1356. Battle of Poictiers, between the English army of 12,000 men,
under Edward, the _Black Prince_, and the French, 60,000 under king
John. The battle ended in the utter rout of the French army and the
capture of their king, who was afterwards led in triumph through the
streets of London.
1471. The first book known to have been printed in the English tongue
bears this date, and is entitled _The Recuyell of the History of Troy_,
translated from the French, and printed by William Caxton, at Cologne.
(See Oct. 4.)
1524. The imperialists under Pescara raised the siege of Marseilles and
retired with precipitation towards Italy.
1587. JAMES PAMELIUS, a learned Flemish writer, died.
1650. STUYVESANT, the Dutch governor of New-Netherland, arrived at
Hartford and demanded of the commissioners for the united colonies, a
full surrender of the lands on Connecticut river. After an altercation
of several days, articles of agreement in relation to boundaries were
settled.
1665. The number of deaths by plague in London for the week ending on
this day was reported to be 10,000; the greatest weekly mortality
reported during the scourge.
1678. BERNARD VAN GALEN, a Westphalian bishop and general died. His
ecclesiastical office was of minor importance with him, and he contrived
to keep up a perpetual war with one state or another; so that when he
died, his loss was little regretted.
1681. Desperate engagement between a Moorish vessel, the Half Moon, 32
guns, from Angier, and the English galleys James and Sapphire. Of the
Turks and Moors 93 were killed; English loss 95 killed and wounded.
1693. At St. Malo three hundred houses were unroofed by the blowing up
of a fire vessel sent in by captain Benbow.
1710. OLAUS RŒMER, a Danish astronomer, died.
1736. Mrs. MAPP, the famous bone setter, of Epsom, having set up a fine
equipage, came to Kensington and waited on the queen.
1737. Gottingen university opened.
1745. The celebrated JONATHAN SWIFT died, aged 78.
1761. PETER VAN MUSSCHENBROEK, a distinguished Dutch philosopher, died.
1777. Battle of Stillwater, between the British under Burgoyne and the
Americans under general Gates. The action was continued with great valor
on both sides during 4 hours. The Americans retired to their camp at
night, with the loss of 319 killed, wounded and missing. British loss
over 500.
1778. Action between American privateer Hancock and British frigate
Levant, 32 guns. The Levant blew up, and only 18 of her crew were saved.
1793. The new French calendar commenced. It divided the year into 12
months of 30 days each with 5 intercallary days, called _Sansculotides_.
1798. ELIHU H. SMITH, a physician and poet, died in New York.
1803. Dutch colonies of Demerara and Essequibo surrendered to the
British.
1804. GEORGE ZABIRA, a learned Greek, died.
1810. JAMES CHEETHAM, a noted political editor, died in New York, aged
37. He was the biographer of Thomas Paine, and published the _American
Citizen_.
1814. The boats of the British ship Forth, under the direction of
lieutenant Neville, carried by boarding and destroyed the American
letter of marque brig Regent, 5 guns and 35 men, at the mouth of Little
Egg harbor.
1851. Battle of Camargo, between the forces of the Mexican government
and those of Carvajal, in which the latter were victorious.
1851. FREDERICK WHITTLESEY, a New York jurist, died at Rochester, aged
54.
1852. Great inundation in the valleys of the Rhine and the Rhone.
1854. The allied forces which had landed at Old Fort, to operate against
Sebastopol, commenced their march to that fortress. They consisted of
25,000 British, 25,000 French, and 8,000 Turkish troops.
1855. A terrible gale swept lake Borgne and the Gulf coast, causing loss
of life and great destruction of property at Pass Christian, Mississippi
city, Biloxi, and other points in the vicinity.