Part 61

1756. Fort Oswego capitulated to the French under Montcalm. It was commanded by colonel Mercer with 1,400 men. Montcalm besieged it with an army of 5,000. Colonel Mercer was killed by a cannon ball on the 13th, and there being no probability of aid, the fort surrendered on condition that they should be exempted from plunder, conducted to Montreal, and treated with humanity. The terms were agreed to, the garrison marched out, and the fort was demolished.

1761. Action between British ships Bellona and Brilliant, and one French ship and three frigates. The Frenchmen were captured with the loss of 240 killed and 110 wounded; British loss 6 killed, 28 wounded.

1775. The celebrated Liberty Tree of Boston _consecrated_, by exposing on it the effigies of the men who had rendered themselves odious by their agency in procuring the passage of the stamp act. A copper plate 30 inches by 42 was fixed upon it, bearing the inscription in golden letters--_The Tree of Liberty, Aug. 14, 1765_. Ten years afterwards the British cut it down, at which time it had been planted 119 years. They left nothing but the stump above ground--the _root_ they could not exterminate. It produced fourteen cords of wood. One of the party engaged in demolishing it lost his life.

1775. ARNOLD left the camp at Cambridge, with a detachment of 1,000 Americans, to penetrate into Canada by way of Kennebec river and the wilderness. They reached Quebec after great suffering from fatigue, hunger and cold.

1776. Constitution of Maryland adopted.

1776. Lords DUNMORE and CAMPBELL, and sir PETER PARKER, joined lord Howe at Staten island, having taken from the Virginians about 1,000 negroes.

1779. American general LOVEL raised the siege of Penobscot, having sustained very considerable loss of stores, 19 armed vessels, besides transports, &c.

1787. EDMUND LAW, bishop of Carlisle, died, aged 84; an eminent theological writer.

1788. THOMAS SHERIDAN died, aged 67; an eminent English actor, philological writer, and lexicographer, son of Thomas Sheridan, the divine and poet.

1788. First newspaper in Goshen, Orange County.

1790. AGOSTINO CARLINI, a Genoese statuary, died at London, where he was keeper of the Royal academy. He was celebrated for the grace and skill with which he executed drapery.

1794. GEORGE COLMAN (_the elder_), died, aged 61; an eminent English scholar and dramatic writer.

1794. Le Quesnoy taken by the French republican army. The garrison consisting of 28,000 men, were made prisoners of war.

1799. Battle of Novi; between the French under Joubert and the allied Russian, Austrian and Piedmontese armies, under Suwarrow. Joubert was mortally wounded.

1813. Action between United States brig Argus, 20 guns, lieutenant Allen, and British brig Pelican, captain Maples. The Argus was captured in 43 minutes, with the loss of lieutenant Allen and 8 others killed, mostly officers. She had taken, prior to her capture, 19 British vessels prizes.

1814. British captured, off fort Erie, two United States schooners, laden with provisions for the garrison of that fort. The fort was bombarded same day.

1814. The Swedish army having obtained possession of several strong places in Norway, prince Christian resigned his pretensions to that crown, and his resignation was followed by the union of Norway and Sweden.

1819. ERIK ACHARIUS, an eminent Swedish physician and botanist, died, aged 82.

1837. A great fete for the inauguration of the statue by Thorwaldsen to Guttenberg, one of the inventors or improvers of the art of printing, at Mainz. It continued three days, and was attended by about 20,000 strangers from different parts of Germany.

1839. MARIE JEANNE ROBIN died at New Orleans, aged 108.

1840. The steam packet Britannia arrived at Liverpool in 10 days from Halifax, the quickest passage hitherto made between the American continent and England.

1846. JOSHUA L. WILSON, pastor of the first presbyterian church erected in Cincinnati, died there, aged 72. He was born in Virginia, and brought up in Kentucky as a blacksmith. He was a preacher of the highest character and influence, during a ministry of 38 years.

1850. GERARD TROOST died at Nashville, Tenn., aged 74. He was a native of Holland, who came to this country in 1810. He was first president of the Academy of natural sciences, at Philadelphia, and for a long time professor in the university at Nashville, and also geologist of the state.

1856. WILLIAM BUCKLAND, an English divine, died, aged 72. He is best known by his scientific pursuits, particularly in mineralogy and geology, upon which subjects he published valuable treatises.

AUGUST 15.

