JUNE 23.
217 B. C. Battle of Thrasymene, in Italy, between the Romans under Caius Flaminius, and the Carthaginians under Hannibal. The Romans were defeated, and Flaminius killed.
303. St. Alban, the first martyr for Christianity in England, beheaded at Verulam in Hertfordshire. Nearly five hundred years after his death his memory was honored by Offa, king of the Mercians, who built a stately monastery over him, whence the town of St. Albans receives its name.
1137. Albertus, archbishop of Mentz, died. He abused the confidence and liberality of the emperor, Henry V, by raising a conspiracy, for which he was imprisoned.
1281. A terrible convulsion of Mount Etna, about sunset.
1485. Richard III published his famous proclamation, stating that Henry Tudor intended to "change and subvert the laws of the realm, and to do the most cruel murders, slaughters, robberies and disherisons, that were ever seen in any Christian country."
1579. The famous union of Utrecht effected. It included Gelderland, Holland, Zealand, Friesland and Utrecht. Ghent and Ypres afterwards acceded.
1596. Cadiz surrendered to the English by capitulation. A ransom of 120,000 crowns was paid by the inhabitants for their lives, and the town and merchandise were abandoned to the rapacity of the conquerors.
1606. Henry Garnet, provincial of the Jesuits, executed for the gunpowder plot.
1645. Viera's plot discovered, to deliver Olinda and the other Dutch possessions into the hands of the Portuguese. He was originally a butcher's boy.
1650. Charles II arrived on the coast of Scotland, but was compelled to take the covenant before landing.
1654. Southworth, a catholic clergyman, executed in his 72d year. He reproached his persecutors for arming themselves for liberty of conscience, and killing him for differing with them.
1664. The duke of York conveyed a part of his tract in North America to John lord Berkley, baron of Stratton, and sir George Carteret, by the name of Nova-Cæsarea, or New Jersey. Thus the New Netherlands became divided into New York and New Jersey.
1687. M. Denonville, with 1,500 French and 500 Indians marched from Canada for the purpose of humbling the Seneca Indians. When he had reached the foot of a hill about a mile from the principal village of the Senecas, he aroused an ambush of 500 Indians, which at first threw his army into confusion, but they soon rallied again and the Senecas were defeated, with the loss of 80, and laid their own village in ashes. The French found only two old men, whom they cut in pieces and boiled to make soup for their allies.
1707. John Mill, a learned English divine, died; editor of a Greek Testament, with various readings and critical notes; a labor of thirty years, and which was published only a fortnight before his death.
1728. Gabriel Daniel, a learned French Jesuit, died. His books were rapidly republished, and several translated.
1736. Achmet III, ex-emperor of Turkey, died, aged 74. He waged war with Russia, Persia and Venice successfully, and is entitled to some regard for the hospitality he showed to that unfortunate madman, Charles XII of Sweden.
1757. Battle of Plaissey, in Hindostan; the British under lord Clive defeated Surajah Dowla, and took his camp, baggage, and 50 cannon.
1758. Battle of Crefelt; French defeated with the loss of 600 by the allies under Ferdinand of Brunswick, who lost 1,500.
1759. Battle of Kay, on the Oder; the Prussians under Wedel attacked the Russians, and were defeated with the loss of 4,000.
1760. Battle of Landshut; the Austrians assaulted and carried the town with great loss on both sides.
1764. Joseph Barry, a French ecclesiastic
and author, died. His History of Germany, 11 vols. quarto, is reckoned the best work in French on the subject.
1770. Mark Akenside, an English poet, died. He wrote also on medicine; and possessed an original and powerful mind.
1780. Battle of Springfield, N. J.; the British took the town and burnt it, and retreated.
1791. Catharine Macauley (Graham), an English historian, died. She wrote several histories, essays and political works, which are now nearly obliviated.
1793. New declaration of the rights of man by the French convention.
1793. Cape François burnt by the negroes and mulattoes, after an indiscriminate massacre of the whites, which had been in progress since the 7th, by which several thousands perished. (See [20th].)
1795. Action between the British and French fleets off L'Orient, in which the latter were defeated, with the loss of several large ships.
1824. Stephen Aignan, a French poet and dramatic writer, died. He filled several offices under Napoleon.
1824. Wilson Lowry, an English artist, died. He made many improvements in the art of engraving.
1836. James Mill, a Scottish divine, died; celebrated for his literary and philosophical works, author of a History of British India, &c.
1839. Hester Stanhope, a learned English lady, died at D'Joun, in Syria. She had resided in Syria nearly thirty years, and was celebrated for her eccentricity and singular mode of life. She was a niece of William Pitt, and abandoned civilized society to reside among Arabs, over whom she acquired great command.
1854. A terrible hurricane occurred at Manteno, Illinois, extending from six to eight miles in width, prostrated many houses, and caused much other damage.
1854. Daniel Wells, chief justice of the court of common pleas of Massachusetts, died at Cambridge, aged 63. He was born in Greenfield, Mass., and in 1837 was appointed district attorney for the western district, the duties of which office he discharged with marked ability, propriety and success until appointed chief justice.
1855. The Russians, 30,000 men, under general Mouravieff, invested Kars in the Crimea; the Turkish garrison was commanded by general Williams, an Englishman.
1856. Prince Esterhazy, an eminent Austrian ambassador, died at Berlin, in Prussia, where he was envoy.