Part 56

1755. A party of Indians prowling about Hinsdale, N. H., ambushed three men, Caleb Howe, Hilkiah Grout and Benjamin Garfield, as they were returning from the field, only one of whom escaped. The Indians went directly to Bridgman's fort, where their families resided, and who had heard the report of guns. By the sounds of feet without, they concluded their friends had returned, and hastily opened the gate, when to their inexpressible surprise they admitted the savages and were all made captives. An interesting account of this affair is familiar to many.

1759. The English under general Amherst took Ticonderoga without firing a gun, the French having abandoned it on the approach of the former.

1759. PIERRE-LOUIS MAREAU DE MAUPERTUIS died at Basle. He was successful in many trigonometrical surveys, and was instrumental in determining the latitude and longitude of several places with much more accuracy.

1773. Captain C. J. PHIPPS, lord Mulgrave, reached nearly the 81° north latitude.

1774. SAMUEL THEOPHILUS GMELIN, a German botanist, died. He was professor of botany at St. Petersburg, and employed on a mission of discovery in the provinces bordering on the Caspian sea; was detained a prisoner by a Tartar chief, in which situation he died.

1775. Congress established a hospital for 20,000 men, and appointed Benjamin Church director and physician-general.

1778. Action off Ushant between the French and British fleets, each of 30 sail; the British claimed the victory. British loss 133: 373. French loss 165: 529.

1794. Overthrow of ROBESPIERRE and the Mountain party, which put an end to the reign of terror.

1799. Mantua with a garrison of 10,000 men dishonorably surrendered to the Austrians.

1806. The United States exploring expedition under captain Lewis, had their guns seized while asleep, by a party of Minnetarre Indians. One of the Indians was stabbed to the heart, and Lewis shot another in the body, who fell on his knees and elbow, raised himself and fired; the ball grazed Lewis's head. The remainder of the Indians fled, leaving the explorers in possession of their baggage, provisions, and four horses.

1807. PETER AUGUSTUS MARIA BROUSSONET, a French naturalist, died. He introduced Merino sheep and Angora goats into France.

1809. First day's battle of Talavera; Wellington made a stand against the French army of double his number of men, under Jourdan, Victor and Mortier.

1828. RADAMA, king of Madagascar, died. He was an extraordinary character, and his reign constitutes the most important era in the history of the island; the slave trade was suppressed, Christianity and the art of printing, as well as other arts and sciences were introduced.

1830. The second French revolution began in Paris by a resistance of the decrees of Charles X. It burst forth on the following day, and continued three days, when the people were left undisputed masters of the capital. About 3000 victims fell in this glorious struggle.

1833. WILLIAM BAINBRIDGE, an American commodore, died, aged 60. He was a distinguished commander in the navy for a long series of years.

1840. CHARLOTTE OUELLET, a Canadian heroine, died, aged 100. She was one of a number of young women of St. Anne de la Pocatiere, who put on men's apparel and armed themselves to drive out the British regulars who were amusing themselves by firing the houses and barns of the village, during the siege of Quebec. She and the rest of her company fired upon the English, who fled, making temporary barrows in their flight, to rescue those who fell under the fire of these brave Canadian girls. A few days previous to her death she indulged in merriment at the thought that she was one who had made the best shots.

1843. FREDERIC HALL, of Washington, one of the most successful American geologists, died at Peru, Illinois.

1844. JOHN DALTON, an eminent English chemist, died, aged 79. He had devoted his whole life to laborious study. A public funeral was given him in Manchester, his native town. He worshipped with the Friends. He could distinguish but two colors, yellow and blue; red and green had the same appearance to his eye.

1849. The grand duke of Tuscany reentered his capital and resumed his authority.

1854. The cholera made its appearance in the Massachusetts state prison at Charlestown, over 70 convicts being attacked; but one died.

1856. The steam boat John Jay, running on Lake George, took fire on her passage from the landing near Ticonderoga to Caldwell, and was consumed, by which several of the passengers and crew perished.

JULY 28.

2348 B. C. NOAH, the Xisuthrus of Berosus, opened the windows of the ark and sent forth a dove and a raven, 40 days after the appearance of the mountains.

388. MAGNUS MAXIMUS, emperor of Rome, beheaded. He was a Spaniard, proclaimed emperor by his troops in Britain. On arriving at Aquelia, on his way to Rome, he was defeated by Theodosius I, and beheaded.