1356 B. C. The Eleusinia, or great Grecian mysteries, founded in this year, so celebrated throughout the classical world, were observed by the Athenians at Eleusis, every fifth year for nine days, commencing on the 15th Boedromion; introduced in memory of Ceres.

310 B. C. AGATHOCLES landed in Africa during an eclipse of the sun, not many weeks subsequent to his defeat by the Carthagenians at Himera. Epicurus began in that year to teach at Mitylene and Lampsacus.

423. HONORIUS, emperor of Rome, died; who, with his brother Arcadius, first divided the empire into east and west sovereignties.

718. The second and memorable siege of Constantinople (under the reign of Leo the Isaurian), by the Saracens, raised. It commenced, according to Theophanes, on the same day of the preceding year.

1038. STEPHEN I, of Hungary, died. He introduced Christianity into his kingdom, and enacted wise laws for the benefit of his people.

1096. The princes of the crusade began their march through Germany.

1118. ALEXIUS COMNENUS I, emperor of Constantinople, died. He usurped the throne 1080, and distinguished himself in his wars with the Turks.

1279. ALBERT (_the great_), of Brunswick, died; a monk who acquired great knowledge in an age of ignorance.

1369. PHILIPPA, of England, died; memorable for her humanity towards the six condemned citizens of Calais, when that city fell into the hands of Edward.

1635. Great storm in New England. The tide rose 20 feet, a great many houses and plantations were destroyed, and the Narragansetts were obliged to climb trees for safety; the tide of flood returning before the usual time, many of them were drowned.

1656. JAMES BOWELS, a native of Killingworth, England, died, aged 152.

1661. THOMAS FULLER, an English historian and divine, died. It is said of his memory, among other incredible things, that he could repeat a sermon verbatim on once hearing it.

1702. Unsuccessful attack of the British under admiral Rooke and the duke of Ormond, on Cadiz.

1702. Battle of Lauzara, in Italy, between the allies under prince Eugene, and the French under the duke de Vendome.

1725. GERARD NOODT, an eminent Dutch civilian, died.

1728. The queen of Sardinia died; she was the daughter of Charles I of England.

1729. BENJAMIN NEUKIRCH, a German poet, died. He deserves a place in history rather as having taken the first step to reform German literature, than as a good writer.

1733. A Roman pavement of mosaic work discovered in Little St. Helen's, Bishop gate street, London; supposed to have lain over 1700 years.

1741. BEHRING discovered East cape, the easternmost point of Asia.

1746. NICHOLAS HUBERT DE MONGAULT, an ingenious and learned French critic, died.

1751. THOMAS SHAW, an English divine and antiquary, died; a writer on Barbary and the Levant.

1758. Kustrin, the capital of the new march of Brandenburg, bombarded by the Russians, and reduced to a heap of ruins.

1758. PIERRE BOUGUER, a celebrated French mathematician, died. He was employed to measure a degree of the meridian in Peru, a difficult task, which he accomplished with great fidelity.

1760. LACY RYAN died; an English dramatic writer, but more eminent as an actor.

1764. IWAN, son of prince Anthony Ulric, of Russia, massacred in prison by his keepers. He was grandson of Peter the Great, and had been kept in prison almost from his birth.

1769. Birthday of NAPOLEON BONAPARTE, at Ajaccio, in the island of Corsica.

1771. Birthday of sir WALTER SCOTT, at Edinburgh.

1780. American general SUMPTER attacked and carried a redoubt on the Wateree, and intercepted a convoy from fort Ninety-six, with 40 wagons loaded with stores, and took 100 prisoners.

1782. Briant's Station, near Lexington, Ky., attacked by 500 Indians and Canadians, who were repulsed, and retreated on the third day, having lost 30 killed.

1786. THOMAS TRYWHITT, an English antiquary and critic, died; author of several learned works, and one of the many commentators on Shakspeare.

1793. _Levée en masse_ was proposed in the French assembly which proved the foundation of the famous but tyrannical conscription act of Napoleon.

1794. French convention ordered the French and American flags to be united and hung up together in the hall of their sitting. James Monroe was received as minister from the United States.

1799. The French under MASSENA defeated the Austrians and Russians under the archduke Charles, at Richterswyl, Etzel and Schwindelezzi, in Switzerland. Lecourbe forced the famous pass of the Devil's bridge, took possession of St. Gothard, and seized on the Valois.

1801. CHARLES LOUIS L'HERITIER DE BRUTELLE, a French botanist, assassinated. He published _Stirpes Novæ_, a splendid book, and was engaged in preparing a work on English plants.

