Part 89

1781. Action between the British fleet, 12 sail, under Kempenfelt, and a French convoy, protected by 19 heavy ships of the line, and 2 armed _en flute_. Of the merchantmen, 20 were captured, having on board 1,100 troops, and about 600 seamen, besides valuable cargoes of military stores, cannon, &c.

1782. Action between British ship Mediator, and American ship Alexander, 24 guns, captain Gregory, and French ship Menagerie, 212 men, laden with powder, naval stores, &c. The two latter were captured without any loss on the part of the British.

1783. JOHN SCOTT died; an English quaker poet, called the poet of Arnwell.

1787. Pennsylvania (the second state), ratified the constitution of the United States, without amendments.

1789. RICHARD ALTON, an Austrian general, died. He commanded in the Low countries, in 1787, and though a strict disciplinarian and a man of bravery, betrayed so much weakness during the insurrection in Brabant, that he was sent for to answer charges, and died on the journey.

1793. Battle of Mans; the royalists of La Vendee defeated with great slaughter by the French under Marceau.

1804. JOHN BOYDELL died; a most distinguished encourager of the arts of painting and engraving, in England.

1809. Action at night between British sloop Trincomale, and French privateer Iphigene. The sloop was blown up and all on board but two perished; the privateer had her side stove in and her masts forced out by the shock, and lost 115 men.

1822. Napoli di Romania, the ancient Nauplia, surrendered to the Greeks, after a long and tedious blockade, during which the Turkish garrison was reduced to feed on the corpses of their companions. The crescent had been flying on the fortress uninterruptedly since 1714, at which time it was treacherously given up to the Coumourgi, and made the seat of the Turkish government for the Morea.

1830. BENJAMIN CONSTANT, a distinguished French author, and one of the greatest orators of his day, was honored with a magnificent funeral.

1834. The Carlists, of Spain, under Gen. Eraso, defeated at Soraida, by the troops of the queen, under general Mina.

1834. The government of Greece transferred from Napoli to Athens.

1836. JOHN DAVIDSON, an English traveler, murdered by the El Hareb tribe of Africans, on his way to Tombuctoo. He commenced traveling in 1826, and had visited North and South America, India, Egypt, as far as the second cataract, Syria, Palestine, Turkey, Greece, Italy, France and Germany, and had proceeded to within 25 days' journey of the city of Tombuctoo. He was conversant with the different languages of the east, and possessed extraordinary enterprise and great accomplishments as a traveler.

1838. CHARLES PHILIP WREDE, a Bavarian field-marshal, died. He distinguished himself under Bonaparte, in the war against Austria, and was severely wounded at the battle of Wagram. In the celebrated Russian campaign he commanded, with great credit, the Bavarian contingent army.

1840. J. D. E. ESQUIROL, who so successfully introduced a new mode of treating the insane, died.

1842. ELKANAH WATSON, a great friend of and writer on internal improvements, died at port Kent, Essex county, N. Y., aged 86.

1847. JAMES KENT, so long distinguished as an American jurist and philanthropist, died at New York, aged 84.

1849. ISAMBARD BRUNEL, the celebrated engineer of the Thames tunnel, died at London.

1856. HERMAN E. LUDEWIG, a Saxon scholar, died in Brooklyn, N. Y., aged 47. He is known by his _Literature of American Local History_.

DECEMBER 13.

405. B. C. Battle of Ægospotami. This celebrated Spartan victory of Lysander over a vast Athenian fleet, happily closed the 27 years' war in the Peloponesus. Conon fled to Cyprus, and the admiral took possession of Athens in the following spring.

126. B. C. A league of friendship referred to the Roman senate assembled in the temple of Concord, on behalf of the Jews, who had sent three ambassadors with a shield of gold as a mark of confederacy.

1250. FREDERICK II, emperor of Germany, died. He was successful in his wars against the Saracens, but was forced to return to wage war with the pope, whom he also conquered. He was deposed, however, in 1245 by Innocent IV.

1254. INNOCENT IV (_Sinibaldi de Fiesque_) died. He was early engaged in a quarrel with Frederick of Germany, whom he excommunicated and deposed. He was the first who invested the cardinals with a red hat as a mark of dignity.

1502. A water spout at Porto Bello greatly alarmed the Spaniards. Ferdinand Columbus says "if they had not dissolved it by saying the gospel of St. John, it had certainly sunk whatsoever it fell upon."

1521. EMANUEL (_the Great_), king of Portugal, died. He distinguished himself by the liberal manner in which he patronized commercial enterprises, by which the cape of Good Hope was rounded, and Brazil visited.