450. THEODOSIUS (_the younger_), emperor of Rome, died. He was successful in war against the Persians, who were defeated near their own dominions; but the Huns compelled him to sue for peace on terms not the most advantageous to the Romans. He was succeeded by his sister Pulcheria, and the empire for the first time submitted to a female reign.

1402. Battle of Angora near Constantinople, between the Tartars under Tamerlane and the Turks under Bajazet. It was an obstinate engagement, and continued three days. The Turks were defeated and Bajazet taken prisoner.

1492. INNOCENT VIII (_John Baptist Cibo_), pope, died. He was a Genoese nobleman of Greek descent; employed his influence to reconcile the quarrels of the Christian princes with one another, and left behind him the character of a high minded and benevolent man.

1540. THOMAS CROMWELL, earl of Essex, beheaded. He rose from the purlieus of a blacksmith's shop to those of the palace; from the pursuit of a humble calling to the dignity of lord chamberlain of England. But he fell a victim to the caprice of Henry VIII.

1541. The diet of Ratisbone closed its sittings.

1592. WILLIAM HACKET, an English fanatic of the reign of Elizabeth, hung and quartered for blasphemy.

1609. Sir GEORGE SOMERS, governor of Virginia, with his crew, who were wrecked on the 24th, landed on Bermudas. They found "a huge and curious sort of fish," and having remained there about nine months, and built two cedar barks they quitted the _isle of Devils_ on the 10th May following. (See May 23.)

1629. JOHN SPEED died; an English chronologist, historian and antiquary.

1635. RICHARD CORBET, an English bishop, died. He also wrote a volume of ingenious poems, which were published under the title of _Poetica Stromata_.

1667. ABRAHAM COWLEY, an eminent English poet, died. Addison observed of him, that no author ever abounded so much in wit, according to Locke's definition of it.

1718. STEPHEN BALUZE, a French writer, died, aged 87. He wrote the lives of the popes of Avignon, and was an indefatigable collector of curious manuscripts, &c.

1750. CONYERS MIDDLETON, a celebrated English divine and critical author, died. His writings are numerous, and display profound learning and extensive information.

1750. THOMAS GORDON, who in company with John Trenchard, for some time managed the _Independent Whig_, died at London. His knowledge of the classics was respectable and he translated Tacitus.

1789. The _Pittsburg Gazette_ was printed, the first newspaper west of the Allegany mountains.

1790. The Forth and Clyde canal opened from the British to the Atlantic ocean, in Scotland.

1793. French general SEMONVILLE arrested on his route to Constantinople to bribe the divan; 64,000 louis d'ors and a great quantity of jewels were found on him.

1794. MAXIMILIAN ISIDORE ROBESPIERRE, the sanguinary demagogue of the French revolution, guillotined, aged 35. He rose from obscurity by his talents, but the demon of destruction seemed to sway his mind and urge him on to the most inhuman deeds that ever disgraced even a political demagogue. Twenty others perished at the same time by the same means.

1802. JOSEPH SARTI, an Italian music composer, died. He resided at the court of Catharine of Russia, where he was master of the chapel. He composed a _Te Deum_ for the taking of Oczakow, the bass of which was accompanied by cannon of different calibre.

1804. POMPEY, a negro man, died at Dover, Delaware, aged 120.

1806. Buenos Ayres taken by the British.

1809. Second battle of Talavera, between the British and Portuguese under Wellington, and the French under Victor, in which the latter were defeated. Loss of the allies 8,167; French supposed to have lost more.

1813. Fourth battle of the Pyrenees; the French under Soult defeated the British under Wellington.

1813. ANDOCHE JUNOT, duke of Abrantes, died. He entered the army as a volunteer 1791, afterwards distinguished himself under Bonaparte in the Italian and Egyptian campaigns, and commanded in the campaign in Russia.

1817. VADAMME, a celebrated French general, a voluntary exile, arrived at Philadelphia.

1818. GASPARD MONGE died at Paris. He was preceptor to Lacroix and other distinguished mathematicians, and was the first to reduce the art of fortifications, &c., to geometrical rules. His _Géométrie descriptive_ is much used.

1820. JOSEPH ZAJONCZECK, viceroy of Poland, died. He entered the army at an early age, espoused the cause of freedom, and fought bravely for his country. He afterwards served in the armies of Bonaparte; and was finally appointed by Russia viceroy of Poland.

1833. WILLIAM WILBERFORCE, a celebrated philanthropist, died at London, aged 74. He was a member of parliament and the intimate friend of Pitt. He began his efforts for the abolition of the slave trade as early as 1787.

