AUGUST 26.
331 B. C. Battle of Arbela, the modern Irbil, on the Lycus, between the Macedonians under Alexander, and the Persians under Darius (26th Boedromion). The Persians were defeated and the fate of Darius sealed.
55 B. C. Julius Cæsar made a landing on British ground, at a point eight miles north of Dover.
55. A surprisingly great comet was seen by the inhabitants of China.
1278. Battle of Marchfeld, in Austria, between Ottocar and Rodolph of Hapsburg, in which Ottocar fell. This day laid the foundation of the house of Hapsburg, which is still seated on the throne of Austria.
1346. Battle of Crecy, in France; the English, less than 30,000 under Edward III, defeated the French, 90,000, under Philip VI, who received two wounds, and was one of the last who fled. It is estimated that of the French upwards of 30,000 soldiers, 1,200 knights, 80 bannerets and 9 princes fell in the battle and pursuit.
1595. Antonio, a pretender to the throne of Portugal, died. He was assisted in the struggle for the crown by several of the European powers, but was driven out, and died in exile.
1635. Lopez Felix de la Vega died; a Spanish divine, poet and a dramatic writer of great fertility of genius. His works form upwards of 70 volumes.
1693. Peter Barriere, a French soldier, who attempted to assassinate Henry IV, of France, broken on the wheel.
1723. Anthony Van Leeuwenhoek, a celebrated Dutch physician, died. He became famous throughout Europe by his experiments and discoveries with the microscope.
1762. Valentia de Alcantara, in Spain, taken by assault by the British, under Gen. Burgoyne.
1765. Riot in Boston occasioned by the stamp act; several private houses destroyed, and among them that of the lieutenant governor Hutchinson, one of the best in the province; his books and papers, which he had been 30 years in gathering, were destroyed, together with his plate, furniture, &c., and £1,000 in money.
1766. Thomas Winslow, an English military officer, died, aged 146.
1775. The Americans opened their entrenchments on Plowed hill, near Boston. The British threw about 300 shells at them.
1775. James Burgh, an ingenious English moral and political writer, died at Islington.
1776. Germain Francis Poullain de St. Foix, a French historical tourist, died. He retired from the army to devote himself to literature, at Paris, and was appointed historiographer.
1777. Francis Fawkes, an English poet, died. He translated several of the Greek poets, and wrote many miscellaneous poems, in a pleasing and elegant style.
1785. George Sackville, an English nobleman, died. He was an officer under Marlborough, and present at several important engagements.
1794. Sluys, in Dutch Flanders, surrendered to the French under Moreau, 22 days after the opening of the trenches. The sudden capture of this fortress, exceedingly strong by nature and art, and defended by the brave general Vanderduyn, so intimidated the remainder of the Dutch and Hanoverian garrisons, that they thought only how to escape the fate of Sluys, and evacuated several fortresses equally strong; besides nearly 30 less important forts, and all Dutch Flanders.
1795. Trincomalee, a Dutch colony in the island of Ceylon, taken by the British under admiral Rainer.
1795. British squadron under Nelson, captured in the bay of Alaeso, 11 French vessels.
1806. Edward Thurlow, an eminent English lawyer, died. He became attorney and solicitor-general to the king, a member of parliament and lord high chancellor of England. He possessed a vigorous and active mind, which added to close application, gave him a high rank among the professional men of his day.
1813. Battle of Katzbach, in Silesia; the French defeated by the Russians and Prussians under Blucher. The day was so rainy that fire arms could not be used, and the battle was fought hand to hand. The French were driven into the river and perished in great numbers.
1813. Battle of Dresden. The citizens beheld a spectacle of an army of 60,000 troops marching through the streets to the field of battle, under Napoleon. An army of 120,000 allies were drawn up around the city.
1813. Theodore Korner, a German poet, killed in battle. Many of his pieces have been set to music, and become national.
1832. Adam Clarke, an eminent English divine, died of cholera, aged 72. He commenced his career as a methodist preacher at the age of 18, and became so popular that few men have ever drawn so large congregations. He was a man of great talents and extensive learning, particularly in the oriental languages and Biblical literature, and author of a well known and learned commentary on the scriptures, and various other publications.
1836. Buffalo and Niagara rail road opened.
1838. Caleb Stark, an officer of the revolutionary war, died. He entered the army at the age of 15, and commenced his career at the battle of Bunker hill as an ensign in his father's regiment. He remained in the army till the close of the war, at which time he was a brigadier-general.
1848. A battle took place at the cape of Good Hope, between the British and Boors. The former were victorious, with the loss of 54 men killed and wounded; the Boors lost 199.
1849. The senate of Hayti, having concurred in the bill of the chamber of representatives, Faustin Soulouque submitted to the wishes of the people, and was crowned emperor of Hayti, under the title of Faustin I.
1849. J. A. Yates, an eloquent divine and learned professor of Union college, died, aged 49.
1850. Louis Philippe, the exiled king of the French, died at Claremont, England, aged 77.