1810. Battle of Rudschuck; the Russians defeated the Turks, killed the seraskir and 5,000 men, and took an immense number of prisoners, with all their artillery and equipage.
1813.William Burrows, a gallant naval officer of the United States, was slain in the action between the Enterprise, United States, and British ship Boxer. (See5th.)
1814. British under general Provost took Plattsburgh.
1816.Thomas Clarkedied in London, aged 80. He came to the city at the age of 22, and obtained the place of a porter; by the strictest economy and well directed effort, he accumulated the fortune of one and a half million dollars.
1821.Vicessimus Knoxdied; a learned English divine and miscellaneous writer.
1839. An insurrection at Zurich, in Switzerland, in consequence of the city government having enacted a new law, enforcing a system of government, independent of the clergy, and differed from the routine of the old catechism, and having called from Germany to fill the theological chair of the university, professor Strauss, whose neological doctrines had given much offence. Several thousand peasants assembled and marched into the city headed by their pastors. A few lives were lost, the government declared itself dissolved, the peasants withdrew, and the city became tranquil.
1848. The British forces under general Whish, besieged the city of Moulton, in northern India, and were forced on the 14th to withdraw with much loss.
1848.Thomas Trenor, an Irish exile, died in New York, aged 86. In 1798 he was a merchant in extensive business, joined the patriots, and became treasurer of the United Irish society. He was arrested for treason, and spent four years in prison. Ruined in fortune, and with impaired health, he came to America; for 17 years was occupied in the iron manufacture in Vermont, and for the last 15 years was employed in the New York custom house.
1855. ColonelHenry L. Kinneywasappointed by acclamation civil and military governor of San Juan del Norte, or Greytown, at a mass meeting of the citizens.
70. Jerusalem demolished, and her foundations broke up on this day, Gregorian time. The walls were crossed on Friday, the last day of August, the conquest was completed on the sabbath and the calends of September, and the havoc consumed about six days. There were slain or butchered one millionbeards. (See8th Aug.Gorpeius is a tropical month, beginning 25th Aug.)
1069. The Danes again made a descent on England, and landed at Dover.
1134.Alfonso, king of Arragon, killed in battle.
1493.Frederick IV, of Germany, died. He was a weak, indolent and superstitious monarch, who saw his subjects revolt with indifference, and was afterwards reduced to beg his bread.
1533. Birthday ofElizabeth, afterwards queen of England; daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn.
1566.Nicholas Zrinyi, a Hungarian Leonidas, killed. He had thrown himself into the castle of Szigeth, with 3,000 men, and was besieged by the Turks. This number was dwindled down to 600 by repeated sallies. The sultan died of rage at his obstinacy, and the grand vizier made a general assault. Zrinyi rushed out at the head of his band, and was killed by three balls; the whole garrison shared his fate. Above 20,000 Turks had been killed during the siege.
1644.Grey Bentivoglio, an Italian cardinal, died. He wrote an account of Flanders, and a history of its civil wars.
1655.Nicholas Abram, a French Jesuit, died; distinguished for his proficiency in the dead languages.
1671. A great training in Boston, says Winthrop's journal, which lasted two days; 1,200 men in the field, not an oath uttered, nor any body drunk during the whole time, though there was much wine and strong beer in town.
1706. Battle of Turin; the French under count Marisin defeated by prince Eugene, with the loss of 2,000 killed, and all their baggage and ammunition, and the military chest.
1736. The door of the Tolbooth, of Edinburgh, burnt, and John Porteus, who had been sentenced to death, but reprieved by the queen, taken out of jail by a mob, and hanged on a lamp post.
1760. Montreal surrendered to the English. By the reduction of this place, Gen. Amherst completed the conquest of Canada, and the subversion of the French empire in North America, which was added to the British possessions.
1772. An unprecedented rain and consequent flood happened in Inverary, Scotland.
1776.George Smith, an eminent English landscape painter and author, died.
1779.John Armstrong, a celebrated Scottish poet, died.
1783.Leonard Euler, a Swiss mathematician, died. He possessed great erudition, and was perfect master of ancient mathematical literature; and had the history of all ages and nations, even to the minutest facts, ever present to his mind.
1784.Ann Lee, known by the appellation of the "elect lady," or mother of Zion, and head of the sect called Shakers, died at Nisqueunia, near Albany, N. Y.
1798.Peter Frederick Suhm, an eminent Danish historian and miscellaneous writer, died. His histories form 16 quarto volumes, and his other works 15 vols.
1799.John Ingenhouz, an eminent Belgian natural philosopher, died in England. His chemical discoveries were applied to medical and agricultural improvements.
1799.Peter Charles le Monnier, a celebrated French astronomer, died. He was one of those who made the journey to the north in 1785, for the admeasurement of the globe.
1805.Thomas Butlerdied; he was a brave officer in the American revolutionary army, but refusing to comply with the general order, to cut the hair close to the head, he was involved in much difficulty with general Wilkeson.
1807. Copenhagen surrendered to the British after a long bombardment, in which six thousand were killed and wounded, and 1,800 houses destroyed.
1811.Peter Simon Pallas, a distinguished writer of Prussia, died. He accompanied empress Catherine's famous expedition to Siberia, for the observation of the transit of Venus, &c. He was subsequently tutor to the grand dukes Alexander (afterwards emperor) and Constantine.
1812. Battle of Borodino; the Russian army consisted of 120,000, and the French had an equal number. There were also 500 cannon employed by each. The slaughter was dreadful; of one of the Russian divisions that mustered 30,000 in the morning, only 8,000 survived. These had fought in close order under a fire of 80 cannon. It is computed that not less than 30,000 Russians, and 50,000 French were killed; and night found either army on the ground they had occupied at day break.
1820. Great solar eclipse in England.
1827. Abo, the capital of Finland, nearly destroyed by fire. Only 800 volumes of the public library escaped destruction, and nearly 100 persons perished.
1831. Warsaw captured by the Russians under Paskiewitch after two days' fighting. Russian loss estimated at 20,000.
1833.Hannah More, a celebrated English authoress, died, aged 88. Her works are very numerous, by which she realized upwards of $140,000.
1836.John Pond, an eminent English astronomer, died. He was named by Dr. Maskelyne as the fittest man to succeed him as astronomer royal, which office he held during 25 years with consumate ability.
1838.William Colfax, an officer of the revolution, died. He was one of the life guards of Washington, and supposed to have been the last survivor of that corps.