1835. EDWARD ADOLPHE CASIMIR JOSEPH MORTIER, duke of Treviso, killed by the explosion of an infernal machine, intended to assassinate Louis Philippe. He joined the army 1791, and from that time his life was marked by combats, exploits and promotion during a term of nearly 30 years. "He is among a small number of Napoleon's generals, whose reputation for private worth has remained unquestioned through life." It was to him that Napoleon entrusted the hazardous undertaking of blowing up the Kremlin at Moscow.

1836. NATHAN MAYER ROTHSCHILD, a celebrated London banker, died. He was a Jew, whose financial operations pervaded the whole continent of Europe. His transactions were carried on in conjunction with his brothers in Paris, Vienna, Frankfort and Naples, all of whom possessed colossal fortunes of their own.

1840. JOHN GEORGE LAMBTON, earl of Durham, died, aged 48. He was made governor-general of Canada in 1838, but returned the same year, and published a valuable work on Canada. He was regarded as the leader of the reform movement which agitated the country and his talents and merits were very differently estimated by different parties.

1849. The late king of Sardinia, CHARLES ALBERT, died at Lisbon.

1851. HORACE SEBASTIANI, a French marshal, died at Paris, aged 80. He was born in Corsica, and bore a part in most of the great battles during Bonaparte's career. He was in the ministry under Louis Philippe, and ambassador both at Naples and London.

1852. The steam boat Henry Clay, on her passage from Albany to New York, took fire about 3 o'clock in the afternoon, near Yonkers, and was consumed to the water's edge; 56 persons lost their lives, so sudden and rapid was the destruction of the boat. She had been racing with the Armenia.

JULY 29.

1108. PHILIP I, king of France, died. He came to the throne at the age of 8 years; was ambitious and unscrupulous in his acts; engaged in war with England and Flanders, and was defeated by both.

1218. LOUIS VAN LOON died; the husband of Ada, the expatriated queen of Holland.

1540. A statute was made confirming the seizures of the abbeys by Henry VIII.

1567. Prince JAMES, less than 14 months old, was crowned king of Scotland at Stirling.

1578. SEBASTIAN, king of Portugal, killed. He was unfortunate in his wars, and lost his life at Tangiers, in battle with the Moors. Camoens dedicated his _Lusiad_ to this king, but he had the stupidity to treat the intended honor with contempt.

1603. BARTHOLOMEW GILBERT, in search of the lost English colony, having landed in a bay about the 40th degree of latitude, in a boat with four men, was attacked by the natives and every one killed. The rest of the crew immediately weighed anchor and returned to England.

1653. Admiral VAN TROMP killed and his fleet destroyed by the English fleet under Monk and Blake.

1644. URBAN VIII (Maffeo Barberini), pope, died. He was an excellent poet, and was called the _Attic Bee_.

1653. GABRIEL NAUDÆUS, a learned French author, died. He was patronized by Richelieu and Mazarin, and Christina of Sweden.

1654. THOMAS GATAKER, an English divine, died, aged 80. He was one of the most noted men of the age; who united to extensive erudition, great moderation and benevolence.

1678. ANDREW MARVELL, an English poet, politician and critic, died (_Penny Cyclopedia_ says August 16th). He supported the civil and religious liberties of his country, against the encroachments of the court, by his writings and parliamentary interest; and though poor, declined the bribes of the king.

1693. Battle of Neerwinden (or Landon), in Belgium; the allies under William III, defeated by the French, with the loss of 60 cannon, 9 mortars and about 7,000 men. The king had his clothes penetrated by three bullets.

1714. MARTIN POLI, an Italian chemist, died at Paris. It is said that he communicated to the king some powerful agent of destruction for military use; but the king, at the same time that he commended and rewarded his ingenuity with a pension and an office, insisted that the secret should die with him.

1747. Dr. BLACKWELL, a Scotch physician and for some time a corrector of the press to Mr. Wilkins in London, beheaded at Stockholm. Being informed that his head was not properly laid on the block he replied as it was his first experiment no wonder he needed some instruction.

1759. Crown point abandoned by the French on the approach of the British and provincials under general Amherst.

1760. At Lidden near Canterbury in grubbing down an enormous ash tree two human skeletons were found in the centre.

1773. The city of Guatemala laid in ruins by an earthquake and the eruption of a volcano.

1794. Seventy-one members of the municipality of Paris guillotined.

1794. STANISLAUS AUGUSTUS, king of Poland, compelled by the Prussian, Austrian and Russian coalition to annul the Polish constitution, and deliver the army over to the Russian general Branicki.

