AUGUST 14.
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.