1839.Andrew Hallidaydied; a Scottish medical and historical writer of merit.
1847. Letters from St. Petersburgh of the 7th Sept. state, that that city has been visited with the most terrific storm of wind and rain ever experienced within the memory of the oldest inhabitant. It rained incessantly for forty-eight hours, whilst the wind blew with intense violence. The result of this visitation was the destruction of above 400 houses. At one period fears were entertained for the safety of the entire city, and some timid and superstitious persons apprehended the end of the world was at hand.
1850. The bill admitting California as a state and Utah as a territory of the United States, passed the house of representatives.
1851.Levi Woodbury, an American statesman, died at Portsmouth, N. H., aged 64.
1855. The first Hebrew temple in the Mississippi valley was consecrated at St. Louis.
1855.Leonard Maelzel, the inventor of several musical and automatic instruments, and who exhibited the famous chess player in this country, died at Vienna, aged 79.
70. Jerusalem taken byTitusafter a most obstinate resistance on the part of the inhabitants. More than 1,000,000 are said to have perished.
1636. Harvard college founded at Cambridge, Mass.
1644.Francis Quarles, a celebrated English poet, died.
1650. The princessElizabeth, daughter of the unfortunate Charles, died at Carisbrook castle in the isle of Wight, aged 15.
1656.Joseph Hall, "the first professed English satirist," died. He was bishop of Norwich, and acquired the title of the Christian Seneca. He is universally allowed to have been a man of great wit and learning.
1664. The colony of New York surrendered to the English.
1705. According to De Foe, it was on this day that the apparition of Mrs. Veal appeared to Mrs. Bargrave, at Canterbury, to say thatDrelincourt on Deathwas the very best book on that subject.
1755. Battle of lake George, between the English under colonel Johnson and the French and Indians under baron Dieskau. The French force was nearly 2,000; that of the provincials greatly superior. A detachment of 1,000 men and 200 Indians which were sent out from the fort were ambuscaded and narrowly escaped destruction. A grand attack was then made on the fort by the French regulars, the Canadians and Indians being employed on the English flanks. After a battle of four hours, the enemy was compelled to retreat in disorder, and were pursued by a party from the camp, which fell on their rear and precipitated their flight. Dieskau was taken prisoner, and the remnant of his army completely routed by a detachment of 200 New Hampshire militia, from fort Edward, who had been sent to the assistance of the main army. The loss of the provincials was 327 killed and wounded—that of the enemy about 600. King Hendrik killed here.
1756. The Indian village of Kettaning, in Pennsylvania, destroyed by the colonists under colonel Armstrong. The Indians had fortified their village and provided a supply of powder for 10 years, and great quantities of arms and merchandise. The place was surprised, the chief, colonel Jacobs, killed, and as the Indians refused to accept quarter, they were exterminated. This affair was of so great importance that the authorities caused a silver medal to be struck on the occasion.
1757. The duke ofCumberlandin behalf of England signed the convention of Closter Seven, by which the electorate of Hanover was left in the hands of the French and the whole army consisting of 40,000 Hessians, Brunswickers, &c., disarmed.
1760. Canada surrendered to the British at Montreal under lord Amherst. This was hailed with universal joy by the colonies, as the end of the cruel wars and bloody massacres which had hung over their towns and plantations nearly a century, in which the French and Indians had been uniformly the aggressors, and had vied with each other in murder, barbarity andrapine. Under the brief repose which followed the colonies rapidly increased in number and wealth, till the gigantic struggle for independence again plunged the country in scenes of desolation and ruin, in which the British armies in a degree emulated the French and Indian foe.
1761.Bernard Forest de Belidor, a Spanish mathematician, died at Paris. He wrote on fortifications and engineering, several valuable works.
1772. The first court of general quarter sessions of the peace for the county of Tryon was held at Johnstown, so called after sir Wm. Johnson; Guy Johnson, judge.
1775.John Leyden, afterwards a poet and famed oriental scholar, was born at Denholm, Roxburghshire.
1781. Battle of Eutaw Springs; the British regulars, 2,000 in number, under colonel Stewart, were defeated by the Americans under general Greene, 1,400 regulars and 500 militia. British loss in killed, wounded and prisoners about 1,000; American loss about 500. This battle closed the war in South Carolina.
1782. Tremendous cannonade and bombardment from Gibraltar with red hot balls and carcasses, upon the Spanish besiegers. Two floating batteries were consumed.
1793. The British under the duke of York raised the siege of Dunkirk, in France, defended with great bravery and resolution by Hoche.
1794. Battle of Brescia; the Poles defeated by the Russians under Suwarrow, with the loss of 8,000 men, and their whole park of artillery.
1795. A monument byFlaxmanto the memory of Collins, the poet, was set up at Chichester, England.
1797.Richard Farmerdied; a celebrated scholar and critic. He is noted for a single work, hisEssay on the Learning of Shakspeare, in which he maintains that the bard obtained his knowledge of ancient history and mythology from translations and not from original classic authors. It is probably the best commentary which has been produced.
1798. The first number of theAllgemeine Zeitung(General Gazette) published at Augsburg, in Bavaria. Under the charge of baron Cotta, it is probably the most celebrated newspaper in the world. It has correspondents in all countries of Europe, and in America.
1798. Battle of Standtz, in Switzerland. The hardy mountaineers defended their homes against the French with clubs, spears and fragments of rock; but were forced to retire before the regular artillery and muskets of their enemy, their beautiful valley was destroyed by fire, and neither age nor sex spared by the furious soldiery.
1804. Great storm at Savannah, by which the city suffered to an immense amount in damages to buildings and other property, as well as loss of life. The storm extended to a considerable distance, carrying destruction with it in every quarter.
1817.John Carter, an eminent English antiquary, draftsman and critic, died. He was many years a laborious contributor to theGentleman's Magazine.
1837.Samuel Egerton Bridges, an English nobleman, died near Geneva, in Switzerland. He was a man of considerable talents and learning, and a voluminous writer in various branches of literature, but possessed of a most unhappy temper and disposition.
1838.Benjamin Booth Royd, pastor of the independent church, Huddersfield, England, died. He was a lively example of piety and a life of industry.
1846.George Mifflin Bache, lieutenant commanding United States brig Washington, died at sea off cape Hatteras. His hopes of thoroughly exploring the Gulf stream were thus cut off.
