Part 77

1781. CORNWALLIS surrendered to the French and American army at Yorktown. Above 7000 prisoners, the military chest, a frigate, with a number of transports and the public stores, and 1500 seamen, fell into the hands of the captors. The allied army consisted of 7000 French, 5500 continental troops, and 3500 militia.

1789. FRANÇOIS, a baker in Paris, murdered in the street by a mob, because the return of the king had not lessened the price of bread. The great barbarity shown by the actors in this affair called down on them the severity of the national guards under Lafayette.

1794. Battle of Puffleck; the duke of York defeated by the French under Pichegru. The emigrant legion under Rohan were cut to pieces.

1806. HENRY KIRKE WHITE, an admired English poet, died, aged 21.

1807. WILLIAM GORDON died; an English author of a history of the American revolution, &c.

1810. The French burned all British merchandise in the country.

1812. Second battle of Poltosk; the French defeated and compelled to retreat with great loss.

1812. BONAPARTE, at the head of the French army, left Moscow. The palace of the Kremlin blown up.

1813. Last day's battle of Leipsic, in which above half a million of men and at least 2000 cannon were engaged in the work of death. The French emperor finding it in vain to stem the torrent of so vast a superiority of force as now bore down upon him, began a retreat, which was disastrous in the extreme. The only bridge by which the army could cross was blown up, leaving 25,000 men to surrender at discretion. On arriving at Erfurt, Bonaparte found his army reduced to 80,000; having lost by death and defection since the campaign opened, 200,000.

1814. Battle of Lyon's creek; the Americans, 900 men, under general Bissell, attacked by a select British corps of 1200 men, who were compelled to retreat.

1825. GIROLAMO LUCCHESINI, a Prussian minister of state and author, died. He combined the qualities of an experienced courtier with the practical knowledge of a statesman, was learned without pedantry, and possessed a great memory.

1826. FRANCIS JOSEPH TALMA, an eminent French tragedian and writer, died. He was a man of great natural talent, and esteemed by men of rank and talent; he was a great favorite with Napoleon.

1842. The town of Monterey in California was captured by the United States squadron under commodore Jones, under the belief that war existed. But it was soon restored to Mexico.

1845. HANNAH GOUGH died in New York, aged 110.

1847. A volcano burst forth with great violence on one of the high peaks of Lookout mountain, in the Alleghanian chain, in Georgia.

1847. The corner stone of a monument to the memory of general Washington laid in the city of New York.

1848. The Mormon temple at Nauvoo was fired by an incendiary, and totally destroyed.

1849. FREDERICK STRICKLAND, a young Englishman, son of Thomas Strickland, bart., perished in the snow near the Notch house, in New Hampshire.

1852. A decree of the president issued for the convoking of the French senate for the purpose of deliberating on the restoration of the empire.

1853. ICHABOD BARTLETT, a New Hampshire statesman, died at Portsmouth, aged 67.

OCTOBER 20.

480 B. C. The battle of Salamis is, by respectable authority, placed upon this day. (See Sept. 30.)

1422. CHARLES VI of France, died. He succeeded to the kingdom at the age of 13, and during a reign of 42 years the kingdom, by foreign invasions and internal factions, was ruined, and passed into the hands of the English.

1524. THOMAS LINACRE, a learned English physician and divine, died. He was the best Greek and Latin scholar of his age, and founded the college of physicians.

1579. The Scottish parliament decreed that every householder, having lands or goods worth £500, should be obliged to have a Bible, which at this time was printed in folio, and a psalm book in his house, "for the better instruction of themselves and their families in the knowledge of God."

1687. The destruction of Lima in Peru by an earthquake.

1713. ARCHIBALD PITCAIRNE, an able Scottish physician, died. He disputed the right of Harvey to the discovery of the circulation of the blood, which he asserted was fully known to Hippocrates.

1714. Several people killed by the falling of scaffolds on which multitudes were standing to see the coronation of George I of England.

1719. Birthday of GODFREY ACHENWALL, a Prussian traveler, historian and political economist. He first gave a distinct character to the science of statistics, and gave it that name. He died 1772.

1723. A fire commenced in Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark, and lasted three days; most of the city was burnt down.

1740. CHARLES VI, emperor of Germany, died. He was the sixteenth and last prince of the ancient house of Austria, and was succeeded by his eldest daughter, Maria Theresa.

1741. The Prussians became masters of Silesia.

1786. A basket maker contrived by a singular scaffolding of twigs to bring down the weathercock from the old abby church of St. Albans, in England.

