1024. HENRY II, emperor of Germany, died. He was successful in arms
against the Greeks and Saracens, whom he drove from Calabria, restored
peace and tranquility in Italy and Germany, and increased his popularity
by various deeds of benevolence and kindness wherever he went.
1377. Isle of Wight taken by the French and plundered.
1568. ELIZABETH committed MARY queen of Scots to the castle of Bolton, a
prisoner.
1571. GEORGE FABRICIUS, a learned German poet and historian, died, aged
55.
1621. THOMAS HARIOT, an English mathematician, died. He accompanied sir
Walter Raleigh to America, and wrote an account of Virginia. It is said
that Descartes drew from his works many of his improvements in algebra.
1629. GASPARD BERTHOLIN, a Swedish physician and divine, died. He is
said to have learned to read perfectly in 14 days at the age of 3, and
to compose with correctness Greek and Latin orations at the age of 13.
His works are on anatomy, metaphysics, logic and rhetoric.
1637. Battle with the Pequods, in which the last body of that formidable
tribe was exterminated. They had secreted themselves in a swamp near
where Fairfield now stands, in Connecticut; when some of the rangers who
were in pursuit of them discovering their lurking place, rushed in upon
them, in defiance of their arrows, and the hazard of being swallowed in
the miry bogs. After a fruitless parley, the Indians refusing to come to
terms, the soldiers were ordered to cut through the swamp with their
swords, in order to hem them in, till they were begirt in a narrow space
and remained all night sorely galled by the fire of their besiegers.
Taking advantage of a dense fog, some of the stoutest made their escape,
leaving the rest to the mercy of their conquerors. They were discovered
in the morning sitting in crowds, sullenly refusing to ask for their
lives, and were shot by dozens or cut in pieces. The male children which
were taken were sent to the Bermudas, and the females distributed to the
English towns. This overthrow of a great and powerful nation, cast a
terror upon the arms of the colonists, which brought other tribes to a
lasting peace.
1650. Dr. LEVINS, a civilian, was hanged for having in his possession
blank commissions from Charles II, against the commonwealth.
1677. WILLIAM BERKELEY, governor of Virginia, died in England, after
having administered the office nearly 40 years. His measures were
generally bigoted and revengeful.
1730. ELIJAH FENTON, an English poet and divine, died. He assisted Pope
in the translation of the _Odyssey_.
1750. The excessive heat of the weather at this time caused the fish in
the Thames to assemble in shoals under the bank, where they were readily
caught.
1759. Battle of Zullechan, in which the Prussians were defeated by the
Russians.
1762. JAMES BRADLEY, an English astronomer, died. He made some important
discoveries, and greatly improved the instruments which enrich the
celebrated observatory at Greenwich.
1772. Captain JAMES COOK sailed on his second voyage round the world.
1774. CHARLES FREY DE NEUVILLE, a French Jesuit, died, aged 81. He was
long known as an eloquent preacher; but on the suppression of his order
he retired into privacy.
1774. WILLIAM JOHNSON, Indian agent, died at his seat near Johnstown,
during the sitting of a convention at his place. He was a man of stern
and determined purpose, but urbane and conciliatory when necessary, and
held a greater controlling influence over the Indians than any other
individual since the settlement of the province.
1785. STEPHEN HOPKINS, a signer from Rhode Island, died. He was a man of
learning and a powerful speaker. His signature to the declaration is
indicative of a tremulous hand, owing to a nervous affection, which
compelled him, when he wrote, to guide his right arm with his left.
1788. An extraordinary and destructive hail storm happened in France,
converting many of the richest autumnal prospects into arctic
desolations.
1793. JEAN PAUL MARAT, a notorious leader of the French revolution,
assassinated. He was a humble physician in Paris when the storm of
anarchy burst forth, and became the most insatiable advocate of human
slaughter of all the blood-thirsty demons by whom he was surrounded. He
endeavored to get up a general massacre, and publicly demanded 270,000
executions.
1795. Action between the British fleet, admiral Hotham, and the French
fleet. French ship Alcide struck, but took fire and blew up with several
hundred of her crew on board, who perished.
1807. JAMES BERNOUILLI 3d, a Swiss astronomer, died. He was one of an
illustrious family of scientific men.
1809. Senegal, in Africa, taken by the British.
1810. FRANCIS JAMES JACKSON, British minister, burnt in effigy before
the door of his lodgings in Albany.
1813. A British fleet of 11 ships, captured and plundered Portsmouth and
Ocracoke, in North Carolina, and took the privateers Anaconda of New
York, and Atlas of Philadelphia, then lying in port.
1831. JAMES NORTHCOTE, an English artist of some celebrity, died in
Argyle st. London.
1843. JOHN ROWAN, an eminent statesman and jurist, of Kentucky, died at
Louisville.
1851. JOHN LINGARD, the well known catholic historian of England, died
at Hornby, aged 82.
1854. San Juan bombarded by the United States sloop of war Cyane,
captain Hollins; and a party landing from the sloop burnt the entire
town, with the exception of two small buildings. A demand had previously
been made upon the authorities, by Capt. Hollins, for satisfaction for
alleged injuries, but without effect. A considerable portion of the
property destroyed belonged to Americans. One British vessel of war in
the harbor protested against the act.
1854. Battle of Gaymas, between some Frenchmen under count Raousset de
Boulbon, and the Mexicans under Col. Yanez. The former were defeated,
the count taken prisoner, and shot on the 12th August.
1854. A riot occurred at Buffalo growing out of street preaching.