1802. BONAPARTE invested with the sole power of nominating his successor and of appointing two subordinate consuls, and nominating a large number of additional senators, &c.

1812. British general BROCK summoned the city of Detroit to surrender, occupied by general Hull.

1812. Battle of fort Chicago; the garrison, consisting of 54 regulars and 12 militia, was attacked by the Indians and after a resolute resistance of some hours, in which 26 of the regulars, all the militia, 2 women and 12 children, were killed, they surrendered on the promise of protection. The survivors, however, 25 men and 11 women, were brutally massacred.

1814. Assault on fort Erie by the British under colonel Drummond, who were repulsed with great loss. The attack commenced at 2 o'clock in the morning, and it was a part of the British orders that no quarters should be given. The action was desperate and bloody; the British lost by official report, 57 killed, 309 wounded, 539 missing--by another account they lost 222 killed, 174 badly wounded, and 186 prisoners, besides 200 killed at Snake Hill. Colonel Drummond was killed; acting up to his barbarous order, when a wounded American officer asked quarter, he shot him with a pistol, whereupon a soldier leveled his piece and shot Drummond in the breast. Total American loss, 93--killed 26, wounded 92, missing 11.

1815. JOHN MEERMAN, a celebrated Dutch author, died. Under Bonaparte he was made director of the fine arts and minister of public instruction, and became a count of the empire and senator. His library sold in 1824 for 131,000 florins.

1816. Great fire at Constantinople; 1200 houses and 3000 shops and magazines destroyed.

1844. WILLIAM LEET STONE, a New York editor, died, aged 52. He published memoirs of Brant, and of Red Jacket, and some other works, and edited for a long time the _New York Commercial Advertiser_. He was also superintendent of common schools in that city.

1849. Riot at Montreal; house of L. H. Lafontaine, head of the Canadian ministry, was assailed by a mob. Fire arms were discharged from the building, by which one person was killed, and the rest driven back.

1851. A violent and destructive tornado occurred at St. Louis, Missouri.

1853. A conspiracy discovered in Rome; 146 persons arrested.

1854. STEPHEN SIMPSON, died at Philadelphia. He was at one period of his life an editor, and gained considerable celebrity as a political writer, especially against the United States bank, over the signature of Brutus, in Duane's _Aurora_.

AUGUST 16.

1191. The Saracen hostages, 2500 in number, put to the sword beneath the walls of Acre, by order of Richard, with the sanction of his confederates. The galls of the murdered infidels were converted into Christian medicines.

1380. JOHN of Gaunt erected a _court of minstrels_ at Tutbury, England, with legal jurisdiction over the men in that profession in five counties. It consisted of a king and four other officers, who had sovereign authority upon this day.

1424. Battle of Verneuil, in France; the French and Scotch under Buchan, constable of France, defeated by the English. The Scottish auxiliaries were nearly annihilated.

1494. FERDINAND and Isabella addressed letters of approbation to their high admiral of the Indian seas, Columbus, from Segovia, wishing "to know all the seasons of the year, such as they take place there in each month separately: some wish to know if there are two summers and two winters in the same year."

1513. Battle of the Spurs, in France, between the French, and the English under Henry VIII, at Guingette. It received its title from the flight of the French gendarmerie, and the pursuit of the English, in which the contest was one of speed.

1519. CORTEZ set out from his colony of Villarica on his expedition to Mexico, with 415 Spanish infantry, 16 horses, 200 Indians to transport his artillery and baggage, and some native troops, among which were 40 nobles, whom he took as auxiliaries in war, and hostages of the Totonecas.

1604. HUBERTUS GIFANIUS, a Dutch critic and civilian, died at Prague. He wrote notes and commentaries on Homer, Aristotle, Lucretius, and other authors, and was a noted professor of philosophy.

1654. Onondaga salt springs discovered.

1677. The second ship from England arrived at West Jersey, bringing 230 passengers, most of whom were quakers, some of good estates in England.

1681. NIKON, a celebrated person in the annals of Russia, died. He was the sixth patriarch in the Russian church.

1705. Battle between the French and Imperialists at Cassino in Italy. Both claimed the victory and sang a Te Deum.

1718. Action off Sicily, between the British and Spanish squadrons, in which the latter were defeated, and several large vessels taken or destroyed.

1721. No. 1 of the _New England Courant_ was issued. James Franklin, brother to Benjamin, was the publisher. It lived only about six years.