1801. WILLIAM AUGUSTUS ERNESTI died; a distinguished German scholar and professor of eloquence at Leipsic.

1832. JOHN ANTHONY CHAPTAL, a celebrated French chemist, died. He produced numerous valuable works on chemistry and other practical branches of the arts and sciences, was made minister of the interior by Bonaparte, and successively filled many other important situations.

1839. GASPARD CLAIR FRANÇOIS MARIE RICHE DE PRONY, peer of France, died, aged 84. He was formerly professor of mechanics in the polytechnic school, an eminent engineer, and author of many scientific works.

1848. The long expected outbreak in Ireland; viscount Hardinge arrived to take command of the troops from England, the whole available force of which was sent over, supposed to be 50,000 in number.

1848. M. ELLETT, engineer of the Niagara suspension bridge, drove a two horse carriage over that part of the bridge which was laid down and

## partly finished.

1853. JONATHAN RICHMOND, one of the pioneers of western New York, died at Aurora, aged 79. For forty years he was actively engaged in aiding the rising fortunes of his sections of the state.

1856. A fire in Boston destroyed a block in North street, where 80 families were burnt out, and 9 lives lost.

JULY 30.

578. BENEDICT I (Bonosus), pope, died. During his pontificate the people suffered the double calamity of famine and invasion, throughout which he interested himself to alleviate their condition.

911. ABU ABDILLAH assassinated; the principal actor in the revolution which established the dynasty of the Fatimites in Africa and Egypt.

1095. LADISLAUS I, king of Hungary, died. He was an able statesman and general, and victorious in his wars with the surrounding nations. The Huns were driven from the country by him.

1388. Battle of Otterbourne, on Thursday, "about the Lammas tide," between sunrise and sunset. The youthful combatants were nearly of the same age. Douglas was slain, and the English Hotspur and his brother taken prisoners. The ancient song called _The Hunting a' the Cheviat_, refers to a private conflict 48 years after this, between the son of Hotspur and William Douglas; but _Richard Sheale_, with the license of a ballad-poet has mingled the two events together.

1540. THOMAS ABEL, a chaplain at the court of Henry VIII, executed. He incurred the resentment of the king by his attachment to the cause of the queen, Catharine. He was hanged, and then drawn and quartered.

1588. WILLIAM STUART killed in Edinburgh by earl Bothwell.

1609. Battle between Champlain and Indians in Essex county, New York.

1625. The week's plague bill in London returns 2,471.

1631. A French coin dated 1596, found in digging a well at Dorchester, Mass.

1673. New York taken by the Dutch. A small expedition, fitted out to destroy the commerce of the English in America, having effectually performed this service on the Virginia coast, made their appearance before New York, which submitted without exchanging a shot. New Jersey was also humbled.

1711. The British and colonial fleet, consisting of 12 men of war, 40 transports, and 6 store ships, with 40 horses, a fine train of artillery, and all manner of warlike stores, sailed from Boston for the conquest of Canada.

1718. WILLIAM PENN, the founder of Pennsylvania, died, aged 74. At the age of 24 he became a preacher among the quakers; but by the grant of Pennsylvania he was placed in the position of a legislator, and well did he sustain it.

1743. THOMAS EMLYN, an English dissenting divine, died. He enjoyed an imprisonment of two years' duration, as a reward for the publication of some religious opinions, which no man had a right to entertain in those days.

1746. Eight of those concerned in the pretender's rebellion hung, beheaded and disemboweled near London.

1750. JOHN SEBASTIAN BACH, a German musician, died; celebrated for his skill as an organist, and also as a composer.

1762. Moro fort, at the entrance of the harbor of Havana, stormed by the English under admiral Pococke; 400 Spaniards were either cut in pieces, or perished in attempting to escape by water to the city; the rest threw down their arms and received quarter. (See Aug. 12.)

1768. Captain COOK sailed from England in the Endeavor, on his first voyage of discovery.

1771. THOMAS GRAY, an eminent English poet, died. He was one of the most learned men of Europe, equally conversant with every department of science.

1775. Captain COOK returned from his second and most important navigation, having lost but one man by sickness, out of a crew of 118 men, during an absence of more than three years.

