394 B. C. An eclipse of the sun noticed by Xenophon, which just preceded
the battle of Coronea, where Agesilaus stood his ground against the
Greek confederates. Xenophon, who fought under the Spartan, describes it
as the most desperate conflict in his time.
376 B. C. CHABRAS defeated the Lacedæmonian fleet off Naxos, full moon
of Boedromion. The youth Phocion here distinguished himself.
1211. LLEWELLYN, prince of Wales, made his submission to king John of
England, and delivered 28 hostages at the foot of Snowdon, for his good
faith. These young noblemen were hanged the ensuing year.
1248. The great cathedral of Cologne commenced. It was prosecuted at
intervals during 200 years, and then suspended 400 years. It was taken
up again with new vigor in 1842, and became a popular enterprise of the
day to strive for its completion.
1433. JOHN I, king of Portugal, died. It was under his reign that the
Portuguese began their famous discoveries.
1457. JOHN FAUST and PETER SCHOEFFER published at Mainz the _Psalter_,
supposed to be the first printed book of any magnitude, on record.
1464. PIUS II (_Æneas Sylvius_), pope, died; celebrated for his wise and
witty sayings.
1613. JOHN HARRINGTON, an English nobleman, died, aged 22. He was
distinguished for the talents and genius which he displayed at a very
early age.
1621. An army of _fourteen men_ sent out from Plymouth colony to awe the
Indians. Corbitant, a petty chief, had seized Squanto, a friendly
Indian, and threatened Massasoit; the menaces of revenge in case of any
disturbances, are said to have settled all difficulties.
1678. Three days after the conclusion of a peace between France and
Holland, the prince of Orange fell upon the marshal of Luxemburg, by
which 4,000 lives were sacrificed.
1681. The Scottish parliament adopted a resolution asserting that
difference in religion does not bar the right of succession, or make
void the magistrate's just and lawful authority.
1711. Sir HOVEDEN WALKER, with the British and colonial fleet intended
to invade Canada, arrived at the mouth of the St. Lawrence. A succession
of untoward winds and accidents rendered it necessary to put back soon
after, without accomplishing any thing.
1756. Fort Oswego capitulated to the French under Montcalm. It was
commanded by colonel Mercer with 1,400 men. Montcalm besieged it with an
army of 5,000. Colonel Mercer was killed by a cannon ball on the 13th,
and there being no probability of aid, the fort surrendered on condition
that they should be exempted from plunder, conducted to Montreal, and
treated with humanity. The terms were agreed to, the garrison marched
out, and the fort was demolished.
1761. Action between British ships Bellona and Brilliant, and one French
ship and three frigates. The Frenchmen were captured with the loss of
240 killed and 110 wounded; British loss 6 killed, 28 wounded.
1775. The celebrated Liberty Tree of Boston _consecrated_, by exposing
on it the effigies of the men who had rendered themselves odious by
their agency in procuring the passage of the stamp act. A copper plate
30 inches by 42 was fixed upon it, bearing the inscription in golden
letters--_The Tree of Liberty, Aug. 14, 1765_. Ten years afterwards the
British cut it down, at which time it had been planted 119 years. They
left nothing but the stump above ground--the _root_ they could not
exterminate. It produced fourteen cords of wood. One of the party
engaged in demolishing it lost his life.
1775. ARNOLD left the camp at Cambridge, with a detachment of 1,000
Americans, to penetrate into Canada by way of Kennebec river and the
wilderness. They reached Quebec after great suffering from fatigue,
hunger and cold.
1776. Constitution of Maryland adopted.
1776. Lords DUNMORE and CAMPBELL, and sir PETER PARKER, joined lord Howe
at Staten island, having taken from the Virginians about 1,000 negroes.
1779. American general LOVEL raised the siege of Penobscot, having
sustained very considerable loss of stores, 19 armed vessels, besides
transports, &c.
1787. EDMUND LAW, bishop of Carlisle, died, aged 84; an eminent
theological writer.
1788. THOMAS SHERIDAN died, aged 67; an eminent English actor,
philological writer, and lexicographer, son of Thomas Sheridan, the
divine and poet.
1788. First newspaper in Goshen, Orange County.
1790. AGOSTINO CARLINI, a Genoese statuary, died at London, where he was
keeper of the Royal academy. He was celebrated for the grace and skill
with which he executed drapery.
1794. GEORGE COLMAN (_the elder_), died, aged 61; an eminent English
scholar and dramatic writer.
1794. Le Quesnoy taken by the French republican army. The garrison
consisting of 28,000 men, were made prisoners of war.
1799. Battle of Novi; between the French under Joubert and the allied
Russian, Austrian and Piedmontese armies, under Suwarrow. Joubert was
mortally wounded.
1813. Action between United States brig Argus, 20 guns, lieutenant
Allen, and British brig Pelican, captain Maples. The Argus was captured
in 43 minutes, with the loss of lieutenant Allen and 8 others killed,
mostly officers. She had taken, prior to her capture, 19 British vessels
prizes.
1814. British captured, off fort Erie, two United States schooners,
laden with provisions for the garrison of that fort. The fort was
bombarded same day.
1814. The Swedish army having obtained possession of several strong
places in Norway, prince Christian resigned his pretensions to that
crown, and his resignation was followed by the union of Norway and
Sweden.
1819. ERIK ACHARIUS, an eminent Swedish physician and botanist, died,
aged 82.
1837. A great fete for the inauguration of the statue by Thorwaldsen to
Guttenberg, one of the inventors or improvers of the art of printing, at
Mainz. It continued three days, and was attended by about 20,000
strangers from different parts of Germany.
1839. MARIE JEANNE ROBIN died at New Orleans, aged 108.
1840. The steam packet Britannia arrived at Liverpool in 10 days from
Halifax, the quickest passage hitherto made between the American
continent and England.
1846. JOSHUA L. WILSON, pastor of the first presbyterian church erected
in Cincinnati, died there, aged 72. He was born in Virginia, and brought
up in Kentucky as a blacksmith. He was a preacher of the highest
character and influence, during a ministry of 38 years.
1850. GERARD TROOST died at Nashville, Tenn., aged 74. He was a native
of Holland, who came to this country in 1810. He was first president of
the Academy of natural sciences, at Philadelphia, and for a long time
professor in the university at Nashville, and also geologist of the
state.
1856. WILLIAM BUCKLAND, an English divine, died, aged 72. He is best
known by his scientific pursuits, particularly in mineralogy and
geology, upon which subjects he published valuable treatises.