1847. Battle of El Molino del Rey, in Mexico, where many a brave American fell.
1847.Martin Scottfell at the battle of Molino del Rey. In early life he was one of the sharp shooters among theGreen Mountain Boys, and it is storied of him that so unerring was his aim that a nail driven partway into a board, he could drive home by his bullet.
1849.Amariah Brigham, a distinguished physician, died at Utica, New York, aged 51. He was superintendent of the State asylum for the insane.
1852.Mark H. Sibley, an eminent lawyer, died at Canandaigua, New York, aged 56. He had distinguished himself at the bar, in the state assembly and in congress, and on the bench.
1853. The first chamber in Holland adopted the much disputed law on religious liberty by a vote of 22 to 16.
1854. A violent storm at Charleston, South Carolina, which continued forty-eight hours, overflowing the wharves and damaging the shipping.
1855.Robert Muller, a celebrated pianist and composer, died at Edinburgh, Scotland.
1855.William Holland Daniel Cuddy, an experienced and efficient British officer, killed in the attack on the Redan, at Sebastopol, aged 41. He had served in India until 1841, and afterwards with distinction in the Chinese war.
1855. The allies having kept up aninfernalfire upon the fortress of Sebastopolduring three days and nights, attacked the works in three columns, and captured the Malakoff, whereupon the Russians blew up the remaining forts upon the south side of the city, sunk and destroyed their vessels, and under cover of the explosions and of the night, retreated to the north side of the city over a bridge recently constructed, leaving a large number of guns, and a vast amount of military stores in the hands of the victors, who lost 2,019 killed, and about 7,500 wounded and missing.
905.Olga, princess of Russia, received with great pomp and ceremony at Constantinople by the emperor Constantine Porphyrogenitus. The baptism and nomination of the empress Helena, established the era of Russian Christianity.
1087.William I(the Conqueror), king of England, died in consequence of a fall from his horse, near Rouen, in France. He invaded England from Normandy, 1066, and having defeated Harold, who was slain at the battle of Hastings, was crowned king.
1513. Battle of Flodden, in Scotland, among the Cheviot hills. The Scots were defeated with the loss of 5,000 killed. Admiral Howard reported 10,000 Scots that fell in the field and pursuit. The English are supposed to have lost about an equal number, but among their slain were no persons of note. The heroic king James was struck down by an arrow a spear's length from the feet of Surrey, the English general.
1576.Titian(Tiziano Vezellio), the Italian painter, died of the plague, aged 96.
1583.Humphrey Gilbert, on his return from a voyage of discovery to America, was foundered at sea in a violent storm when every person perished.
1607.Pompone de Bellievre, an eminent French statesman, died. He enjoyed the favor of princes and the reward of office, and in turn was disgraced.
1609.Henry Hudsonarrived in New York harbor, which perceiving to be a good one for all winds, the ship rode all night.
1654.Peter Stuyvesant, with 700 men, approached the Swedish settlements on the Delaware. They were all reduced without bloodshed. (SeeSept. 16.)
1677. About twenty Indians who had descended Connecticut river, fell upon Hatfield as the people were raising a house, killed and captured about twenty, among the latter some women and children. On their return the same day they halted at Deerfield, where several people were employed in rebuilding their houses. But being discovered, their mischief was confined to killing one and capturing two. These people were just returned to their farms which had been laid waste the year before. They were soon compelled again to abandon them.
1681.John Foster, the first Boston printer, died, aged 33. He graduated at Harvard, 1667, and it having been permitted to "have a printing presse elsewhere than at Cambridge," it was put under his charge.
1689. The famous treaty of partition was signed at the river Kerbechi, between China and Russia.
1703.Charles de St. Denis Evremond, a French nobleman, died in England, aged 95. He signalized himself by his valor in the army, and was equally eminent for his literary talents.
1734. An eagle whose expanded wings from tip to tip measured nine feet eight inches, was taken at Charlton, in Kent, England.
1770.Bernard Siegfried Albinus, an eminent Dutch anatomist, died, aged 88. He surpassed all his predecessors in the science of anatomy, and published 3 folio volumes of plates to illustrate the human body.
1771.Robert Wood, an English traveler and writer, died.
1776. United States first so called.
1781. British colonelStewartdestroyed a great quantity of his stores and abandoned Eutaw springs. He left 1000 stand of arms and 70 wounded men.
1782. Grand attack on Gibraltar by the Spaniards, from a floating battery of 64 heavy cannon, and their whole lines, together with 60 mortars and their shipping, which was continued during the whole day.
1790. Action off Codgia bay, between the Turkish and Russian fleets, which was begun the day previous, and ended in the defeat of the Turks, who lost two ships taken, and one in which was the admiral, blown up, and the admiral alone escaped death.
1792.Charles Xavier Joseph Franqueville d'Abancourt, minister of Louis XVI, perished at the massacre of the Orangery.
1797. Three men were suffocated in one of the famed Meux's brewvats at London, not having first used the precaution to let down a lighted candle.
1801.Gilbert Wakefielddied; an eminent English polemical and classical writer.
1806.John Brand, an English antiquary, died. He was originally a shoemaker; butfound means to acquire a liberal education and left several valuable works.
1814. CaptainMcGlassinwith 50 Americans, forded the Saranac and reconnoitered the British works, drove in a party of 150 men, attacked and carried their battery, killed their commanding officer and 16 men, and having destroyed their works, returned with the loss of 1 wounded and 3 missing.
1814. British navy with a detachment of troops, 150 sailors and 250 Indians, captured the United States schooners Tigress and Scorpion, near St. Joseph, Michigan.
1816.Kilian Van Rensselaer, a general in the revolutionary army, died at Albany. He embarked early in defence of his country; in 1777 was attacked by a large body of Indians at fort Anne, where he was wounded in the thigh by a ball, which was extracted after his death, having been carried 39 years.
1824. An expedition, fitted out at Rangoon in Burmah, consisting of English and native troops to the number of 1,000, took the town of Tavoy, a place of considerable strength, with 10,000 fighting men, and many mounted guns. The viceroy of the province and many persons of distinction were among the prisoners. A new state carriage for the king of Ava, a magnificent vehicle surpassing anything of the kind in Europe in splendor and costly material, was taken, and conveyed to England.
1830.William Bulmer, an English printer, whose name is associated with all that is beautiful in printing, died.