1796. The university of Oxford and the marquis of Buckingham each presented 2000 copies of the Bible for distribution among the French clergy.

1799. Rome capitulated to the English.

1807. The ports of Portugal shut against British shipping.

1807. Copenhagen evacuated by the British, who brought off the stores in the arsenal, amounting to 92 cargoes, and the ships of war.

1814. PHILIP ASTLEY, founder of the royal amphitheatre, London, died, aged 72. He served seven years in Germany, in the English cavalry, and on his return began to exhibit equestrian performances. He erected several amphitheatres in England and Paris, wrote a treatise on horsemanship, and two works of a military character.

1815. Great hurricane at Jamaica, which continued 3 days and wrecked one hundred vessels.

1826. BOISSY D'ANGLAS, died at his residence in France, whose name is so closely interwoven with the French revolution. He was a member of the council of 500, and subsequently the president of that body. His hostility to the Directory produced a sentence of deportation to Guiana, but he contrived to elude the exile.

1827. Battle of Navarino, in which the fleet of the pacha of Egypt was annihilated by the combined squadrons of Great Britain, Russia and France, under admiral Codrington.

1841. A fire broke out in the tower at London, and entirely consumed the building called the small armory; about 200,000 stand of arms, and a great number of trophies of various kinds were destroyed.

1853. SELIM PASHA defeated a Russian corps of 15,000 men on the frontiers of Georgia. The Turks at this time had a fleet of 22 ships of the line and 9 war steamers, mounting 1116 guns, and the Egyptian contingent consisting of 10 ships of war and 2 steamers, mounting 614 guns.

OCTOBER 21.

1097. The siege of Antioch opened by the crusaders. (See June 3.) Baldwin founded the principality of Edessa in this year.

1217. The fortress of Alcazar-do-Sal taken from the Moors, after a hard fought battle, by the Portuguese under Alphonso II, assisted by William, earl of Holland, with a portion of the fleet and forces bound for the crusade.

1439. AMBROSE of Portico, in Romania, died; distinguished by his fluency in the Greek tongue, at the councils of Basil, Ferrara, &c.

1441. MARGERY JOURDEMAIN, the witch of Eye, condemned to be burnt for furnishing _love potions_ to Eleanor Cobham, wife of that duke of Gloucester so eminent as a patron of science and letters.

1558. JULIUS CÆSAR SCALIGER died; an Italian physician, eminent as a Latin critic and poet.

1583. LAURENT JOUBERT, a French physician and medical writer, died.

1593. Nymegen, a strong city of Holland, surrendered to Maurice of Nassau, who added a new fort to it.

1621. ANTHONY MONTCHRESTIEN DE VATEVILLE, a French poet, torn to pieces and burnt by order of the authorities, for sedition and other crimes.

1662. HENRY LAWES, an English musician, died. He was originally a choir boy of Salisbury church, first introduced the Italian style of music in England, and composed the notes for Milton's _Comus_.

1687. EDMUND WALLER, an eminent English poet and political writer, died.

1692. A commission was granted by William and Mary to Benjamin Fletcher, governor of New York, conferring on him the government of Pennsylvania, and depriving Penn of that office. He was however, restored again in two years after.

1716. JAMES GRONOVIUS died; a Dutch writer on the belles-lettres, and a man of learning.

1766. Cumana, the capital of New Andalusia in South America, entirely destroyed by an earthquake.

1771. TOBIAS SMOLLET, a Scottish physician, died; better known as a historian and novelist.

1771. WILLIAM CLARKE, an English divine and antiquary, died.

1774. The provincial congress of Massachusetts determined to raise and enlist men for the defence of the province for the first time, under the name of minute men.

1777. SAMUEL FOOTE died; a celebrated English dramatist and actor, called the English Aristophanes.

1783. Congress insulted at Philadelphia by a band of mutineers, whom the authorities were unable to quell, adjourned to Princeton; a circumstance which doubtless led to the agitation of the question of a permanent seat of government.

1794. Coblentz surrendered to the French revolutionists. The fortifications of this city, celebrated for having been the court of the emigrant princes, had been vastly augmented during the course of the war, but the Austrian commander evacuated it on the first appearance of the French.

1794. ANTHONY PETIT, an eminent French physician, died. He was a copious and learned writer.

1800. SIMEON THAYER, an officer of the revolution, died. He was in the army led by Arnold through the wilderness to Quebec, was wounded by a cannon ball at Monmouth, and was the brave volunteer defender of Mud fort on the Delaware.

