The Every Day Book of History and Chronology. Joel Munsell
of finance.
1790. Joseph II, emperor of Germany, died. He was an able and benevolent monarch, who devoted his attention closely to the affairs of the kingdom, and introduced many useful institutions.
1790. At Blackwall, England, while excavations were being made for a wet dock several hazel trees, with nuts, were found deeply imbedded below several strata of sand and clay.
1797. Treaty of Tolentino between Bonaparte and the pope.
1799. El Arish, and subsequently Gaza, with most towns in western Palestine, were taken by the French.
1799. Leopold II, died; grand duke of Tuscany 25 years, and elected emperor of Germany, 1790. He evinced great abilities.
1802. John Moore, a distinguished Scottish physician, and popular author, died. He wrote on the society and manners of different countries in Europe, which his acute discernment and lively imagination enabled him to describe with great accuracy and pleasantry.
1803. British evacuated Egypt.
1808. Gerard Lake died. He was made a peer of Great Britain for his successes as a general in India.
1809. Richard Gough, a learned and eminent English antiquary, died.
1809. Saragossa surrendered to the French. The garrison was reduced to 12,000 men, who, when they marched out of the city, had more the appearance of spectres than of human beings. During this second siege 54,000 perished, of whom one fourth were soldiers.
1810. Andrew Hofer, the leader of the Tyrolese insurrection, executed. He was a brave patriot, and met his fate with heroic firmness.
1811. Battle of San Christoval in Spain, in which general Mendizabal was defeated with the loss of about 12,000 killed and prisoners, by the French under Soult, whose loss was stated at 400 only.
1811. Francis II, of Germany, issued an edict, fixing the current value of bank paper at one fifth of its nominal value.
1817. Samuel Meredith died at his seat in Wayne county, Pa.; first treasurer of the United States under the federal constitution, which office he resigned in 1801.
1820. Arthur Young died; a distinguished English author on agriculture.
1822. John Stewart, commonly called walking John, died in London; to gratify the "amor videndi," he had perambulated much of the globe.
1835. A tremendous earthquake in Chili. The city of Conception, containing 25,000 inhabitants, was reduced to a heap of ruins, not a single house left standing; many other towns and villages were demolished. At first the sea retired and left the vessels in the harbor aground; but it soon rushed violently back 30 feet above its level.
1836. Mary Crawford, died at Castine, Me., aged 100 years and six months; widow of Dr. Wm. Crawford, chaplain and surgeon at Fort Point during the revolution.
1841. James G. Brooks died; known in early life as an American poet, and later as an editor of several newspapers.
1843. Peter Augustus Jay, well known in the state of New York as a statesman and historian, died.
1846. The first legislature of Texas under the U. S. met at Austin. Gen. Henderson was elected the first governor.
1849. Newton M. Curtiss, author of a number of popular novels, died at Charlton, N. Y., aged 34.
1854. Elliott Cresson, president of the Pennsylvania colonization society, died, leaving $127,000 to charitable institutions.
1854. The most violent snow storm that had occurred since 1831, commenced at Washington, and extended over the Middle and New England states.
1855. Joseph Hume, the English statesman died, aged 78. He was a member of the house of commons 37 years.
FEBRUARY 21.
1340. The king of England assumed the title of the king of France, quartering his arms with the motto, "Dieu et mon Droit."
1513. Giuliano Della Rovera, (pope Julius II,) died. He was originally a fisherman. He built St. Peter's at Rome, to procure means for which he ordered the sale of indulgences, which was one of the immediate causes of the reformation; so that it may be said without paradox, that St. Peter's is the great monument of protestantism. He is considered one of the most immoral of the popes, though a generous patron of the polite arts.
1595. Robert Southwell, called sometimes the English Jesuit, died. He was esteemed no inferior poet in his day.
1633. Order of the privy council to stay several ships in the Thames, ready to sail for New England with passengers and provisions. The jealousy of the government was early directed towards the infant colony of Massachusetts. It was observed by one of the kings, that the wheat of the population was sifting across the Atlantic. These orders were ineffectual, for great numbers continued to emigrate, and scarce a vessel arrived in the colony that was not crowded with passengers.
1660. The secluded members of the long parliament again took their seats and voted Monk to be general of the English, Scotch and Irish forces.
1668. John Thurloe, secretary of state to the two Cromwells, died. He was a man of very amiable character, and exercised all possible moderation towards persons of every party.
1676. Two or three hundred Indians principally Narragansetts, surprised the town of Medfield, Mass., killed 18 men, women and children, and burnt half of the town.
1682. The following appears in the minutes of the governor and council of Virginia: "John Buckner called before the Ld. Culpepper and his counsel for printing the laws of 1680, without his excellency's license, and he and the printer ordered to enter into bond in £100 not to print anything hereafter until his majesty's pleasure shall be known."
1684. Charles Spon, an ingenious and learned French physician, died at Lyons. He wrote Latin verse with ease and elegance, and corresponded with most of the learned men of Europe.
1717. Peter Alix, a French protestant of eminent piety and learning, died. He resided in England, where he was greatly esteemed and honored.
1730. Benedict XIII, pope of Rome, died. He was a Dominican of Venice, and before his elevation bishop of Benevento, where his palace was destroyed by an earthquake, and he narrowly escaped. He filled the pontifical office six years, and sustained an excellent character.
1746. Le Bourbon and La Charite, French ships, captured by Com. Knowles in a heavy gale. The military chest belonging to the French vessels contained £5,000.
1759. Action between the British frigate Vestal, Capt. Hood, and the French frigate Bellona, which resulted in the capture of the latter, with the loss of 42 killed. British loss 2 killed and 22 wounded.
1760. The neighborhood of Mt. Vesuvius overflowed by burning lava.
1760. Commodore Thourot arrived in the bay of Carrickfergus with a 43 gun ship and two sloops of war, and having landed 800 men, attacked the town, which, with the castle, he carried after a smart action. The French embarked a few days after, and meeting with a British squadron, an action ensued in which Thourot and 300 of his men were killed.
1792. Jacob Schnebbelie died at London. From the profession of a Swiss confectioner, he rose to be one of the best draughtsmen in England, but too intense application to his studies hastened his death.
1796. Field Marshal Clairfait, the Austrian general, resigned, and was succeeded by the Archduke Charles, for whom a new rank was created,