1839. Second fire at Mobile (the first being on the 7th), by which the best part of the city was laid in ruins.
1839. The United States Bank of Pennsylvania refused to pay its liabilities, and all the banks in Philadelphia immediately suspended specie payments. The whole number of banks in the Union was 959; of which 343 suspended entirely, 62 in part, 493 did not suspend, and 56 never resumed.
1846. Magnetic telegraph between Albany and New York completed; by means of which New York and Buffalo were brought together also.
1848. Great conflagration at Brooklyn, New York; about 200 houses burnt, and property destroyed amounting to $750,000.
1851.Thomas H. Gallaudet, an American philanthropist, died at Hartford, Ct., aged 64. He opened the first establishment in this country for the education of deaf mutes at Hartford, in 1817, and devoted a large part of his active and most useful life to this work of benevolence.
1851. The funeral obsequies of the Spaniards and Cubans who fell in the contests with the forces of Lopez, was celebrated with great pomp at the cathedral in Havana; $70,000 were subscribed by the citizens for the benefit of their widows and children.
1852.J. D. Belin, consul for Belgium and Switzerland, died at New Orleans.
1853. The remnant of the famous table rock at Niagara falls broke off and tumbled into the abyss with a tremendous crash.
1854.Angelo Mai, an Italian cardinal, died at Albano, aged 72. He was chief librarian of the Vatican, and a learned correspondent of the academies at Paris and Munich; but is better known by his discoveries from palimpsest manuscripts, which were published in two collections of 10 volumes each.
954.Louis IV, king of France, killed by a fall from his horse, at the age of 38.
1167.Matilda, of England, empress of Germany, died. She was the daughter of Henry I of England, married Henry IV of Germany, and was afterwards acknowledged queen of England; but her conduct not suiting the nobles, she was deposed and Stephen placed on the throne.
1543. The small remains of the army which had sailed from Cuba in 1539 (seeMay 18) under de Soto, for the conquest of Florida, arrived at Panuco on their return. This great expedition ended in the poverty and ruin of all concerned in it. Not a Spaniard remained in Florida.
1547. Conspiracy of Placentia, when Peter Louis Farnese, son of pope Paul III, was assassinated. The place was taken by the conspirators and delivered to the troops of the emperor Charles V before daylight next morning.
1547. Battle of Pinkey, in Scotland; the English under the protector Somerset, defeated the Scots under the earl of Arran, and obtained one of the most finished victories on record. The Scots lost 10,000 men.
1604.William Morgan, bishop of Asaph, formerly of Landaff, died. He directed and superintended the translation of the scriptures into Welsh.
1621. KingJamesgave sir William Alexander a patent of the whole territory of Acadia, by the name of Nova Scotia. It was erected into a palatinate, to be holden as a fief of the crown of Scotland. An unsuccessful attempt was soon after made to effect a settlement, and he sold it to the French in 1630. Twenty years afterwards three thousand families settled there from New England.
1649.Peter Goudelin, a poet of Gascony, died. He was so celebrated that heacquired the title of the Homer of Gascony.
1691.Edward Pocockedied; a most learned English critic and commentator, and famous particularly for his great skill in the oriental languages.
1714. An agreement between the Van Hoorn or Berbice company, and the Dutch East India company, to furnish the former annually after this day, 240 negroes from Angola, or Ardrah (one-third to be females), at 165 florins a head.
1730.Guichard Joseph du Verneydied; professor of anatomy at Paris, of great celebrity.
1738.Thomas Sheridan, an Irish divine and poet, died. He published a prose translation ofPerseus.
1752.John Baptist Bertranddied; a French physician, known for his interesting account of the plague of Marseilles.
1759. Second action off Pondicherry, between the British fleet, admiral Pococke, and the French under admiral d'Auché. British loss 164 killed, 385 wounded. A deserter reported the French loss to have been 1500 killed and wounded.
1771. Birthday ofMungo Park, a celebrated Scottish adventurer. He twice attempted the discovery of the course and outlet of the Niger, so long a source of conjecture with geographers, in the second of which he lost his life in the 35th year of his age.
1779. Indian village of Canandaigua burnt.
1781. Countd'Estaingreturned with his fleet to the Chesapeake, and captured two British frigates of 32 guns each.
1782. The firing on Gibraltar from the isthmus continued by the Spaniards, at the rate of 6,500 cannon shot, and 1,080 shells in every 24 hours.
1785. Treaty of amity and commerce between the United States and Prussia.
1791. A great insurrection among the negroes in St. Domingo, attributed to the new opinions of liberty and equality, called in ParisL'Ami des Noirs.
1797.Mary Wollstonecraft Godwindied; a lady of very superior literary accomplishments, who distinguished herself by many able productions, and the peculiarity of her views.
1802. A lunar rainbow observed at Mattock, in Derbyshire, England.
1806.John Christopher Adelung, a German professor at Erfurt, died; author of a grammatical and critical dictionary of the German language, in 5 vols. quarto. He was never married, and it was said of him that his writing desk was his wife, and the 70 volumes which he wrote were his children. His wine cellar, which was unique, he called hisbibliotheca selectissima.
1809.Augustus Louis von Schloetzer, a German historian, died. He wrote aHistory of Lithuania, &c.
1813. Battle of lake Erie, and defeat and capture of the entire British fleet under Com. Barclay, by the United States fleet under Com. Perry. The British force consisted of 6 vessels, 63 guns; Americans had 11 vessels, 54 guns. The action commenced at 15 minutes before 12, and ended about 3P. M.The loss of the British was estimated at 200; Americans lost 27 killed, 96 wounded—123.
1827.Ugo Foscolo, a distinguished Italian writer, died. His works are numerous, but giving offence to the authorities, he was driven from country to country, and died from disease and penury.
1845.Joseph Story, one of the most distinguished American jurists, died at Cambridge, Mass., aged 66.
1851. The steamer Pampero, which had been used in the Lopez expedition against Cuba, was seized by the United States revenue officers, at Dunn's lake, Florida, and subsequently condemned.
1852.Urquiza, director of the Argentine confederation, was deposed.
1852. The Burmese evacuated and burned Prome.
1069. The Danes under Harold and Canute landed in England, at the mouth of the Humber, and laid waste the country.
1297. Battle near Cambuskenneth, on the Forth, between the Scots under Wallace, and the English, in which the latter were defeated with the loss of 5,000 slain. The victors, to show their utter detestation of that tool of Edward, Cressingham, flayed his body, and converted his skin into thongs for their horses.