1542. JAMES V, of Scotland, died. He assumed the government at the age of 17, and was admired for his virtues.

1542. An act passed permitting those deemed the better sort to read the Bible in England.

1545. The great council of Trent opened.

1565. CONRAD GESNER, a Swiss botanist, died. It has been said that botany owes to him its very existence as a science.

1577. DRAKE sailed from Plymouth, England, in the Golden Hind, on his voyage round the world, which he was the second navigator that accomplished.

1621. ROBERT CUSHMAN having visited the colony of Plymouth with supplies, took in a cargo of beaver skins and clapboards, the first export from New England, which was valued at £500. The vessel was captured and carried into France.

1642. New Zealand discovered by Tasman.

1648. In order to enforce an ordinance of Cromwell, Capt. Bethan was appointed provost marshal, "with power to seize upon all ballad singers, and to suppress stage plays."

1702. The motto _semper eadem_ first attached to the arms of England.

1721. Several alterations made in the form of the affirmation of the English quakers. About 20 years previous to this their affirmation was accepted instead of their oath.

1729. ANTHONY COLLINS died; an English polemical writer, whose numerous works were warmly attacked by the orthodox writers of the day.

1737. JOHN STRYPE died, aged 94; an English divine, industrious as a historian and biographer.

1738. PHILIP FROWDE died; a writer of English and Latin poetry, and of tragedy.

1754. MAHOMET V, emperor of Turkey, died. He was more eminent for his pacific disposition than for his military exploits.

1759. At Leipsic the cold was so intense that ten sentinels were frozen to death.

1769. CHRISTIAN FURCHTEGOTT GELLERT, a German comic poet, died.

1775. Congress first determined to build a navy, to consist of 5 frigates of 32 guns, 5 of 28 guns, and 3 of 24 guns.

1776. American Gen. LEE surprised and made prisoner by a British patrole in New Jersey.

1783. PETER WARGENTIN died; a learned Swede, who published tables for computing the eclipses of Jupiter's satellites.

1784. SAMUEL JOHNSON, the English lexicographer, died; a writer of great eminence and celebrity.

1788. CHARLES III, king of Spain, died. His policy was censured for endangering the Spanish empire in America by supporting the independence of the British colonies.

1788. DAVID MACBRIDE, an Irish physician of great celebrity, died. His _Theory and Practice of Medicine_ was formerly in great request.

1797. LEWIS LE GENDRE, a prominent actor in the French revolution, died. He proposed in the Jacobin club that the body of the king should be cut into 84 pieces, and one sent to each of the departments.

1803. FRANCIS LEWIS, one of the signers, died, aged 90. He was a merchant of New York, had visited Russia, and was employed in the importation of military stores, and other secret services.

1809. Desperate action between British frigate Junon, 40 guns, Capt. Shortland, and three French frigates of 88 guns in all. The Junon was captured, after losing 90 men killed and wounded; among the latter was the captain, who received several shots before surrendering. His vessel was so much shattered that the French burnt her the next day.

1811. A dog which had been accidentally shut into a house in Albany, on the 1st day of November, was taken out alive on this day, after a fast of 42 days, and recovered.

1813. Battle near Bayonne, between the French under Soult, and the allies under Wellington, in which the former were defeated and driven into the city with the loss of 6,500 men. British loss about half the number.

1814. CHARLES JOSEPH, prince De Ligne, an Austrian field marshal, died. He was born at Bruxelles, 1735, and devoted his early years to science and learning. His writings were numerous, of which 30 vols. have been published.

1850. The steam boat Anglo Norman, while on a pleasure trip for the day, at New Orleans, exploded both boilers, and nearly a hundred persons were either killed or wounded.

1854. A Russian decree ordered an additional levy of ten men in every thousand, in the eastern half of the Russian empire, Jews not excepted.

DECEMBER 14.

402. ANASTASIUS I, pope, died. He reconciled the eastern and western churches, and was much respected for his sanctity and virtue.

628. Pilgrimage of the emperor HERACLIUS at Jerusalem.

1417. JOHN OLDCASTLE, "the good lord Cobham," the first author and an early martyr of the reformation, hung alive in chains and burnt to death.

1622. VALENTINE SMALCIUS, a celebrated Socinian writer, died at Cracow.

1624. CHARLES HOWARD, an intrepid English admiral, died. He commanded the English fleet at the defeat of the Spanish armada.