1803. FREDERICK CAVENDISH, an English field marshal died.

1805. Battle of Trafalgar; the British fleet, 27 sail and 4 frigates, defeated, after an action of 4 hours, the combined French and Spanish fleets of 33 sail. Admiral Horatio Nelson was killed, and the French admiral Villeneuve was captured. British loss 423 killed, 1164 wounded. The French and Spanish fleet was completely overthrown; but 14 escaped from the battle, and nearly the whole of those were afterwards wrecked or captured.

1841. JOHN FORSYTH, an eminent American statesman, died. As a member of the Union convention of Georgia in 1832, he was principally instrumental in preventing that state from pledging itself to nullification. He was a man of talent and eloquence and long distinguished in public life by the many important offices which he held.

1849. CHARLES E. HORN, a well known musical composer of Boston, died.

1852. SAUL ALLEY, long known as a leading merchant and capitalist of New York, died aged 74.

OCTOBER 22.

50 B. C. The civil wars of the Romans began in which Cæsar and Pompey were arrayed against each other.

615. COLUMBANUS, an Irish missionary and reformer of monastic life, died in Italy. In his character he was intrepid, violent and fearless.

741. CHARLES MARTEL, duke of Austrasia, died. He was the actual sovereign of France during 25 years, under the titles of mayor of the palace, and duke of the Franks. He repeatedly vanquished the Suevians, Frisons, Allemans and Saxons, and at the famous battle near Poictiers defeated the Saracens with such great slaughter, that it is said 375,000 of them were destroyed.

1322. HUGH, the illuminator, died at Cairo in Egypt, on his way from Dublin to the holy land.

1495. JOHN II (_the Great_) of Portugal, died. He carried war into Africa against the Moors, and extended the settlements of the Portuguese in Africa and India.

1658. Interment of Oliver Cromwell, with great pomp. "It was the joyfulest funeral I ever saw," says Evelyn; "for there were none that cried but dogs, which the soldiers hooted away with a barbarous noise, drinking and taking tobacco in the streets as they went."

1685. Edict of Nantes revoked by the imbecile Louis XIV, who imagined the protestants in his kingdom were nearly extirpated. The protestants were now deprived of their religious and civil rights, which they had enjoyed nearly a century. They were driven in great numbers into different countries of Europe by the persecutions which followed, where they established the silk and other manufactures, to the great prejudice of their own country.

1707. CLOUDESLEY SHOVEL, a celebrated English admiral, wrecked off the Scilly isles, as he was returning with his fleet from the coast of Spain; 900 seamen also perished with him.

1708. HERMAN WITSIUS died; a learned Dutch divine, and theological writer.

1710. Birthday of MARIE ANNE LE PAGE DU BOCCAGE, a French lady greatly celebrated for her writings.

1724. WILLIAM WOLLASTON died; a celebrated English divine, author of the _Religion of Nature_.

1726. The island of Jamaica visited by a fearful hurricane which destroyed much property on the plantations and a fleet of ships.

1746. The assembly of New York brought in a bill to raise £2,250 by lottery towards erecting a college.

1757. Alum first discovered in Ireland.

1764. Battle of Buxar, in Bengal; the British defeated Mir Cassim, who lost 4,000 killed, 133 cannon, and all his tents, &c., taken.

1775. PEYTON RANDOLPH, first president of the American congress, died. He was a native of Virginia, and one of the most distinguished lawyers and patriots of that state.

1777. Battle of Red Bank; the Hessians under count Donop in their attack upon the American fort, were defeated with the loss of about 500 killed. Donop was mortally wounded. Fort Mifflin was attacked at the same time by water, without success, and two British men-of-war were lost.

1784. Treaty at fort Stanwix (now Rome) between the Six Nations and the United States.

1788. GEORGE III, king of England, became insane.

1791. JOHN DAVID MICHAELIS, a German theological writer, died. His works are 49 in number.

1793. British took possession of Grand Ance and Nicola Mole, in St. Domingo.

1802. SAMUEL ARNOLD, an eminent English musical composer, died in London.

1812. VINZINGERODE, the Russian general, with his aid Narishkin, rode up to Warsaw with a white flag to offer terms, was made prisoner, and despatched towards Hesse; but was retaken by a party of Cossacks.