1539. Date of the will of Henry Pepwell, a distinguished book publisher, who died this year.
1609.Hudsonwhile at anchor in the harbor of New York, was visited by the natives, who made a great show of friendship, giving tobacco and Indian corn.
1649. Drogheda, in Ireland, taken by assault by the English, under Cromwell. A universal massacre was permitted during five days. "I believe we put to the sword," is the general's despatch, "the whole number of the defendants.This is a marvellous great mercy." The garrison alone consisted of 2,500 foot and 300 horse. There was scarce thirty lives saved in the whole town, and these were by Cromwell reserved to be sent to Barbadoes.
1677.James Harrington, an eminent English political writer, died; author ofthe political romance ofOceana, in imitation of Plato'sAtlantic Story.
1697. The famous peace of Ryswick proclaimed.
1709. Battle of Malplaquet, in Belgium; the allies under the duke of Marlborough and prince Eugene, defeated the French army of 120,000 men, under Villars and de Boufflers. This was a dear victory to the allies, who lost 20,000 of their best troops.
1745.Mary Chandlerdied; an English lady, distinguished for her poetic talent.
1776. Great tempest on the coast of Newfoundland; a large amount of shipping, and a great number of lives lost.
1777. Battle of Brandywine; the Americans under Washington and Green entirely defeated by the British, under Cornwallis. The Americans lost about 1,300 killed, wounded and prisoners. This was the first battle Lafayette was in; he was wounded in the leg.
1781.John Augustus Ernestidied; professor of theology at Leipsic, and author of numerous literary and theological works.
1798. The Sublime Porte, incensed at the invasion of Egypt, declared war against France, and joined with his old adversary, the emperor of Russia.
1799. Tortona surrendered to Suwarroff. Thus was Italy nearly reconquered.
1813. Running action between the United States commodore, Chauncey, on lake Ontario, and the British commodore, Yeo; the latter succeeded in getting into Amherst bay.
1814. The British, 8,000 strong, commenced disembarking their troops at North Point, about 12 miles from Baltimore, for the purpose of attacking that city.
1814. Battle of lake Champlain and Plattsburgh. The British fleet 95 guns, under commodore Downie, defeated and captured by the United States fleet, Com. Chauncey, 86 guns. British loss 57 killed, 72 wounded; American loss 52 killed, 58 wounded. At the same time the British troops under general Provost, about 14,000 veterans, the flower of the duke of Wellington's army, attacked the American lines at Saranac, Plattsburgh, and were defeated by general Macomb. American loss, killed 38; wounded 64; missing 20.
1820.Home Riggs Pophamdied; a distinguished British naval officer.
1823.David Ricardo, a celebrated English writer on finance and statistics, died. He was of Jewish descent, and abandoned by his father at an early age for marrying a quakeress. His talents however, procured him wealth and distinction.
1826.William Morgan, a freemason in western New York, abducted by his fellows of the craft for revealing their secrets.
1833. Deaths by cholera in the city of Mexico, from the 5th August to this date, 10,000.
1840.Long-Kiewa, a Chinese linguist, died at Calcutta, aged 59. He was inspector of the tea plantations established by an English company at Assam, but was obliged to exile himself on account of a family misdemeanor. He is represented to have been a man of immense knowledge. Besides his erudition in the sciences, he was proficient in all the principal languages spoken in Europe and Asia, as well as Hebrew, Greek and Latin. He made for the most part the Chinese translation of the scriptures published by Marshman, and left in MS. a Chinese-Latin-English dictionary. He bequeathed to the Asiatic society of Calcutta his library, containing 30,000 volumes, more than 20,000 of which are in the Chinese language.
1840. The town of Beyrout, in Syria, fired upon, reduced to a mass of ruins, and taken, by the British and Austrian fleets.
1842. A Mexican army 1,300 strong, took possession of Texas, but soon retreated.
1851. A riot at Christiana, Pa., upon the attempt to remove a fugitive slave. Mr. Gorsuch, the owner of the slave was killed and his son mortally wounded; the United States marshal and his posse were driven from the ground by armed negroes, and the slave escaped.
284.Marcus Aurelius Numerianus, the Roman emperor, died, or was assassinated. He was admired for his learning and moderation, was naturally eloquent, and was esteemed one of the best poets of the age.
1362.Innocent VI(Stephen Albert), pope, died. He was of a peaceful disposition, and labored earnestly to reconcile the kings of England and France.
1382.Louis I, king of Hungary and Poland, died. One of his acts was to expel the Jews.
1504.Columbussailed from San Domingo—that great man's last voyage. His crazy and shattered bark, like his body, landed at St. Lucar in November.
1528.Andrew Doria, a noble Genoese, and the ablest seaman of his age, retook Genoa from the French, and restored its independence.
1553.Albert, of Brandenburgh, defeated by Henry of Brunswick. He was placed under the ban of the empire, and fled to France, where he died.
1609.Hudsonweighed anchor in the harbor of New York, and commenced hismemorable voyage up the river which bears his name.
1651. The Scots prisoners taken at the battle of Worcester, &c., brought before Cromwell and the parliament at Acton, and sold to the West Indies for slaves or given away as dogs.
1660.James Cats, a Dutch statesman and poet died, aged 83. His poems are much admired by his countrymen.
1665.John Bollandus, a Flemish Jesuit, died. His judgment, learning and sagacity led to his appointment to collect materials for the lives of the saints of the Romish church. He lived to complete 5 vols. folio, and the work was continued to 47 vols. by his successors.
1672.Tannegui le Fevre, a learned French author, died. He was the father of Madam Dacier.
1683. The allies under John Sobieski and the duke of Lorraine, routed the vast Turkish army under the walls of Vienna, and compelled them to raise the siege. Sobieski sent a post to his queen, saying that the grand vizier had made him his sole heir, including 70,000 dead men.
1683.Alphonso VI, king of Portugal, died. His conduct displayed the tyrant and the madman, and he resigned his crown.
1703. The emperor and king of the Romans, resigned their right to Spain to the archduke Charles, who was thereupon declared king of Spain.
1714. Barcelona surrendered to the duke of Berwick.
1729. Birthday ofMoses Mendelsohn, a learned Jew of Berlin. He was of obscure origin, and became a merchant; but quitted commerce for literature, and acquired great reputation.
1764.John Philip Rameau, a French musician, died. His writings on music procured him the title of the Newton of the science.
1776.Washington, with the remains of his army, entered Philadelphia, after his disastrous defeat at Brandywine. The same night a party of the British made an excursion to Wilmington, took the governor of Delaware out of his bed, and captured a shallop richly laden with public and private property, and the public records.