1681. FRANCIS VAVASSEUR, a French Jesuit, died; distinguished as a teacher of rhetoric and belles lettres at Paris, and as a lecturer on the scriptures.

1704. JOSEPH DUCHE DE VANCY died; a French poet, author of several scripture tragedies.

1710. HENRY ALDRICH died; an eminent English scholar, divine, architect and musician.

1713. THOMAS RYMER, a famous English antiquary, died.

1715. THOMAS TENISON, archbishop of Canterbury, died; a celebrated polemical writer against popery.

1716. WILLIAM TRUMBULL died; an English statesman, ambassador to France and afterwards secretary of state.

1735. THOMAS TANNER, a learned English antiquary, died, leaving behind him a valuable work, upon which he had been employed 40 years.

1759. Prof. BRAUN ascertained the congelation of quicksilver.

1769. SAMUEL KNEELAND, an eminent Boston printer, died. He published the first edition of the Bible in America, which was in 4to, with a London imprint, to evade the patent which was held by English and Scottish publishers, _cum privilegio_.

1774. The citizens of New Hampshire attacked and carried the king's castle, and removed the powder.

1775. Gen. HOWE ordered the old North Meeting and 100 other wooden houses, to be taken down in Boston and used for fire wood.

1775. British lord DUNMORE defeated by the Americans at Norfolk, Va.

1776. British overran New Jersey.

1780. IGNATIUS SANCHO, an African author, died at London, aged 51. He was born on board of a slave ship. His _Letters_ possess great originality. (15?)

1781. Gen. GREENE informed the board of war that he had been unable to advance on the British for ten days for want of ammunition; that he had not paper with which to make returns, no camp kettles, &c.; that he lay within a few miles of the enemy and had not six rounds per man; that he had been seven months in the field without taking off his clothes one night.

1782. British under Gen. LESLIE evacuated Charleston, S. C., and embarked under cover of the king's ship Caroline. The Americans under Gen. Wayne took immediate possession of it.

1785. JOHN BAPTIST CYPRIANI, a famous Italian painter, died. He settled in England, but his numerous pieces were spread over Europe by the graver of Bartolozzi.

1789. CALEB ELLIOTT died of starvation. He was a visionary enthusiast who imagined that he was called upon to fast 40 days, and actually lived 16 days without food of any kind, having refused all sorts of sustenance.

1792. ARTHUR LEE, an American statesman, died. He was an ardent friend of the rights of the colonies, which he rendered essential services as agent at London, and afterwards as minister with Franklin in France. He is represented as a man of uniform patriotism, sound understanding, great probity, plain manners and strong passions.

1796. ANTHONY WAYNE, commander-in-chief of the United States troops, died at Presque isle, aged 51. He distinguished himself in the wars of the revolution by his bravery and untiring patriotism.

1797. Great earthquake at Cumana; more than four-fifths of the city was entirely destroyed, and a number of persons perished.

1799. GEORGE WASHINGTON, the American hero and statesman, the man on whom, in times of danger, every eye was turned and all hopes were placed, expired without a struggle, at Mount Vernon, in the 68th year of his age.

1803. The British under Maj. Gen. WELLESLEY, since lord Wellington, carried by storm the almost impregnable fortress of Gawilghar, in the East Indies.

1807. An extraordinary large and brilliant meteor was seen in Connecticut, exploding at three different times, each explosion accompanied with a fall of meteoric stones, one of which was probably 200 pounds weight.

1814. British flotilla of 45 boats with 1,200 men and 43 cannon captured several American gun boats on lake Borgne near New Orleans, manned by 23 guns and 182 men, after an action of about three hours.

1815. The prince regent of Portugal at Rio de Janeiro, proclaimed the Brazils to be a separate kingdom.

1816. CHARLES STANHOPE, an English statesman, died. He is better known by his numerous mechanical inventions, and as a man of science.

1818. EDWARD LAW, lord Ellenborough, an eminent English lawyer, died.

1826. CONRAD MALTE-BRUN, a Danish poet, political and philosophical writer, and geographer, died at Paris. He was forced to leave his own country for the tendency of his writings to liberty.

1829. Commencement of a civil war in Chili, by an action between the armies of Luctra and Pietro, in which the latter were defeated.

1843. CHARLES GOLDSBOROUGH, author of the naval history of the United States, died at Washington, D. C., where he was engaged in the navy department.

1849. EDWARD DOUBLEDAY, a distinguished British naturalist, died at London, aged 39. He visited the United States in 1835, and returned with a large and rare collection of specimens in most of the branches of natural history, which he distributed to several of the public institutions of England.

