A Literary & Historical Atlas of America. J. G. Bartholomew
Columbus, and called by him San Salvador, 1492.
Bahia. 12S. 38W. Former cap. of Brazil; f. 1549 by Thomas de Souza. (See Darwin, 'Voyage of the Beagle.')
Bahia Blanca, Argentine. 38S. 62W. (See Darwin, 'Voyage of the Beagle.')
Ball's Buff (or Leesburg Heights), on the Potomac. 39N. 77W. Defeat of Federals 1861 (Civil W.).
Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. 39N. 76W. First settler on site of, 1682; f. 1729, and named in honour of Lord Baltimore; attacked unsuccessfully by the English, 1814; Federal volunteers attacked by citizens, 1861; finally joined the Federal cause. (See Fort MacHenry and North Point.)
Barbadoes, Windward Islands. 13N. 59W. Actual discoverers unknown, perhaps the Portuguese; sighted by English, 1605; in power of English since first colonised by them, 1625, in which year Jamestown was f.
Bastimentos, Boca Toro. 9N. 82W. Columbus at, 1502.
Baylis's Creek, James River, near Malvern Hill. 37N. 77W. Attack on driven back by Confederates, 1864 (Civil W.).
Beagle Channel, Tierra del Fuego. 54S. 67W. (See Darwin, 'Voyage of the Beagle.')
Belle Isle Strait. 50N. 55W. J. Cartier in, 1534.
Belmont, on the Mississippi. 36N. 89W. Fierce indecisive encounter during Civil W., 1861.
Bemis's Heights, near Albany, N.Y. 42N. 72W. Battles Sept. and Oct., and final defeat of English, 1777 (W. of Ind.).
Bennington, Vermont, U.S. 42N. 73W. Victory of Stark and his New England farmers over part of Burgoyne's army, 1777 (W. of Ind.).
Bentonville, N. Carolina. 35N. 77W. Confederates defeated near, by Sherman, March 18–21, 1865 (Civil W.).
Berbice, S. America, 0N. 55W. Discovered by Pinzon, 1499; Dutch settlement, 1580; in English possession, 1796–1802; retaken by English, 1803, and ceded to them by treaty, 1814; now part of British Guiana.
Bering Island, N. Pacific. 55N. 166E. Bering died on, from exhaustion, having been wrecked off coast, 1741.
Bering Strait. 65N. 170W. Named after the Danish navigator who first explored it, 1728; Cook during his third and last voyage (1776–9) endeavoured to make his passage through, but failed.
Bermudas, The, islands. 32N. 64W. Discovered by Juan Bermudez, 1522; the first Englishman on was the shipwrecked navigator May, 1593; colonised by Sir George Somers (or Summers), who with Sir T. Gates was shipwrecked on, 1609 (the account of this storm by Strachey possibly furnished source for part of 'Tempest'). (See poem by Waller.)
Big Bethel, Virginia. 37N. 76W. Victory of Confederates, 1861 (Civil W.).
Big Black River, Mississippi. 32N. 90W. Defeat of Confederates, 1863 (Civil W.).
Big Horn, battle of, at junction of Big and Little Big Horn River. 44N. 106W. General Custer's force destroyed by the Sioux Indians under Sitting Bull, 1876.
Bio-bio, river, Chili. 38S. 72W. Fierce contests at, between Araucanians to the south, and Spaniards to the north, during the 16th century.
Blackrock, near Buffalo. 42N. 78W. Fort surprised by British, 1813.
Blackstock's Plantation, Charlotte, N. Carolina. 35N. 80W. Defeat of British by Sumter, 1780 (W. of Ind.).
Blackwater, river, Missouri. Surrender of Confederates, near Milford, 1861 (Civil W.).
Bladensburg, Maryland. 39N. 76W. Americans defeated by English, 1814.
Blakely, near Mobile, Alabama. 30N. 88W. Fort taken by Federals, 1865 (Civil W.).
Block Island, Connecticut. 41N. 71W. Taken by Endicott after murder of English traders by the Indians, 1636.
Bloody Bridge, near Detroit. 42N. 82W. Rout of English by Indians at Parent's Creek (Bloody Run) and death of Dalzell. (See Parkman, 'Conspiracy of Pontiac.')
