The Every Day Book of History and Chronology. Joel Munsell
were captured.
1823. William W. Van Ness, an eminent judge of the N. Y. supreme court, died.
1834. Modeste Malhiot, the Canadian giant, died. His height was 6 feet 4 inches, and his weight 619½ pounds.
1837. Adam Binkley, died in Davidson co., Pennsylvania, aged 138. He was an officer of the revolution and served throughout the war, at which time he had a wife and 11 children.
1843. A remarkable comet first observed in the northern states, which caused considerable controversy whether it was a comet or the zodiacal light. It was first seen at noon, and was distinctly observed with the naked eye from 7 to 9 o'clock in the evening during the month of March. Its train extended about 70° to 100°.
1851. The Spanish government of Manilla, totally destroyed the forts of the pirate Sultan of Sooloo.
1853. Doncaster church, England, built in 1070, destroyed by fire.
1854. Earthquake at Lexington, Ky., and surrounding country, attended by a loud roaring noise.
1854. American steamer Black Warrior, seized by the Cuban authorities at Havana.
1855. An earthquake at Broussa killed or wounded about 800 people, and was succeeded by a fire which destroyed nearly one-third of the houses.
FEBRUARY 29.
1631. The president and counsel for New England, made a grant to Robert Aldworth and Giles Elbridge of a hundred acres of land for every person whom they should transport to the province of Maine within seven years, who should continue there three years; and an absolute grant of 12,000 acres as their proper inheritance for ever, to be laid out near the river commonly called Pemaquid.
1704. Deerfield, in Massachusetts, burnt. Hertel de Rouville with 200 French and 140 Indians, after a tedious march through deep snow from Canada, made an attack upon this place, which was the northern frontier on Connecticut river. A watch had patrolled the streets until about two hours before day, when he incautiously fell asleep, and the snow was of such depth as to admit of an entrance over the pickets of the fort. The whole settlement was burnt with the exception of one house, which was standing until quite recently; 47 were slain, 112 carried into captivity, including among the latter, the Rev. John Williams and his family. Of the captives, 17 died or were killed on the march; 57 were redeemed, among whom were the minister and his family (his wife was killed soon after the capture), except one daughter who could not be persuaded to return; but adopted the manners and customs of the Indians, became a catholic, and married a savage. The bell taken from the church, it is said, still hangs in an Indian church at St. Regis.
1744. John Theophilus Desaguliers died. He was the son of a French protestant clergyman, who resided in England. Having been educated for the ministry, he settled in London; there he acquired a turn for natural philosophy, and was the first person who lectured on experimental philosophy in the metropolis. He was a man of rare ability, and his income enabled him to keep an equipage. His coachman, Erasmus King, from the force of example, became a kind of rival to the doctor; for he also undertook to read lectures, and exhibit experiments in natural philosophy. The terms of admission to the lyceum of the latter philosopher were in proportion to the humble station he had filled.
1793. The French convention passed a decree of accusation against Marat, and by so doing tore off the cloak of inviolability which covered its members, and constituted itself its own jury of accusation.
1808. Denmark declared war against Sweden.
1810. Battle of Vique, in Spain, in which the Spanish General O'Donnel attacked the French under Souham. The impetuosity of the charge made by the Spanish troops lost them the battle.
1844. Fatal explosion of the great gun, Peacemaker, on board the American war steamer, Princeton, by which several government officers lost their lives, and many persons were seriously injured.
MARCH.
MARCH 1.
509. BC Valerius Publicola pronounced a funeral oration over the body of Junius Brutus, which was the first institution of that generous tribute to the memory of the virtuous dead.
1554. In the household expenses of Queen Mary 15 shillings are given to a yeoman for bringing her majesty a leek on this day.
1562. The catholics under the duke of Guise fell upon a body of Calvinists at Bassi in France, who were singing the psalms of Marot in a barn. The latter were insulted, and induced to come to blows: when nearly 60 of these unhappy people were killed and 200 wounded. This unexpected event lightened the flame of civil war throughout the kingdom.
1564. Printing introduced again into Moscow. Some 12 years previous it had been used there, but the burning of the city by the Poles suspended it.
1625. John Robinson died; minister of the first English church in Holland, to which the first settlers of New England belonged. He fled to Holland with his congregation to avoid persecution, and at the time of his death was preparing to follow with the remainder of the brethren to America. He was distinguished for his learning, liberality and piety.
1645. Battle of Pontefract, in which Sir Marmaduke Langdale defeated the lord Fairfax.
1663. Adam Adami, a French ecclesiastic, statesman and historian, died.
1682. Thomas Herbert, an English author of Travels in Asia and Africa, died. He was engaged in the civil wars between the parliament and the royalists, and on the restoration was created a baronet.
1689. The odious hearth stone tax ordered to be taken off by William, prince of Orange.
1711. The Spectator, a daily critical, satirical and literary paper made its appearance in London, under the conduct of Addison and Steele principally, with the assistance of some of the master spirits of the day, and had a reputation which has never been equaled by any other periodical of the kind.
1733. That mysterious person, the oldest inhabitant, witnessed a great flood in the north of England, wholly unprecedented in his life time.
1766. Zabdiel Boylston, an American physician, died. He was the first to introduce inoculation for small-pox into New England. This mode of treating a virulent disease brought upon him the ridicule of his medical brethren; but he outlived these prejudices and realized a handsome fortune by his profession.
1774. Prince A. D. Kantemir, died; a Turk by birth, but subsequently a distinguished oriental scholar.
1781. Maryland ratified the articles of the confederation of the United States being the last state to do so.
1786. The first No. of the Observer appeared, conducted by Cumberland, the dramatist.
1791. The annual masquerade held at Rutland square rooms, Dublin, was the cause of a great riot and the death of many of the police.
1792. Leopold II of Germany, and I of Tuscany, died. He made the latter the happiest and best governed state of Italy. In 1790 he succeeded to the imperial crown, and was noted for the wisdom of his measures, his affability, strict justice and kindness to the poor.
1793. Battle of Aldenhoven, between the French under Dumourier, and 40,000 Austrians under Gen. Coburg. The French were defeated with the loss of 6,000 killed and 4,000 prisoners.
1799. Essex county,