1851. JOEL R. POINSETT, an American statesman, died, aged 72. He was a native of South Carolina, was secretary of war under Mr. Van Buren, and opposed to the revolutionary schemes of some of the politicians of his native state.

1852. Madame D'ARUSMONT, better known as _Fanny Wright_, died at Cincinnati, aged 57. She was born at Dundee, Scotland, and came to America with considerable property, where she gained great notoriety by her lectures and writings.

1855. JOEL ABBOTT, commanding the United States squadron in the East Indies, died at Hong Kong, China; a brave and energetic officer, who discharged his duties with signal ability and discretion.

DECEMBER 15.

337 B. C. TIMOLEON, an illustrious Corinthian, died at Syracuse. He went to the assistance of the Syracusans against the tyrant Dionysius, and became there a most benevolent and popular character.

215. B. C. HIERONYMUS, tyrant of Syracuse, slain. From his fall is dated the three years' siege of Marcellus, and the death of Archimedes at the end of it.

168. B. C. ANTIOCHUS EPIPHANES set up his _abomination_, the statue of Jupiter, in the sacred temple, it being the anniversary of his own birthday.

533. TRIBONIAN began the _Digests_ or _Pandects_, that astonishing labor, which condensed within fifty books a body of three million sentences from dead civilians, and which he finished by the aid of seventeen associates in exactly three years.

882. JOHN VIII, pope, died. He held a council at Troyes, but was called back to Italy by the invasion of the Saracens, who were so successful that they obliged him to pay an annual tribute. Three hundred of his letters are preserved.

1347. Abdication and exile of RIENZI the Roman tribune.

1582. The Gregorian style adopted at Paris, omitting ten days.

1683. IZAAK WALTON, an English writer, died, aged 90. He acquired a fortune and occupied his time in writing and angling; his little treatise called the _Complete Angler_ is unique.

1692. GEORGE ADAM STRUVIUS died; professor of jurisprudence at Jena, and counselor of the king of Saxony.

1715. GEORGE HICKS died, an English divine, antiquary, critic and polemical writer of great learning and abilities.

1725. JOHN JOHNSON, an English non-juror divine, died. Although promoted to various dignities in the church, he entertained a contempt for its articles and liturgy.

1745. Battle of Kesseldorf; the Prussians under the prince of Anhalt, defeated the Austrians and Saxons, who lost 3,000 killed and 6,500 prisoners.

1751. HENRY ST. JOHN, viscount Bolingbroke, for many years busily engaged in the politics, literature and philosophy of his times, died of cancer in the face, aged 73.

1764. ROBERT LLOYD, an English poet and miscellaneous writer, died in the Fleet prison.

1771. BENJAMIN STILLINGFLEET, a distinguished poet and naturalist, died.

1778. French admiral count D'ESTAING, arrived from America at St. Lucia and attacked unsuccessfully the British fleet and batteries in the bay of Grand Cul de Sac, in which he sustained great loss.

1782. WILLIAM FRANCIS BERTHIER, a French Jesuit, died; known as the conductor for many years of the _Journal de Travaux_, royal librarian and preceptor of Lewis XVI.

1782. American ship Commerce, 16 guns, Capt. Truxton, engaged a British brig of 18 guns and a schooner of 14 guns; he was obliged to make off on the appearance of two other British vessels. He saved his convoy, and they all arrived at St. Thomas in safety, a few hours after the action.

1794. CARRIER, PINARD and GRAND MAISON guillotined at Paris. The former was noted for his refined cruelty to the numerous victims which power placed in his hands. On the fall of the mountain party he was consigned to punishment, which he well merited.

1810. SARAH TRIMMER, an English authoress, died. She is well known by her various works designed for the use of children.

1814. Meeting of the Hartford convention, which consisted of 26 members from the new England states, to consult upon the exigencies of the times, and the defenceless condition of the coast.

1831. HANNAH ADAMS, an American authoress, died. She was a native of Massachusetts, a woman of great excellence and purity of character, and a writer of very fair reputation. Her monument is to be seen in the Mount Auburn cemetery, near Boston.

1834. ANDREW FRANK, a colored man, died at Johnston, R. I., aged 104.

1836. The United States post office, the patent office and the Washington city post office, together with the contents of the two latter, destroyed by fire. In the patent office were 7,000 models of patents, out of 10,000 which had been granted by congress; 163 large folio volumes of records; 26 port folios containing 9,000 drawings, many of them beautifully executed and valuable.

