OCTOBER 3.
382. The Goths submitted to the Roman empire under Theodosius.
1003. Abdulmalik ibn Shoheyd executed; a poet and historian of Cordova, who for his military services was made governor of Toledo. He wrote a history of the Spanish Arabs in 100 vols.; was put to death by order of Hisham II.
1187. Jerusalem acquired by the arms of Saladin the Turk.
1405. Henry IV granted to sir John Stanley the isle of Man in the Irish sea.
1573. The Spaniards abandoned the famous siege of Leyden; during which Kanava obtained celebrity for her patriotism.
1594. Battle of Glenlivet, in which the forces of James V under the duke of Argyle were defeated by the Scotch.
1689. Quirinus Kuhlman, a German fanatic, burnt at Moscow for some seditious prophecies.
1690. Robert Barclay, an eminent Scottish writer, of the society of quakers, died. His Apology for the Quakers is esteemed the standard of their doctrines, and has been published in many of the European languages.
1691. The English and Irish war ended by the fall of Limerick.
1733. Charles St. Yves, a skillful French oculist, died; author of a valuable treatise on the diseases of the eye.
1751. James Logan died; a learned quaker, who accompanied Penn to America in 1699, and assisted in the government of the colony. His library contained 3,000 volumes, and was the largest in the colony; he understood several ancient and modern languages, and his writings were republished in Europe.
1768. Ferdinand Warner, an English divine, died; celebrated for his theological, biographical, historical and medical writings.
1793. The last two male natives of Pitcairn's island murdered by the three survivors of the British ship Bounty.
1794. The fortress of Juliers opened its gates to the victorious French, on the famous victory over the Austrians on the banks of the Roer, which delivered all the German provinces on the west side of the Rhine into the hands of the republicans.
1803. Victor Alfieri, an eminent Italian dramatic poet, died. Within less than seven years he produced fourteen dramas, besides various other works in prose and verse, including a translation of Sallust. His posthumous works were published in 13 vols., two of which are occupied by his auto-biography.
1811. First newspaper issued at Buffalo, N. Y.
1813. Battle of Wartenburg, a small town on the left bank of the Elbe, between the Prussian army of 24,000 under Blucher, and the French under Bertrand, of 20,000. The former made a memorable march from Bautzen to the Elbe. The river was wide and rapid, and the pontoons were thrown over under the fire of the French, who were defeated with much loss.
1815. Juan Diez Porlier, a celebrated Spanish partisan general, hanged at Corunna. He distinguished himself at the battle of Trafalgar, and rendered the king important services in the war with the French.
1826. Levin Augustus Benningsen, a German military officer of great abilities, died. He entered the Russian service, and was in several important campaigns against the French.
1838. Blackhawk (Muck-ker-ta-me-scheck-ker-kirk), a celebrated Indian chief and warrior, died at his camp on the river Des Moines.
1843. Lewis F. Linn, senator of the United States from Missouri, died at St. Genevieve.
1848. The emperor of Austria dissolved the Hungarian diet, proclaimed martial law for that province, and appointed the Ban Jellachich to the supreme government.
1852. A severe gale swept over the Atlantic ocean and English channel, causing a great destruction of property and loss of life.
1853. James Talmadge died in New York, aged 75. He was lieutenant-governor of New York in 1824, and devoted the last twenty years of his life to the American institute as its president.
1855. Robert Adair, a British ambassador to various courts of Europe, died at London, aged 92.
OCTOBER 4.
633. Edwin (the Great), king of Britain, killed at Hatfield. He wielded the sovereignty 17 years, during which the cumulus of heathenism began to break up in large masses.
1226. Francis, of Assisi, died; founder of the order of Franciscans, or gray friars.
1253. Robert Grosseteste, an English prelate, died. He wrote several voluminous works, possessed great learning, and a clear and vigorous intellect.
1434. Cosmo de Medici reentered Florence from exile, and was received with the most extravagant demonstrations of public joy, and became, in fact, the prince of the state, accumulated enormous wealth, and lived in regal magnificence.
1489. John Wesselius, a Dutch ecclesiastic, died. His learning and abilities were so great, that the pope sent for him to Rome, and offered him what he should ask for. He merely requested a Greek and Hebrew Bible in the Vatican.
1535. Was published the first edition of the Whole Bible in the English language, being the translation of Miles Coverdale.
1590. James Cujacius, an eminent French lawyer, died. He rose from obscurity, and by his indefatigable industry, without the assistance of a master, perfected himself in Greek and Latin literature, and particularly in civil law. His works were published at Paris, in 10 vols. folio.
1595. John Maitland, lord Thirlstane, an eminent statesman under James VI of Scotland, died.
1609. Henry Hudson, having explored the river to where it divided itself into several branches, returned to its mouth on this day—put to sea with all sails set, to report the tidings of his valuable discovery.