1812. The city of Moscow wholly evacuated by the French, after a possession of 1 month and 8 days. Russian troops entered it immediately afterwards, in time to preserve the Kremlin, which had been undermined to be blown up; and within a few hours, so completely had the Russian peasants baffled Napoleon, that the town swarmed with people and the markets were stocked with provision.

1818. JOACHIM HEINRICH CAMPE, a German theologian, died. His philosophical works, as well as those which he composed for the instruction of youth, display a noble and philanthropic spirit; some of them have been translated into most of the European languages.

1824. CHARLES VAN ESS, a German ecclesiastic, died. He wrote some historical works, and a translation of the New Testament was published under his name.

1840. HENRY RICHARD VASSALL, lord Holland, an English statesman, died. He was a man of literary accomplishments, and particularly distinguished for his knowledge of Spanish literature. He is characterized as a wit without a particle of ill-nature, and a man of learning without a taint of pedantry.

1841. ROBERT BISSETT SCOTT, an English writer on military jurisprudence and a military advocate, died at London, aged 67.

1846. BATIS STONE, another of those long lived patriots of the revolution of the American colonies, died at Philadelphia, aged over 103 years. Though in nearly every battle he escaped unwounded.

1846. The steamship Great Britain ran aground on the coast of Ireland, and became too deeply imbedded to be lifted by subsequent tides. The passengers and most of the cargo saved.

1848. ALEXANDER G. MCNUTT, an eminent Mississippi lawyer, died, aged 47.

1850. The city council of Chicago passed resolutions nullifying the fugitive slave law, and releasing the police from the obedience of it. They subsequently reconsidered this action.

1855. WILLIAM MOLESWORTH, a Welsh baronet, died, aged 45. He began to make a figure before the public at a very early age, and distinguished himself in parliament and elsewhere.

OCTOBER 23.

439. Carthage, foremost in effeminacy, and second in importance among the western cities, was taken from the Romans and spoliated by Genseric, the Vandal, 585 years after the destruction of her republic by the younger Scipio.

472. FLAVIUS ANICIUS OLYBRIUS, emperor of the west, died, after a very brief reign.

524. ANICIUS MANLIUS TORQUATUS SEVERINUS BŒTHIUS, a celebrated Roman philosopher, executed. He fell under the displeasure of Theodoric.

1340. NICOLAS, of Lyra, a Norman Jew, died. He was converted to Christianity, taught divinity at Paris with great reputation, and wrote commentaries on the Bible and controversies with the Jews.

1389. The first charter to the town of Linlithgow, in Scotland, was given by Robert II. Here yet stands the old palace in which the unfortunate Mary, queen of Scotland, sometime resided.

1526. Date of the bishop of London's charge to his clergy, to destroy the English copy of the New Testament, as ruinous to the souls of their people.

1616. ACHILLE DE HARLEY, president of the parliament of Paris, died. He acquired great respect by the learning, firmness and dignity with which he sustained his office.

1641. Rebellion in Ireland; the catholics under Phelim O'Neil, rose against the protestants, and cruelly massacred men, women and children to the number of 40,000, and by some accounts more than 100,000.

1642. Battle of Edgehill, between the royalists, under Charles I and prince Rupert, and the parliament forces, under the earl of Essex. About 5,000 men fell on the occasion, among whom was general Bertie; the victory was undecided.

1667. The foundation stone of the first pillar in the Royal Exchange, London, laid by the king.

1679. The _Meal Tub_ plot discovered in England.

1706. JOHN FOY VAILLANT, a celebrated French physician, medalist and traveler, died.

1707. The first parliament of Great Britain met after the union with Scotland.

1708. The town of Lisle surrendered, and the garrison retired into the castle, except the horse, which were allowed to march away. The allies acknowledged a loss of 12,000 men in taking the town only.

1713. ARCHIBALD PITCAIRNE, an eminent physician and scholar, died at Edinburgh.

1730. ANNE OLDFIELD, a very celebrated English actress, died; and after lying in state in Jerusalem chamber, was buried at Westminster with great pomp.

1764. JOHN LECLAIR, an eminent French music composer, assassinated at Paris.

1785. WILLIAM COCHRANE, a Scottish painter, died. His pieces acquired great celebrity.

1789. Two robbers seized by the citizens of Paris, and hung on the spot, under pretence that the authorities were too slow and dilatory.

1801. JOHN GOTTLIEB NAUMANN, an eminent German music composer, died. He was found in obscurity at the age of 13, and taken to Italy, where he commenced his career. His operas are very numerous.