1784. The Spanish fleet under Don Barcelo, bombarded Algiers. The Spaniards fired 600 bombs, 144 balls and 260 grenades. The Algerines fired 202 bombs, and 1,164 balls. Great damage was done to the city.
1804. The American squadron captured near Tripoli, two vessels laden with wheat for that city.
1806.Edward Thurlow, an eminent English nobleman, died. He possessed a vigorous and active mind, added to close application, which gave him a high rank among the professional men of that day.
1812. Fort Wayne relieved by the troops under general Harrison. The Indians raised the siege with great precipitation.
1813.Edmund Randolphdied; whose history is blended with that of his country.
1814. Battle of fort McHenry, near Baltimore. The British, 8,000 men, under general Ross, were arrested in their march upon Baltimore, and general Ross was killed. The fort was bombarded incessantly 25 hours. Total American loss in killed and wounded 173; British official loss 290.
1819.Gebbaral Lebrecht, prince von Blucher, a celebrated Prussian field-marshal, died. He had been 45 years in the army, and for his celerity in the field, was calledMarshal Forwards.
1820.Francis Christopher Kellerman, a French marshal, died. He entered the army at the age of 17 as a huzzar, and rose to the highest honors under Napoleon.
1829. Surrender of the Spanish army at Tampico, under general Barradas, to the Mexicans under Santa Anna. The Spaniards were to transport themselves to Havana, and pledged not to serve against Mexico in future. This terminated the expedition to subdue Mexico after five engagements.
1832.Priscilla Wakefield, an English authoress, died, aged 82. She wrote many popular and useful works for children and youth, and promoted the institution of savings banks.
1838.Henry Ryallsdied at Darien, Ga., aged 110. He was a soldier of the revolution, and retained his faculties to the last.
1847. First day's battle of Chapultepec.
1849.Mariano Paredes, ex-president of Mexico, died in that city, after a long and painful illness.
1850. The fugitive slave bill passed by the house of representatives at Washington, as it had come down from the senate.
1854.David Lansborough, a Scottish divine, died at Ayrshire, aged 73. He was distinguished as a naturalist, and contributed much to the knowledge of fossils, botany and shells.
1857. Steamship Central America, from Panama to New York, having 626 persons on board, and nearly two millions in treasure, was totally lost in a gale, and about 100 persons were saved.
507B. C.The dedication of the Roman capital fell upon this day, about the full moon of the Greek month Matagitnion.Horatius Pulvillus, as supreme prætor, drove the first annualnailin the wall of the temple, near the fane of Minerva.
44.Cæsarexecuted his last testament at his seat near Lavicanum. He left the people his gardens near the Tiber, and 300 sesterces to each man.
81.Titus Flavius Vespasianus, emperor of Rome, died. He was an obscure native of Riti, who by his merits and virtues rose to consequence in the Roman armies, and headed the expedition against Jerusalem.
335.Constantinededicated his great church of the Resurrection at Jerusalem, Saturday; and on Sunday exalted the relic of the cross.
1435.John Plantagenet, duke of Bedford, regent of France, died. He was the brother of Henry V of England, and the most accomplished prince of Europe. He purchased and transported to London the Royal library of Paris.
1515. Battle of Marignano, in Italy, which lasted with great fierceness two days. The French commander, who had been in eighteen pitched battles, exclaimed that all other fights compared with this were but children's sports, that this was the war of giants. The French were victorious.
1529. Vienna besieged by the Turks.
1557.John Cheke, a learned Englishman, died. He was professor of Greek in the university, and held important state offices. On the accession of Mary, he preferred popery to the fagot, and abjured his faith.
1565.William Farel, a successful French reformer, died. He labored with great zeal against the Catholic church, and made many proselytes.
1592.Michael de Montaignedied; a celebrated French writer, whose works are still quoted.
1598.Philip II, of Spain, died. He was made king of Sicily and Naples, 1554; became king of England by marriage with Mary, and two years after ascended the Spanish throne by the abdication of his father, Charles V. (SeeSept. 4.)
1629. Nine sachems came to Plymouth and voluntarily subscribed an instrument of submission to the English, acknowledging themselves the loyal subjects of James, king of Great Britain, France and Ireland, defender of the faith, &c.
1629.John Buxtorf, a German linguist, died. He was professor of Hebrew, at Basil, and is placed in the first rank of men who have been eminent for rabbinical learning.
1645. Battle of Philiphaugh near Selkirk, where the earl of Montrose was defeated.
1694.John Barbier d'Ancour, a French advocate and critic, died.
1748. The scaffolding used in Westminster Hall for the trial of the prisoners adhering to the pretender, Charles Edward Stewart, was pulled down and sold to the builder for £400.
1759. Quebec stormed and taken by the British under Wolfe, who was wounded and died in the arms of victory. The French lost 500 killed, and 1,000 taken; British loss 50 killed, 500 wounded.
1771.John Gambold, a noted Moravian preacher in London, died; a great enthusiast, but respected for his learning and abilities, and inoffensive manners.
1781. Combined attack on Gibraltar by 10 Spanish floating batteries, and about 300 cannon, mortars and howitzers from the isthmus. Two of their largest ships were burnt and 2 feluccas taken. The British saved from one of the ships about 350 men; 8 other ships blew up or were burnt.
1787.Moses Brown, an English poet and divine, died.
1794.John Peter Claris de Florian, an eminent French author, died. His dramas, pastorals, novels and fables, gave him great popularity as a sentimental writer.
1795. CaptainVancouverreturned from his voyage of discovery after an absence of four years.
1797.John Fell, an English dissenting minister, died. He is known as the author of several respectable works.
1806.Charles James Fox, an eminent English statesman, died.
1808.Xavier Bettinelli, an elegant Italian writer, died. His works are published in 24 vols., two of which are tragedies, and two poems.
1814. British approached within 700 yards of fort Bowyer, Mobile, and opened their fire on it.
1819. Completion of the Mahmudie or Alexandria canal, in Egypt. This vast undertaking was commenced in January of the same year by Mehemet Ali, pasha of Egypt, under the superintendence of six European engineers, with about 100,000 laborers, and their number, though more than 7,000 died of contagious diseases, was gradually increased to more than 290,000, each of whom received about 17 cents per diem. It extends from below Soane, on the Nile, to Pompey's pillar, is 47½ miles long, 90 feet wide, and 18 feet deep.