1660. Francis Albano, an eminent Italian painter, died at Bologna, aged 82. He particularly excelled in expressing the delineations of female and infantine beauty; his pieces are dispersed in the cabinets of Europe, and highly esteemed.
1691. Louis Abelly died; a French ecclesiastic, who devoted himself principally to literature, and left numerous works behind him.
1692. Charles Fleetwood, lord deputy under Cromwell, died, aged 74. He married the widow of the gloomy Ireton; hesitating to declare at once for the king, he was allowed to end his days in obscurity.
1693. Battle near Marseilles, in France, between the French under Catinat, and the allies under Victor Amadeus and Eugene of Savoy. The allies were defeated, with the loss of all their artillery, and 8,000 men; the duke of Schomberg was mortally wounded.
1704. Alexander Selkirk, a Scottish mariner, put ashore on the desert island of Juan Fernandez, by orders of captain Pradling, with whom he had a quarrel. He was allowed a fowling piece and ammunition, and a very few necessaries. In this desolate situation he continued three years, subsisting on goats, fish and fruits.
1743. John Baptist du Halde, a learned French Jesuit, died. He is the author of a description of China and Tartary, a valuable work, compiled from the curious and interesting observations of the missionaries of his fraternity.
1744. Henry Carey, an English dramatic poet, and music composer, died by suicide. Besides his poems, he wrote Chrononhotonthologos, to ridicule the style of tragedy then in vogue, and produced the Dragon of Wantley, as a burlesque on Italian opera.
1777. Battle of Germantown, in which the Americans were defeated, with the loss of 200 killed, 600 wounded, and 400 taken. British loss, killed and wounded, 600. The disastrous termination of this affair, was owing to the darkness of the
day, which embarrassed the operations of the Americans.
1780. The ships Resolution and Discovery, the circumnavigating ships which sailed under Cook and Clerke, returned, but without either of their original commanders. Both were dead.
1790. Ann Letts died, at South river, N. J., aged 107.
1794. Battle of Maciejowice, in Poland; the forces under Kosciusko overthrown.
1795. The Parisians attacked the national convention, on account of the re-election of two-thirds of the members of that body. They were repulsed by the troops under Bonaparte, who now first signalized himself. About 8,000 of the citizens were killed.
1799. Brunnen, in Switzerland, taken from the French by the Russians under Suwarrow. This affair, however, terminated the progress of the invaders.
1806. Samuel Horsley, a learned English prelate, died. He engaged in a sectarian controversy with Priestley.
1812. Ogdensburgh attacked by the British, who were repulsed.
1812. American entrenched camp of Col. Newman attacked by the Indians, who were repulsed, with the loss of 30 warriors, among them three principal chiefs and their young king.
1813. American general Harrison attacked by the Indians, at Chatham, whom he repulsed, and pursued four miles. He took on this occasion 2,000 stand of arms, a quantity of clothing, and several cannon; also three vessels laden with munitions.
1814. Samuel Jackson Pratt, a once popular English novelist and miscellaneous writer, died.
1815. Christopher Philip Oberkampf died; founder of the manufactory of printed linens at Jouy, and of the cotton manufacture of Essonne, in France. He commenced a small business under great disadvantages, and in a short time collected a population of 1500 in a spot which had been almost a desert. His manufactures became of so much importance to the country, that the king granted him letters of nobility, and a statue was decreed him by the council-general, a mark of generosity which he declined.
1821. John Rennie died; a celebrated Scottish civil engineer and mechanist. The canals, bridges, and other public works in England, attest his abilities.
1830. York, count von Wartenburg, a Prussian field-marshal, died. He was one of the most distinguished generals in the wars against Napoleon.
1830. The independence of Belgium declared by the central committee at Brussels: "The provinces of Belgium, violently separated from Holland, shall constitute an independent state."
1833. Richard Heber died; an Englishman of talents and learning, distinguished for his zeal in collecting books, a business which he followed assiduously during the last thirty years of his life. He left immense collections of rare and valuable works in various languages, in various cities in Europe.
1835. Third centenary, or three hundredth year from the printing of the first English Bible, that of Coverdale, generally celebrated in the different churches and chapels in England. This Bible, as appears from the colophon, was finished on this day, 1535.
1835. Telesforo de Truebe y Cosia, a Spanish dramatist, died at Paris, aged 30. He resided principally in England, where he produced several dramas and novels. He wrote dramas in English, Spanish, and French, which were successfully produced at the several national theatres.
1851. Emanuel Godoy (Prince of Peace), minister of Charles VI and VII of Spain, died at Paris, in the 87th year of his age.
1853. The Great Republic, a mammoth clipper of 4000 tons, and the largest merchant vessel in the world, was launched at East Boston, Mass.
1854. The greater part of the town of Memel, a Prussian seaport, was destroyed by fire, including its churches, custom-house, bank, and court-houses; loss estimated at $5,000,000.