1730. LAWRENCE ECHARD, an English historian and divine, died. His works were creditable performances.

1733. MATTHEW TINDAL, a celebrated English polemical writer, died.

1738. JOSEPH MILLER, better known as _Joe Miller_, died. He was an English comedian, and the compiler of a popular jest book.

1777. Battle of Bennington; general Stark with about 1600 New Hampshire militia, attacked and defeated a detachment of 1500 British regulars and 100 Indians, sent out by Burgoyne, under the command of the Hessian generals, Baum and Breyman, to take a magazine at Bennington. British loss 226 killed, and 33 officers and 700 privates prisoners; they lost four cannon, with all their baggage, wagons and horses. Americans lost less than 100 killed and wounded.

1780. Battle of Camden; the Americans under general Gates totally defeated by the British under Cornwallis. Baron De Kalb received 11 wounds in this engagement, which proved mortal.

1792. First theatre opened in Boston. It was called the _New Exhibition Room_; the statute of the state prohibiting dramatic performances, they advertised to represent the moral lecture of _Douglas!_ One evening, about two months after, as sir Peter, and lady Teazle were representing their parts of the moral lecture of _School for Scandal_, the sheriff made his first appearance on that stage, and arrested them by virtue of a peace warrant.

1800. SAMUEL BARRINGTON died; a distinguished admiral in the British navy.

1806. Action between the French ship Veteran, under Jerome Bonaparte, and 6 British vessels of the Quebec fleet, homeward bound, which were captured.

1812. Detroit surrendered by general Hull to the British under general Brock, without firing a gun from the fort or consulting an officer. The American force amounted to 1100 men. The British took about 40 cannon, 2500 stand of arms, 400 rounds 24lb. shot fixed, 40 barrels powder, 100,000 musket cartridges made, and 15 days' provisions.

1814. The United States fleet, employed in the expedition to Mackinaw having failed in its object, colonel Croghan re-embarked his troops.

1824. CHARLES THOMSON, died, aged 94. He was the first secretary of congress, in which office he continued 15 years. The Indians called him _The man of truth_. He translated the _Septuagint_ in 4 vols. 8vo.

1825. The northern sea discovered by captain Franklin, who traced the Mackenzie river to its source.

1844. TURHAND KIRTLAND, aged 89, died at Poland, Ohio. He was one of the pioneers of the Northern Ohio, then called New Connecticut.

1848. An immense conflagration at Constantinople consumed about 2500 shops and 500 houses.

1848. A serious insurrection took place at Ceylon against the British authorities, which was subdued by strong measures.

1851. GEORGE MCCLURE, a general in the war of 1812, died at Elgin, Illinois, aged 80. He resided a long time at Bath, Steuben county, N. Y., was many years member of assembly from that county, and at different times judge, surrogate and sheriff.

1851. STEPHEN OLIN, an eloquent Methodist divine, died at Middletown, where he was president of the University, aged 54. He held the presidency of Macon college also, in 1833; and is known as an author.

1851. The division of the forces of Lopez under colonel Crittenden having been driven to the coast, where they embarked in open boats, were captured and shot at Havana.

1854. The Russians blew up the fortifications at Hangho, in sight of the allied fleets; the evacuation of the Principalities by them was continued.

1854. The allied fleets in the Baltic accomplished the final conquest of the Bomarsund forts, situated on the largest of the Aland islands, accompanied by the capture of 2000 Russians.

1855. Battle of Tchernaya; the Russians under Gortschakoff attacked with great force the lines of the allies, and drove in the outposts, defended by the Sardinians; but after a severe contest were driven back with great loss; 4000 supposed to have been killed, and 2200 left prisoners and wounded. Loss of the allies 1200, of whom 200 were Sardinians.

1856. HENRY COLBURN, an eminent London publisher, died. He brought out the works of Bulwer, D'Israeli, Hook, Maryatt and James, and originated several very popular magazines.

AUGUST 17.

1408. JOHN GOWER, an early English poet, died. He was a member of the bar, and a severe contemner of the vices of the age.

1483. EDWARD V of England, and his brother the duke of York, smothered in prison by order of the duke of Gloucester, their guardian.

1502. COLUMBUS sent his brother Bartholomew on shore at Orejas, and took possession of South America in the name of Ferdinand and Isabella.

1544. St. Dizier surrendered to the emperor Charles V, after a noble defence made by the French governor.

1590. The governor of the colony of Roanoke returned from England, whither he had been for supplies (see August 27), and found the settlement deserted, the houses taken down, and the word Croatoan written upon the trees. He was compelled to return without finding the place of their removal.