Boca del Sierpe. 9N. 61W. So named by Columbus, 1498.
Bogota, cap. of Colombia. 4N. 74W. F. by the conqueror Quesada, and formerly known as Santa Fé, 1538; independence proclaimed at, 1811; taken by Spaniards, 1816; delivered by Bolivar, 1819 (S. A. W. of Ind.).
Bolivia, S.A. 18S. 68W. Formerly Upper Peru. Rise of natives under Tupac Amaru, descendant of the Incas, who was cruelly put to death by the Spaniards, 1780–2; sc. successive battles during S. American War of Independence, 1809–25; independence secured by victory of Ayacucho, 1824; republic named after the liberator Bolivar; Santa Cruz president of B. and Lower Peru, 1828–39; Peru-Bolivian war with Chili, 1879–83; sc. frequent civil war.
Boonesboro, Kentucky. 39N. 84W. On site of fort built by Daniel Boone, the explorer of Kentucky (1735–1820), who was several times attacked in it by the Indians, and once made prisoner.
Booneville, Missouri. 38N. 92W. Confederates defeated by Gen. Lyon, 1861 (Civil W.).
Boothia Felix. 70N. 94W. Northern extremity of the continent, discovered by Sir John Ross, 1829–30; named after Sir F. Booth, the financier of the expedition, during which Ross's nephew (James Clark Ross) discovered the magnetic pole.
Borgne, Lake, Louisiana. 30N. 89W. British naval victory, 1812.
Boston, Mass., U.S. 42N. 71W. Called Shawmut by the Indians and Trimountain by the English. In 1630 a settlement was made here by Winthrop, governor of Mass. Bay, and this year the present name was given, after the English town from which many of the colonists came; first congress of confederated colonies (Mass., Plymouth, Connect.,) 1643; seizure and expulsion of Andros, governor-general, 1688; seizure of the British sloop 'Liberty,' 1768, first action taken in the W. of Ind.; the Boston massacre, 1770; 'Boston tea party,' 1773; meeting in Faneuil Hall ('Cradle of American Liberty') denouncing the Boston Port Bill, 1774; warlike preparations begun by General Gage, 1774; besieged by Washington, 1775–6, when English evacuated; first charter, 1822. The city has suffered from several destructive fires, the latest in 1872. The 'Boston News Letter,' 1704, was the first newspaper printed in the U.S. Dr. Channing minister at Federal Street Church, 1803–40. Bp. Cotton Mather (1663–1728); T. Hutchinson, historian of Massachusetts (1711–80); Paul Revere, patriot (1735–1818) (see Longfellow's poem); W. Austin, A. of 'Peter Rugg, the Missing Man' (1778–1841); Ticknor, A. of 'History of Spanish Literature' (1791–1871); Parkman, historian (1823–93); R. Waldo Emerson (1803–82); Edgar Allan Poe (1809–49); Benjamin Franklin (1706–90); Francis J. Child, scholar (1825–96); Mrs. Craigie, novelist (1867–1906).
Boston Bay. Expedition to, under Miles Standish, 1621.
Boyaca, Colombia. 5N. 73W. Decisive victory by Bolivar, 1819 (S. A. W. of Ind.).
Boydton Plank Road, near Petersburg, Virginia. 56N. 78W. Battle, 1864 (Civil W.).
Braceti (Brazito), Texas. 30N. 109W. Mexicans defeated, 1846 (Mex. W.).
Braintree, near Quincy, Mass. 42N. 71W. Bp. John Adams, second president of the U.S. (1735–1826), and John Quincy Adams, sixth president of the U.S. (1767–1848).
Brandywine Creek, near Wilmington. 39N. 75W. Defeat of Washington by Howe, Lafayette wounded, 1777 (W. of Ind.).
Brazil, S.A. 10S. 52W. Discovered by the Spaniard Yañez Pinzon, 1500, and shortly after by the Portuguese Cabral; Vespucci reached the bay of Rio de Janeiro on New Year's Day, 1502 or 1504, and named it accordingly; Hawkins in 1528 and 1530, bringing a Brazilian king home with him from this latter voyage; traversed by Cabeza de Vaca, 1540–2; French colony of short