1831. Albany and Schenectady rail road opened; the first in the state of New York.
1839.James Maitland, earl of Lauderdale, died, aged 80. He was the authorof various publications on finance and political economy.
1842. An Affghan army under Akbar Khan, numbering 13,000, defeated by the British under Gen. Pollock, at Tetzeen. Three days after the city of Cabul occupied by British forces.
1843. The town of Port Leon in Florida, was almost entirely destroyed by an inundation and hurricane. The inhabitants selected a new site upon which to rebuild, a few miles higher up the St. Marks, which was called Newport.
1847.Levi Twiggskilled at Chapultepec, Mexico; a distinguished officer of the United States army.
1848.Alexander Slidell Mackenzie, an American naval commander, died at Tarrytown, N. Y., aged 45. In 1842 he made a cruise in the Somers, in which he felt constrained to hang several mutineers to the yard arm. He published several works, and was a man of integrity and devotional feelings.
1850. The Advance and Rescue, American vessels in search of sir John Franklin, were completely fastened in the ice.
1855. The expedition in search of Dr. Kane, who was in search of sir John Franklin, arrived at Lievely, isle of Disco, Greenland, where they found Dr. Kane and his companions, who had left their ship in the ice, and traveled 83 days to a Danish settlement.
258.Thascius Cæcilius Cyprianus, beheaded. He was bishop of Carthage, and a principal father of the Christian church.
407.John Chrysostom, one of the most illustrious fathers of the church, died. His works were edited by Montfaucon in 13 vols. folio.
533. The Roman general Belisarius achieved the conquest of Africa, a chaotic waste of enslaved humanity, where the image ofintelligenceis unknown.
1321.Alghieri Dante, a celebrated Italian poet, died. His most considerable work is theInferno.
1403. Battle of Homildon hill, in which the Scots were defeated.
1499.Vasco de Gamalanded at Lisbon from his immortal adventure.
1523.Adrian VI, pope, died. He was of obscure birth, but his abilities raised him gradually to consequence.
1528.Richard Fox, bishop of Exeter and Durham, died. He was of obscure origin; besides his episcopal offices he was employed on several embassies.
1544. The English under the duke of Norfolk raised the siege of Montreuil in France.
1646.Thomas Howard, earl of Arundel, died; famous for the discovery of the Parian marbles which bear his name, and which he gave to the university of Oxford.
1661. The bodies of May the historian, the mother and daughter of Cromwell, Pym and several others, were removed from king Henry VII's chapel and buried in the churchyard.
1666. A French expedition, consisting of 28 companies of foot and all the militia of the colony, marched from Quebec for the purpose of destroying the Mohawks. This formidable army, entered the Mohawk country, after a march of 700 miles, and laid waste their villages; the Indians, retiring into the woods with their women and children, escaped. The expedition was commanded by M. de Tracy, then upwards of 70 years of age.
1677.Richard Atkins, a typographical author, who suffered much on account of his loyalty, died in Marshalsea prison, being confined for debt. His writings were all of the ultra kind.
1704.William Hubbard, a New England clergyman and historian, died, aged 83. He was settled at Ipswich, Mass., and was one of the best writers of the time in which he lived.
1711. The British fleet intended for the reduction of Canada having met with numerous reverses, arrived at Spanish-river bay, a council of land and sea officers, considering that they had but ten weeks' provisions, and could not depend upon a supply from New England, concluded to return home and abandon the enterprise.
1712.John Dominic Cassini, a celebrated Italian astronomer, died. He was invited by the senate to teach mathematics at Bologna, at the age of 15; and before his death had enriched science with a thousand new discoveries.
1714.Thomas Britton, a celebrated musical small coal man, died. He rented a house in London, commenced business, and occupied his leisure hours in learning chemistry and music. He became an adept in those sciences, and excelled in many curious arts and crafts, all which he had acquired without neglecting his business. During the day he was seen with his sack and measure crying small coal, and in the evening conducting a concert at his house, where men of fashion and well dressed ladies of high rank ascended to his room by a ladder, to regale their ears. He was a member of a weekly society of black-lettered literati, where leaving his sack at the door, he entered the room among noblemen in his checked shirt, and produced his books collectedfrom stalls and shops in blind alleys. His death was occasioned by a ventriloquial friend, who during a musical conversation pronounced these words distinctly as coming from a distance: "Thomas Britton, go home, for thou shalt die." Honest Tom, supposing the voice to have proceeded from an angel, went home depressed in spirits, took to his bed and died. He was twice induced to sit for his portrait. In one he is represented in a blue frock, with a small coal measure in his hand; and in the other tuning a harpsichord. One of them is in the British Museum.
1716. The Thames both above and below London bridge nearly dry, supposed to be caused by a strong west wind keeping back the tide.
1726. The Senecas, Cayugas and Onondagas surrendered to the English their habitations and country, from Cayahoza to Oswego, and sixty miles inland.
1741.Charles Rollin, the celebrated French historian, died, aged 81. He was the son of a cutler, and became famous not only as a writer, but also for his eloquence.
1751.James Philip d'Orville, a Dutch critic, died; professor of eloquence, history and Greek at Amsterdam.
1772. A bow and quiver were found in the new forest, England, supposed to have lain since the time of William Rufus, who was killed by an arrow in this forest in 1100.
1777.Burgoyne, having collected about thirty days' provision, and thrown a bridge of boats over the Hudson, crossed and encamped on the heights and plains of Saratoga.
1778. During the celebration of mass at Bourbon-les-bains, in Bassigni, France, the vault under the church gave way, which occasioned the death of 600 persons.
1784.James Essexdied; an Englishman famous for his skill in Gothic architecture.
1788.Jordan Noel de Vaux, a celebrated French general, died. He was made governor of Corsica in 1769, and completed the conquest of that island; he was afterwards raised to the dignity of marshal of France. He had been present at 19 sieges and 14 battles.
1792.John Vander Merschdied. He headed the insurgents of Brabant against the imperial forces, in 1789, and distinguished himself by his valor and prudence.
1795. The English drove the Dutch from their camp at the cape of Good Hope, and captured the Williamstad of 26 guns.
1811.James Grahame, a Scottish poet and divine, died.
1814. The French advance guard under Murat and Beauharnois entered Moscow. No defence was made except by the populace in the Kremlin, who fired the palace, and the whole city was wrapt in flames. Of 4,000 superb stone houses, only 200 remained; of 800 churches, all were destroyed or heavily damaged, and of 8,000 wooden houses, about 500 escaped.
