the city they had come to destroy. The famous pope Joan succeeded for a few days to the papal chair.

1085. ROBERT GUISCARD, duke of Apulia, died at Corfu. He was a famous Norman knight, who assisted in the conquest of Naples from the Saracens.

1429. CHARLES VII, of France, crowned at Rheims. Joan of Arc, his supporter, was seated on horseback, helmeted, at his right side, with her triumphal banner unfurled.

1453. JOHN TALBOT, earl of Shrewsbury, killed. He distinguished himself in the reduction of Ireland, of which he was made governor by Henry V. This brave warrior, who was the terror of the French, and acquired the title of the English Achilles, accompanied the English army to France, and took several towns; but was finally killed in battle, near Castillon.

1525. An act of the English parliament was passed prohibiting the importation of any of Luther's books into England.

1530. TINDAL'S translation of the _Pentateuch_ was published at Marlborow (Marburg), in the land of Hesse. The violence of the times rendered concealment necessary.

1652. EDWARD SACKVILLE, earl Dorset, an English statesman, died. He was also sent with an army into Bohemia, and fought at the battle of Prague 1620.

1755. The British East India ship Doddington lost, and only 23 out of 273 persons saved.

1656. Battle of Valenciennes; the prince of Conde and don John of Austria, defeated the French under Turenne and La Ferte; the latter was captured. The French army was saved by the masterly manœuvres of Turenne.

1679. JAMES DUPORT, an English divine, died, whose great erudition as a classical scholar is evinced in the learned works which he published.

1786. Thirteen elm trees removed by a storm in Devonshire, Eng., 200 yards where they afterwards took root.

1791. The first bank in Albany began to discount, being the present bank of Albany.

1793. MARIE JOSEPH CHALIER, a French revolutionist, guillotined. He was an admirer of the sanguinary character of Marat, whom he determined to imitate at Lyons, where he was a merchant. He erected a guillotine, and had already marked 900 victims for sacrifice, when he fell into the snare himself.

1793. MARIE ANNE CHARLOTTE CORDAY D'ARMANS, the assassin of Marat, executed. She gained admittance to him while bathing, and when he declared some of his bloody designs, she plunged a dagger to his heart. She was 24 years of age, possessed rare charms of person, united with great courage, and was actuated by a sense of duty in ridding the world of a monster, at the expense of her own life.

1793. The crown revenue of Poland sequestered by order of the Russian ambassador.

1796. JOHN CHRISTIAN HARTWICK, a Lutheran divine, died at Clermont, N. Y., aged about 90. He was eminent for his classical knowledge and literary abilities, and spent 62 years in the gospel ministry. He left a large estate for the promotion of religious purposes.

1796. JOHN BAPTIST SECONDAT DE MONTESQUIEU, died. He was a son of the celebrated Montesquieu, and devoted himself to agricultural pursuits. He published several agricultural and scientific works.

1806. RICHARD JOSEPH SULLIVAN, an English writer, died. His works consist of travels, history, &c., &c.

1812. American privateer schooner Dolphin, 2 guns, captain Endicott, captured a British ship of 14 guns. She took six other prizes.

1812. _Fort Michilimackinac_ with a garrison of 57 United States troops, capitulated to the British, 306 men, 715 Indians.

1812. United States frigate _Constitution_ fell in with a British squadron, from which she effected her escape by the masterly seamanship of captain Hull, after a chase of 60 hours.

1813. A small number of volunteers with 40 soldiers from fort George, in two row-boats, captured at the head of the river St. Lawrence, a British gun-boat, mounting a 24 pounder, and 14 bateaux laden with 230 barrels of pork, and 200 bags of bread, and took 4 officers and 61 men.

1813. British and Indians made an attack on an outwork of the garrison at fort George, but were repulsed.

1832. JOHN CARR, an English tourist, died at London; well known as a writer of tours and travels.

1853. An exhibition of relics was made at Aix-la-Chapelle, when more than 60,000 pilgrims entered the city to see them.

1854. The first party sent out under the auspices of the Massachusetts emigrant aid society, left Boston for the territory of Kansas.

1854. The American steamer Franklin, from Cowes for New York, went ashore on Long island beach, and was lost; the mails and passengers were safely landed.

1854. GEORGE C. WASHINGTON, a nephew of general Washington, died at Georgetown. He had been twice a member of congress, from his district in Maryland, was president of the Ohio and Chesapeake canal, and commissioner for the settlement of Indian claims. All his duties were performed with faithful attention and marked ability.

1854. An insurrection broke out at Madrid, and barriers were erected by the people in all parts of the city.

1856. A collision occurred on the North Pennsylvania rail road, near Philadelphia, when a Sunday school excursion on one of the trains had 60 killed and 78 wounded.