1837. JOHN COX died, aged 85. He was a captain in the naval service of Virginia in the early part of the revolutionary war, and was one of the most efficient and distinguished patriots during the contest.

1837. PHILIP SING PHYSIC, a Philadelphia physician and surgeon of great eminence, died, aged 70. He was long a celebrated professor of anatomy and surgery in the university of Pennsylvania.

1840. The remains of BONAPARTE were removed from Cherbourg, where they were disembarked, to the Church of the invalides at Paris. The procession was splendid beyond all precedent, the number assembled being computed at 500,000. The king and royal family were present at the ceremony, and 60,000 national guards were in attendance.

1842. JOHN R. WATROUS, an eminent physician and revolutionary surgeon, died at Colchester, Conn., aged 91.

1842. BENJAMIN PARKHURST died at Royalton, Vt., aged 97. He was the first settler of that town, living in it over 78 years, and of a family famed for longevity. His parents died at the age of 97. His grandfather reached 100, and his grandmother 104 years.

1848. The postal convention between Great Britain and the United States signed at London by lord Palmerston and Mr. Bancroft.

1854. KAMEHAMEHA III, king of the Sandwich islands, died, aged 41, and was succeeded by prince Alexander Liholiho, aged 20, under the title of Kamehameha IV.

DECEMBER 16.

714. PEPIN (_the Fat_), mayor of Paris, died; a man of wisdom and vigor.

1215. A special excommunication of the English barons fulminated at Rome, and towered London laid under an interdict.

1515. ALFONZO ALBUQUERQUE died, Portuguese viceroy of India, surnamed _the Great_ and _the Portuguese Mars_.

1653. WILLIAM GOUGE died; a minister of the famous assembly of divines, and appointed one of the annotators of the Bible.

1653. OLIVER CROMWELL appointed lord protector of England.

1656. EDMUND WINGATE died; an English writer on arithmetic and mathematics.

1657. JOSHUA REYNOLDS, commander of the English forces in Mardyke, was cast away with the whole ship's company, on Goodwin's sands.

1684. The statue of Charles II in the Royal Exchange at London, was erected by the Hamburg company.

1687. WILLIAM PETTY, an eminent English physician, died; chiefly celebrated for his knowledge in mathematics and mechanics, and for his writings on political arithmetic.

1703. JULIUS MASCARON, a most eminent preacher, died. His eloquence was astonishing, and it is related that his preaching had such an effect upon the Huguenots, that of 30,000 Calvinists which he found on coming to the see of Agen, 28,000 forsook their church.

1710. Gerona, the key of Catalonia in Spain, surrendered to the French.

1723. JOHN TRENCHARD died; an eminent English patriot and political writer.

1745. PETER FRANCIS GUYOT DES FONTAINES died; a French critic, historical writer and translator.

1767. JAMES GRAINGER, a Scottish physician and poet, died in the West Indies.

1770. ROGER LONG, an eminent English astronomer, died.

1773. Destruction of 340 chests of tea in Boston harbor by a party of citizens disguised as Indians. There was but one survivor of that event, in 1840.

1782. The British burnt fort Arbuthnot and a new fort on Sullivan's island.

1783. WILLIAM JAMES died; an English baronet, who rose from the humble occupation of a plowboy to the chief command of the East India company's marine forces.

1788. Oczakow taken from the Turks by storm by the Russians under prince Potemkin, who had about 1,000 killed in the assault.

1798. THOMAS PENNANT died; an Englishman of eminent knowledge in natural history and antiquities, and the author of a number of valuable books.

1800. Convention of the northern powers of Europe for an armed neutrality, signed at St. Petersburg between Russia and Sweden.

1809. The most ceremonious and extraordinary divorce in the world took place between Bonaparte and Josephine.

1809. ANTHONY FRANCIS FOURCROY died; a very eminent French writer on chemistry, and a member of the Institute.

1811. An earthquake was experienced in the southern states and in Ohio and Pennsylvania. Charleston, Savannah, Pittsburgh and Circleville especially suffered from it.

1825. JAMES WATT, the original publisher of the _Montrose, Arbroath and Brechin Review_, fell over board in Yarmouth Roads and was drowned.

1832. ROBERT C. SANDS, an American author and editor, died. He was a man of genius, a scholar, and an elegant writer.

1835. The coldest day on record, from sunrise to sunset. The thermometer ranged from 12° to 16° below zero all day, in the vicinity of Boston. The winter was remarkable for the lowness of its mean temperature, the number of extremely cold days, and the great quantity and long duration of snow.