715 B. C. ROMULUS, founder and first king of Rome, disappeared on the
_nones_, during the _quirinalia_, in a chariot of fire, _patriis equis_,
as he was reviewing his people. There seems to be no other way of
explaining this account, than that he was a victim of some of the
elements.
587 B. C. The city of Jerusalem, with the temple, palaces and walls,
razed to the ground, the inhabitants carried into captivity, and the
entire Israelitish monarchy terminated (after it had stood 468 years
from the accession of David), in the 11th year of Zedekiah, on the
seventh day of the Hebrew month _Ab_. It is still observed as a day of
lamentation.
1307. EDWARD I, ninth king of England, died in the 35th year of his
reign, aged 69. He was distinguished for his wisdom and the equity of
his laws, as well as for his military abilities. (See Jan. 2, 1774.)
1415. JOHN HUSS, a celebrated German reformer, burnt by the council of
Constance. He was the first opposer of the doctrine of transubstantiation,
and the defender of Wickliffe.
1520. Battle of Otumba; the retreating army of Cortez being hotly
pursued by the Mexicans, that general resolved to halt and risk a
battle. The Tlascalan allies were of incalculable service to the maimed
and wretched band of soldiers, who now faced about to resist the whole
Mexican force, determined not to leave a trace of the Spaniards upon the
earth. This battle lasted four hours; the Spaniards performed prodigies
of valor, and were victorious. The cavalry penetrated the masses of
Mexicans and struck down the chiefs when they began to give way, and the
Tlascalans mowed down all before them with the arms which were thrown
away by the fugitives.
1572. SIGISMUND II, king of Poland, died, and with him the Jaghellon
race became extinct.
1573. JAMES BORAZZIO VIGNOLA died; an eminent Italian architect.
1607. The national anthem, _God save the King_, written by Ben Jonson,
and composed by Dr. Bull, first _vocalized_ in Merchant Taylor's hall,
by the choir of the royal chapel, the king being present.
1640. The inhabitants of Providence, 40 in number, united in forming a
civil government, after their own model.
1647. Revolt in Naples against the Spanish authorities, headed by the
famous Thomas Aniello (_Massaniello_) a fisherman.
1647. THOMAS HOOKER, an English dissenting divine, died. He emigrated to
Holland to escape persecution, and thence to America, and settled in
Connecticut. In 1647 he removed with his whole congregation to the banks
of the river, and may be considered the founder of the town of Hartford.
He was a rigid puritan, and a man of learning and talent.
1648. Battle of St. Neots in England.
1667. The British admiral sir JOHN HARMAN destroyed the entire French
fleet, 33 sail, at Martinique, and left the vessels to rot on the
strand.
1696. A party of French and Indians under count Frontenac left the
island of Montreal to invade the country of the Five Nations with a
great army. The expedition was unsuccessful.
1708. CONRAD SAMUEL SCHURTZFLEISCH died; professor of history, poetry
and Greek at Wittenberg, and counselor and librarian to the duke of
Saxe-Weimar.
1713. WILLIAM COMPTON, bishop of Oxford, died. He was a dissenter, and
took a conspicuous part in the politics of the day, particularly in the
cause of William of Orange, whom he crowned.
1721. Sir WILLIAM KEITH, governor of Pennsylvania, held a council with
the Indians at Connestogo.
1725. Treaty of Vienna between the emperor Charles VI and Philip V of
Spain concluded by the baron de Ripperda, of Pragmatic sanction memory.
1776. JEREMIAH MARKLAND died; a very learned and acute English critic.
1777. Action between the United States frigate Hancock, 32 guns, captain
Manley, and three British ships, under sir George Collier. The Hancock
was captured; she wanted upwards of 60 of her complement, they being on
board her prize, the British frigate Fox, which was soon after
recaptured.
1779. British under governor TRYON plundered and burnt at Fairfield,
Conn., 2 churches, 82 dwellings, 55 barns, 15 stores and 15 shops; and
at Green Farms 1 church, 15 dwellings, 11 barns, and several stores; and
sailed thence to Norwalk.
1784. Fort Dauphin, St. Domingo, entered by a negro, Jean Francois, a
lieut. general in the Spanish service, with several hundred men, who
massacred the white French, about 771 in number. The town had been
delivered to the Spaniards for protection, conditioned that the negroes
should not be permitted to enter it.
1791. THOMAS BLACKLOCK, an eminent Scottish poet and divine, died. His
talents and acquirements were the more extraordinary, when it is
considered that he lost his eye sight at the age of six months, by small
pox.
1797. Congress declared the existing treaties with France no longer
obligatory.
1798. WASHINGTON appointed lieutenant general of the armies of the
United States.
1799. WILLIAM CURTIS, a distinguished English botanist, died. His great
work, the _Flora Londinensis_, gave him an enduring reputation.
1799. The Kennet and Avon canal in England was opened.
1808. Desperate action, at night, between the British ship Sea Horse and
Turkish frigate Badere Zaffer, 52 guns and 500 men, and another Turkish
ship of 24 guns. At daylight the Badere struck, having 165 killed and
195 wounded; the other escaped. Sea Horse had 5 killed, 9 wounded.
1809. Cuxhaven, a fortified town of Hanover, taken by storm, by the
boats of a British squadron.
1809. St. Domingo surrendered to the British and Spaniards.
1814. The three estates of the British realm offer public thanksgiving
at St. Paul's for the peace of Europe.
1814. The United States troops under major general Brown, attacked the
British at Chippewa; the latter retreated, and in the evening the
Americans occupied their works.
1816. RICHARD BRINSLEY SHERIDAN, an English dramatist, wit and orator,
died. His dramas were undertaken for a subsistence; afterwards, for
thirty-two years, he pursued a splendid parliamentary career, but died
in great poverty.
1820. PIERRE LOUIS LOUVEL executed for the murder of the duke de Berri.
1843. JOHN HOLMES died at Portland, Me. He was the first United States
senator sent from that state.
1844. The disgraceful riots of Philadelphia again commenced; many were
killed.
1848. JULIA RUSH, widow of Dr. Rush, died, aged 90.
1848. OLIVER W. P. PEABODY died; an accomplished scholar, and able
contributor to the _North American Review_.
1849. During the week closing with this day, 21,297 immigrants arrived
at the port of Quebec, Lower Canada.
1853. A plot to assassinate the emperor of France while on his way to
the opera, was discovered. Many armed conspirators were seized near the
theatre, of whom 21 were convicted on trial.
1854. Battle of Giurgevo; the Turks defeated the Russians, and drove
them from their position, with a loss in the conflict of 1,700 killed
and wounded.
1855. WILLIAM EDWARD PARRY, the noted Arctic explorer, died at Ems, aged
64. He succeeded in extending his expeditions beyond those of his
predecessors, for which he received the parliamentary reward, and was
knighted in 1829.