1856. The steam boat Northern Indiana was burnt on lake Erie, and over 30 persons lost.

1856. While a fire was raging at Salonica, Turkey, a terrific explosion of gunpowder occurred, killing and wounding 700 persons, among whom were the Dutch, Russian and Sardinian consuls.

JULY 18.

390 B. C. Battle of Allia, a river in Italy; the Romans defeated by the Gauls under Brennus, who destroyed the city, except the capitol.

1009. JOHN XVIII, pope, died. He was a Roman; after him the right of election passed from the Roman people to the clergy. He resigned the dignity some time before his death, and died in the obscurity of a monastry.

1100. GODFREY DE BOUILLION, one of the heroes of the crusades, died. He was the son of a French count, defeated the armies of the sultan with great slaughter, and made himself master of all Palestine. He was elected king of Jerusalem, as a reward for his activity and heroism, which he declined for the humbler appellation of the duke of the holy sepulchre.

1390. On this and the two following days the parish clerks of London played interludes before Richard II and his queen, at Skinnerswells.

1566. WILLIAM RONDELET, a French anatomist, died. He wrote a Latin treatise on fishes, 2 vols. folio, and various tracts on medicine, afterwards collected into a volume. His death was occasioned by eating figs to excess.

1639. BERNARD, duke of Saxe-Weimar, died. He waged an active war with Austria, in which he was successful, till death stopped his career.

1656. Battle of Warsaw, which continued three days.

1675. The Narragansets, posted in a swamp were attacked by the colonists and defeated. They retreated to their recesses, where they remained till they discovered that it was determined to surround and starve them out, when they found means of escape.

1694. A body of 250 Indians under the sieur de Villieu fell with great fury on a village at Oyster river, in New Hampshire, and killed and captivated about a hundred persons, and burnt 20 houses.

1683. Battle under the walls of Vienna; the Turks defeated by the combined armies under John Sobieski of Poland. The vanquished fled with precipitation, leaving behind them the standard of Mahomet.

1705. The duke of MARLBOROUGH defeated the French near Tirelemont, for which victory a thanksgiving was ordered in England.

1761. THOMAS SHERLOCK, an eminent English prelate, died. His controversial works and sermons are well known. His private virtues were adorned with the purest acts of benevolence and humanity.

1775. A party of Americans under col. Ashe entered fort Johnson, on cape Fear river, in the dead of night, and burnt it, with the houses and other buildings. The governor, Martin, retired on board the king's ship Cruzier.

1782. GABRIEL FRANCIS COYER, a French writer, died. He was originally a Jesuit, but abandoned the society for literature. He wrote bagatelles, morals, history, biography, travels, &c., all in a popular style, and translated Blackstone.

1786. JOHN BASEILLAC DE ST. COSME, an eminent lithotomist, died at Paris. His instruments were much used formerly.

1790. ADAM SMITH, a celebrated Scottish philosopher, died. His _Wealth of Nations_ procured him immediate fame and emolument. His _Life of Hume_ marks him a deist.

1792. KOSCIUSKO at the head of 5,000 Poles, gave battle to the Russians, 14,000 in number, and was defeated with the loss of 1,100.

1792. JOHN PAUL JONES died in Paris. He was distinguished as a seaman. Yet though both in the United States and Russian service, he died in neglected poverty.

1794. The French under Moreau took Nieuwpoort, in Belgium; 300 emigrant prisoners taken were shot.

1802. DUMARESQ, a British admiral, died, aged 73. He boasted that he had never employed a physician or a lawyer.

1806. Sale of the Leverian museum concluded. It was pronounced by those who had visited the most celebrated museums of Europe to be superior to any of them. The sale occupied 65 days. It was founded by sir Ashton Lever.

1806. The strong fortress of Gaeta surrendered to the armies of France, after a desperate resistance.

1814. AKIM NICHOLAEVITCH MAKHIMOV, a Russian poet, died. His poem called the _Speaking Monkeys_, composed in derision of Napoleon's attempt to take Moscow, is much admired.

1817. JANE AUSTEN, an English authoress, died. Her writings were principally novels, which have lately been republished.

1820. The first chain bridge in England thrown over the Tweed, captain Brown architect. The river 437 feet wide.

1835. WILLIAM COBBETT, a powerful and original English writer, died. He was editor of the _Register_ more than thirty years, during which time he made himself sufficiently conspicuous as a violent and somewhat fickle politician. He was an extraordinary man, and the oracle of a multitude of his countrymen.

1839. Rev. WILLIAM WHITE, bishop of Pennsylvania, died. He was one of the first elected as chaplain to the United States congress.

1844. JESSE BUSHYHEAD, a person of great distinction among his tribe, and chief justice of the supreme court of the Cherokees, died. He was a correct translator.