1657. ROBERT BLAKE died; one of the most intrepid and successful admirals that have adorned the British navy.

1673. REGNIER DE GRAAF died in France, where he acquired great celebrity as a physician and a writer; aged 32.

1679. JONAS MOORE, an English mathematician, died; noted in the reigns of Charles I and II for his labor and enterprise in the cause of science.

1682. A comet made its appearance before the people of New England, with a tail of the very respectable length of 15 degrees; which that goodly folk did not see the last of till the 15th September.

1714. GEORGE I arrived in England to succeed on the throne.

1720. ANNE LE FEVRE DACIER, a French lady of great learning, died. She translated the principal Greek and Latin poets into her native language, and was noted for her many virtues. (6th by some authors.)

1748. JONATHAN BAXTER performed the singular feat of crossing the Thames at Blackfriars in a butcher's tray in 1h. 10m., paddling with his hands.

1755. GEORGE JEFFREYS, an English dramatic and miscellaneous writer, died.

1758. RICHARD HOUSEMAN, a laborer of Knaresborough, was committed to York castle on suspicion of having murdered Daniel Clark.

1765. TIMOTHY CUTLER, an Episcopal clergyman, died at Boston, aged 82; formerly president of Yale college.

1779. The independence of the United States declared at New Orleans by beat of drum.

1785. JONATHAN TRUMBULL, governor of Connecticut, died. He bore a conspicuous part in public affairs during a period of 50 years; and retired at the close of the revolution.

1786. FREDERICK II (_the Great_) of Prussia, died. He distinguished himself as a warrior, and a man of letters, and was one of the most celebrated characters of his day.

1796. The Dutch fleet under admiral Lucas surrendered to the British at the cape of Good Hope.

1807. British army invested Copenhagen; at the same time the Danish gun boats attacked the British with grape and round shot.

1808. Battle of Roleia, in Portugal, between the French, 6,000, under Laborde, and a much superior force of British under Wellesley. The French were compelled to retreat with the loss of 1,500; British loss 500.

1809. MATTHEW BOULTON, an English engineer, died. He erected an extensive establishment at Soho, and expended £47,000 in the course of experiments on the steam engine, before Watt perfected the construction and occasioned any return of profit.

1812. First day's battle of Smolianovo, on the Dwina; the Russians under count Witgenstein defeated the French under Oudinot, with great carnage. Oudinot was dangerously wounded, and St. Cyr took the command.

1812. Battle of Smolensko, on the Boristhenes. Upwards of 100,000 men were engaged, and the conflict was long and bloody. The French under Bonaparte and his best generals maintained their ground; the Russians retreated in the night, after having fired the city. The French are supposed to have lost about 13,000, and the Russians about half the number.

1813. Battle near lake George, between the United States troops under Gen. P. B. Porter and a body of British and Indians; the latter were defeated.

1818. JAMES CONSTANTINE PERIER, an able French machinist, died. He was the greatest manufacturer of machinery in France, having at one time no less than 93 establishments. Notwithstanding this weight of business, he found time for literary pursuits, and was an author.

1830. LA FAYETTE created marshal of France.

1832. JEAN ST. MARTIN, an eminent French orientalist, died at Paris of cholera. He was principal editor of the _Journal Asiatic_, and

## particularly distinguished for his knowledge of the languages of western

Asia.

1836. M. DE RAYNEVAL, an eminent French diplomatist, died. He was employed in important missions under Bonaparte, and after the restoration had a still more distinguished career in diplomacy.

1838. LORENZO DA PONTE died in New York, aged 89. He was an Italian by birth, but long a resident of the city of New York; distinguished for his attainments, particularly in Italian literature and art, and author of various publications, among which are some celebrated operas.

1840 MORDECAI MOOR, died at Clinton, Me., aged 104.

1848. Disastrous fire at Albany; several hundred buildings burned, and one million of property destroyed.

1849. HENRY COLMAN, many years Unitarian minister at Salem, Mass., died in London. He had for some time devoted himself to agricultural inquiries, and published several volumes on the agriculture of foreign countries.

1850. Ashtabula county court house, Ohio, with all papers and records, destroyed by fire.

1852. POMPEO LITTA, an Italian author, died at an advanced age. He began in 1819, a costly illustrated work on the genealogies of the principal Italian families, existing and extinct.

1853. A difficulty occurred at the Chincha islands between the Peruvian commandant and the American shipmasters in port.