1814. British ship Bulwark captured American privateer, Harlequin, 10 guns, 115 men.

1825. PLINY FISK, a zealous American missionary, died at Beyrout, in Syria. Although extremely indigent, he procured a regular education, subsisting two years upon bread and milk, and carrying his corn to mill upon his shoulders. Yet so great was his application, that he enabled himself to preach in Italian, French, modern Greek and Arabic.

1826. Date of JAMES SMITHSON'S will, which ultimately placed in the hands of the United States of America, a large sum for the diffusion of knowledge among men.

1841. GEORGE FREDERICK BELTZ, author of several works on antiquities and heraldry, died at Basle.

1844. The steam boat, Lucy Walker, stopping at New Albany, on her route from Louisville to New Orleans, exploded her three boilers at once, killing between 50 and 60 persons, and wounding others.

1848. General WINDISCHGRATZ, summoned the city of Vienna to surrender.

OCTOBER 24.

996. HUGH CAPET, king of France, died. He acquired the throne by his merits and courage, and became the head of the third race of the French monarchy.

1553. JOHN WAYLAND, queen Mary's "allowed printer," received his charter; yet Thomas Green, a journeyman of his, was imprisoned and whipped, for printing a book entitled _Antichrist_.

1601. TYCHO BRAHE, the Danish astronomer, died. He chose the study of astronomy when it was a science of small repute; and though he immortalized his name, yet it is to be regretted that he should have been led into so visionary a scheme as his _system_ exhibits, from a mere spirit of opposition to Copernicus.

1612. Sir PECKSAEL BROCAS, for his adulteries, was compelled to stand at St. Paul's cross, in London, arrayed in a white sheet with a stick in his hand.

1644. The English parliament issued an ordinance, that no quarter should be given to any Irish papist, who should be found in hostility to the parliament.

1648. German thirty years' war concluded by the treaty of Westphalia. It commenced 1618, having grown out of the reformation. It spread from one end of Germany to the other, and left the country a scene of desolation and disorder, wasted by fire, sword and plague, which was followed by a great scarcity, owing to a deficiency of laborers. The art of war was the only one that had gained any thing, and that principally by the genius of Gustavus Adolphus, who made an era in military tactics, and was the first who had a train of artillery in his army.

1655. PETER GASSENDI, a celebrated French philosopher, died. He was at once a theologian, metaphysician, philosopher, astronomer, naturalist and mathematician; eminent in some, and above mediocrity in all those sciences.

1678. Desperate action between the English ship, Concord, captain Grantham, and the Algerine admiral ship, Rose, commanded by Canary, a Spanish renegado, who was beat off.

1682. WILLIAM PENN first arrived in America, and landed at New Castle, Delaware, with 100 passengers. Next day possession of the country was given him.

1819. Erie canal opened from Utica to Rome.

1812. Battle of Ouschatch; the Russians under Steingel and Sassanoff defeated the Bavarians, who lost 300 killed and 200 taken.

1821. A new organization of the Spanish church introduced, abolishing all the monasteries but ten or twelve, declaring all legacies and gifts to monasteries, churches and hospitals, unlawful, and curtailing the whole ecclesiastical establishment, so as to effect a saving of 44½ million dollars to the nation. The old order of things was restored to its former footing two years afterwards, on the restoration of the king to absolute power.

1821. ELIAS BOUDINOT, first president of the American Bible society, died. He was president of Congress in 1782, a man of great excellence of character, and left his large estate principally to charitable purposes.

1838. JOSEPH LANCASTER, promulgator of the Lancasterian system of mutual instruction, died in New York, aged 68.

1842. Great storm of wind and rain in the island of Madeira; 200 houses were swept away at Funchal, the capital.

1842. A destructive fire occurred at Canton, China, by which more than 1,400 houses were burnt.

1845. WILLIAM RUDE, of Cumberland, R. I., died, aged 98. He was at the battle of Bunker hill, and nearly every other during the revolutionary struggle, but escaped unhurt.

1845. England and France, having engaged by a public armed intervention to put a stop to the war between Buenos Ayres and Montevideo, declared a strict blockade of the port of Buenos Ayres.

1846. HENRY, an African, died in Woodford county, Ky., aged 112. At the age of 84 he married his fourth wife, and raised a family of 7 children.

1852. DANIEL WEBSTER, the greatest of American orators, died at Marshfield, aged 70. As a statesman, in the most complete meaning of the term, few Americans have ever equaled and none surpassed him.