1777. General BURGOYNE reached fort Edward, on the Hudson river, having with incredible labor and fatigue conducted his army through the wilderness. General Schuyler, whose forces did not exceed 4,400 men, retreated over the river to Saratoga.

1780. Rocky mount, a British post on the Catawba, stormed and taken by Gen. Sumpter, after three repulses.

1784. Earthquake at Port Royal and Kingston, Jamaica. Of 150 vessels in the harbors but 6 or 8 were saved, and the sugar works were blown down. A scarcity of provisions attended the calamity.

1789. Battle of Putna; the Turkish army of 30,000 defeated with the loss of 1,500 men and all their artillery, camp equipage, &c., by the Austrian and Russian army, whose loss did not exceed 200.

1800. The grand jury of York, England, recommended the enclosing of 7,800,000 acres of waste lands as the best preventive of future famines.

1809. The British under lord CHATHAM invaded Holland with 40,000 troops.

1813. Fifth day's battle of the Pyrenees. The French under Soult defeated by the allies under Wellington, after an obstinate engagement. Loss supposed to have been about 8,000 on each side.

1844. ZECHARIAH POULSON, for many years editor of _Poulson's Daily Advertiser_, died. He was the last link connecting the fraternity of publishers with those of the days of Franklin.

1845. LYNTHIA BROWNING, the Kentucky giantess, died at Flemingsburg, Ky. She was seven feet high.

1855. GEORGE JOHNSTON, an eminent British surgeon, died, aged 58. While engaged in the practice of his profession, he devoted his leisure to natural history, in which he attained great eminence.

1855. JOHN WOODS, an eminent Ohio lawyer, died at Hamilton, aged 61. As state auditor he did much to preserve the public credit at a time of general depression.

JULY 31.

1423. Battle of Crevant, in France, in which the armies of the infant king of England were victorious.

1481. FRANCISCUS PHILADELPHUS, a learned Italian, died. He was at the head of the learned men of the day, professor of eloquence at Venice, and the personal friend of Lorenzo de Medici.

1498. COLUMBUS discovered the island of Trinidad, resembling three mountains.

1556. IGNATIUS LOYOLA, founder of the Jesuits, died. He was a brave officer in the Spanish army, and while under the hands of a surgeon his mind was directed to the subject of religion by reading. After having made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem and studied theology he went to Paris, and laid the foundation of an order, which in time became sufficiently powerful and corrupt.

1592. Sir WALTER RALEIGH disgraced, and sent with his lady to the tower.

1602. CHARLES GONRAULT DE BIRON, a French admiral, beheaded in the bastile. He distinguished himself by flood and field, and was a great favorite at the court of Henry IV. His fondness of pleasure led to error and ruin.

1627. A terrible earthquake in Apulia, by which many thousands lost their lives.

1712. Marchiennes surrendered to the French.

1718. JOHN HUGHES and SARAH DREW, two rustic lovers, struck dead by lightning, under the shelter of a hay cock, in England. Pope, Thomson and Gay, have scattered flowers upon their graves.

1718. Fifteen Spanish ships destroyed near Syracuse, by admiral sir George Byng.

1719. Colonel HUNTER, departing the province of New York, the chief command devolved on Peter Schuyler, as the oldest member of the board of council.

1750. JOHN V, of Portugal, died. He devoted himself to the encouragement of commerce, literature and industry among his subjects.

1760. Battle of Warburgh; the allies under the hereditary prince Ferdinand, defeated the French, who lost 1,500 killed, and about the same number taken prisoners.

1777. The marquis LAFAYETTE received, by a vote of congress, the appointment of major-general in the American army, being then but 20 years of age.

1786. A booth, at Montpelier, France, where a play was performing, fell and killed 500 persons.

1790. JOHN EDWIN, an English comedian, died. It was to his extraordinary talents that O'Keefe's dramas were greatly indebted for their success.

1807. The fortress of Mongal, in Spain, carried by storm and destroyed by the British under Cochrane.

1808. JOSEPH BENCIRENNI, an Italian writer, died. He distinguished himself in the belles-lettres and public affairs.

1813. Plattsburgh taken by the British without opposition, all the public and much private property was destroyed.

1813. Com. CHAUNCEY took York, U. C., destroyed the public property and brought away the stores and provisions.

1831. London bridge completed, having occupied nearly 8 years in its construction. It is built of granite, 928 feet in length. The old bridge had stood, with propping and patching, six centuries.

1840. MULLER, the distinguished antiquary and historian, died at Castri Levadia.