1814. Gloutzk attacked and stormed by the Russians; the Poles and French under Dombrofsky retreated with the loss of 1,000 men.
1816.William Bawdween, an English vicar, died. He was an excellent Saxon scholar, and translated the two first volumes of that curious national work theDomes-day Book, which was published by a vote of the British parliament. He proposed to publish the whole work, and is said to have left the other 8 vols. prepared for the press.
1835.John Brinkley, bishop of Cloyne in Ireland, died. He was distinguished as a mathematician and astronomer.
1836.Aaron Burr, third vice-president of the United States, died, aged 81. He possessed very distinguished talents, but manifested a lamentable want of principle.
1839. DonCarlosabandoned Spain and retired with his family into France, by which the long protracted civil war in Spain was regarded as at length closed.
1847. Battle of Gareta San Cosme in Mexico, which preceded the entrance of the Americans into the city.
1848. The British forces under Gen. Whish had besieged for several days the city of Moultan, in northern India. After much bloody fighting, the desertion of Shere Singh, an important ally, they were compelled to withdraw.
1851.James Fennimore Cooper, a distinguished American novelist, died, aged 62. He was born at Burlington, N. J., graduated at Yale, and adopted the navy as his profession. He stands at the head of nautical novelists, and is the author of historical works besides.
1852. The world-renowned duke ofWellington, died at Walmer Castle, in Kent, England, aged 83; and the numerous honors concentrated upon him were scattered in various directions. (SeeNov. 18.)
1852.Augustus N. W. Pugin, styled theChristian architect, died at Ramsgate, England, aged 41. The revival of Gothic architecture in England is associated with the names of himself and his father.
1853. The engine of a freight train on the Ohio and Pennsylvania rail road exploded while running, lifting the locomotive from the track and hurling it fifty feet.
1853. The first ground broken of the European and North American rail road, at St. John, by lady Head, assisted by the lieutenant-governor in the presence of 25,000 people.
1854.Alexander W. Stowe, chief justice of the state of Wisconsin, died at Milwaukee.
1590.Gerard Bontius, professor of medicine at Leyden, died. He was the first who immortalized himself by pills, having invented a kind, the secret of which was long unknown.
1596. Cadiz taken and plundered by Howard and Essex. Loss computed at 20,000,000 ducats.
1607.Hudsonreturned to England from his first voyage of discovery, having discovered the island of Spitzbergen, but failed in the great object, the discovery of a north-west passage to India.
1609.Hudson, in his first ascent of the great river, came in view of mountains which lay from the river's side, and anchored, it is supposed, near the present site of Catskill landing.
1613.Thomas Overbury, a polite English writer, poisoned in the Tower. He wrote in verse and prose. (See17th.)
1623.Nicholas Bergier, historiographer of France, died. He wrote a history of the great roads of the Roman empire.
1643.Richard Boyle, the great earl of Cork, died. He went to Dublin with a small fortune, and by his great industry and ability enriched himself and benefited his country.
1678. The expedition under La Salle arrived at Quebec from France; count Frontenac being governor of Canada.
1712.Sidney, earl of Godolphin, died. He began his political life under Charles II; voted for the exclusion of the duke of York, but became minister to the same person when James II; voted for a regency when James fled; became minister to William III, and under queen Anne became premier.
1745.Arthur Bedford, a learned English clergyman, died. He made great exertions for the reformation of the drama.
1775.Andrew Foulis, a learned Scottish printer, died. From his press issued some of the finest specimens of correct and elegant printing that were produced in the eighteenth century.
1776. The British under general Howe took possession of New York.
1777.Washingtonleft Philadelphia and crossed the Schuylkill with the remains of his army, determined to give battle to sir Wm. Howe wherever he could meet him.
1784. The first ærial voyage made in England by Vincent Lunardi, an Italian.
1793. Battle at Parmesans; the French defeated by the Prussians under the duke of Brunswick, with the loss of 3,000 taken prisoners, and 27 cannon. Same day Wurmser advanced upon the French lines at Lauter and Weissenburg, and carried by assault the different redoubts, took all their tents and 26 cannon, and would have destroyed the greater part of the army had not their retreat been favored by a fog.
1794. Battle of Boxtel; the French under Pichegru defeated the Prussians. The French under Jourdan also defeated the Austrians under Clairfait.
1797.Lazarus Hochedied; a brave and intrepid general in the French army during the revolution.
1810. A plot discovered to massacre the British at Lisbon, though defending the Portuguese cause.
1814. One of the large vats in the brew house of Meux & Co., London, burst, and demolished two houses; 3,500 barrels of beer were lost and four persons killed.
1814. British ship Hermes, destroyed in an attack on fort Bowyer, at Mobile point, and the other three ships compelled to put to sea. The fort was attacked at the same time by the British and Indians on the land side. The American garrison consisted of 130 men, of whom 4 were killed and 4 wounded. British loss, killed and wounded, 232.
1819. An edict of the king of the Netherlands required, that in certain provinces, none other than the national language, the Flemish-Dutch, should be used in public business.
1829. Slavery abolished in Mexico by the president.
1829.James Hamiltondied at Dublin; inventor of the Hamiltonian method of instruction.
1830.William Huskisson, an English statesman, killed by a train of cars on the Liverpool rail road.
1833.John Gordon Smith, an eminent English scholar, died. He published a celebrated work on medical jurisprudence; became involved in pecuniary difficulties, and terminated his short and useful life within the walls of the Fleet prison.
1834.William H. Crawford, an American statesman, died. He was minister to France in 1813, and in 1825 a candidate for the presidency.
1838.Adalbert von Chamisso, one of the most popular modern poets of Germany, died at Berlin.
1843. Revolution in Athens, which, though not sufficient to eject king Otho from the throne of Greece, yet obliged him to concede much to the popular will.
1849.Strauss, the celebrated musical composer, died at Vienna.
1849. The sultan of Turkey formally refused to deliver up Kossuth and his colleagues, Hungarian refugees, on the demand of Russia and Austria, and diplomatic relations with the ambassadors of those powers were broken off.
1855.George T. Napier, a celebrated British general, died, aged 72. He first distinguished himself at Martinique in 1809, and afterwards in the Peninsula, where he lost an arm. He was seven years civil and military governor of the cape of Good Hope, where he introduced important measures and reforms.