1848. The Mexican agitator, PAREDES, defeated by Bustamente at Guanajanto, and totally routed. The belligerent priest, padre Jurauta was captured and immediately shot.

1848. The Indians, in Yucatan, repulsed at all points, and the towns in their possession retaken by the whites. The Indians at this time were waging a war of extermination against the whites.

1853. The Atlantic and St. Lawrence rail road, from Portland to Montreal, was opened throughout its whole length of two hundred and ninety miles.

1854. A tremendous hurricane prevailed at Davenport, Ill., causing great destruction of life and property.

1854. A negro woman died in Virginia, aged 140.

1855. W. R. HENRY, a late captain of the Texas volunteers, issued a proclamation to the people of Texas and the Mexicans, that he and his companions intended to cross the Rio Grande, to aid in overthrowing Santa Anna, and in establishing a government more favorable to the interests of Texas.

JULY 19.

64. The firing of Rome in the reign of Nero is placed by des Vignoles on the 19th July; the day also on which it was sacked by the Senonian Gauls. (See June 18.)

1203. Fall of Constantinople to the Venitian crusaders, when Isaac Angelus, feeble and blind, was solemnly reseated, with his son Alexius, upon the imperial throne.

1242. Battle of Taillebourg, upon the Charente, in France. The French king, at the head of a vast and superior force, carried the bridge, and the English under Henry, the royal palmer, after a desperate stand, gave way, and were driven with rapidity to Saintes.

1333. EDWARD III defeated the Scots at Halidown with great slaughter, which defeat was followed by the surrender of Berwick which Edward annexed to England.

1374. FRANCESCO PETRARCA, the celebrated Italian poet, died, aged 70. His talents and learning contributed greatly to the revival of literature, and he has been justly styled the father of modern poetry.

1573. JOHN CAIUS, an English physician, died. He visited the most learned institutions in Europe to improve himself in his profession, and when he finally settled in London became extremely popular as a practitioner. He endowed a college, which bears his name.

1610. The foundation of the famed and valuable Bodleian library was laid at Oxford.

1629. Quebec capitulated to the English under Louis and Thomas Kerth. This was 130 years before its final conquest by Wolfe.

1693. Battle of Landon in which the confederates were defeated by the French with great slaughter.

1701. The confederated tribes of Indians surrendered to the English, at Albany, their beaver hunting country, lying between lakes Ontario and Erie, to be by them defended for the said confederated Indians, their heirs and successors forever.

1743. WILLIAM SOMERVILLE, an English poet, died. On the completion of his education he settled on his paternal estate, became known as a magistrate and a country gentleman, and devoted his leisure to the muses.

1763. NATHANIEL HOOKE, an English historian, died. He is little known, except by his _History of Rome_, 4 volumes 4to.

1777. Logan's fort, Kentucky, besieged by 200 Indians. The garrison consisting of 16 men, who repelled the savages.

1779. Battle of Paulus Hook; the British garrison surprised and made prisoners by the Americans under general Lee. The commandant of the fort and a few Hessians escaped; 30 were killed and 161 taken. American loss 6 killed or wounded.

1783. JOB ORTON, an excellent English dissenting divine, died; author of many valuable works, among which is a life of Dr. Doddridge.

1794. A revolution commenced at Geneva in Switzerland, headed by two commissioners of the French revolution residing there.

1806. Action off Feroe islands, between British frigate Blanche and French frigate Guerrier, 50 guns, 317 men. The latter was captured in 45 minutes, with the loss of 26 killed, 30 wounded; British loss, 4 wounded. The Guerrier was taken from the British by captain Hull, in 1812.

1808. Battle of Baylen, in Spain; the French under Dupont defeated by the Spaniards. Dupont and 2,600 fell, after a desperate action from 3 o'clock in the morning till noon, when the French sued for terms. A convention was agreed upon, by which they were to lay down their arms, and be conveyed to France; accordingly 14,000 soldiers defiled before the Spanish army, laid down their arms, and all their military accoutrements, and were conducted to Cadiz. The officers were sent home, but the soldiers were placed in hulks, where they remained some years; until the few that survived the miseries of their confinement, driven to despair, cut the cables of their prison-ships, drifted out of the harbor, and were saved by their countrymen then besieging Cadiz.

1810. The king of Prussia issued a decree forbidding American vessels to enter his ports.

1812. Battle at the bridge Aux Canards. 150 volunteers under colonel M'Arthur while reconnoitering fell into an ambush and were fired upon by a party of Indians under Tecumseh. The Indians were routed.

1812. United States brig Nautilus, 12 guns, captured by a squadron of British frigates.

1814. Action off Sandy hook, between the United States privateer Gen. Armstrong and British sloop Henrietta; the latter was captured, laden with stores for the fleet in Chesapeake bay.