OCTOBER 5.
678. Justin II, emperor of the east, died. He was a weak prince, but had a wife to govern him and the empire with ability.
610. Phocas, a Chalcedonian noble who seized on the empire of the east by the murder of the emperor Maurice and his children, beheaded by Heraclius, governor of Africa, who conspired against him.
1056. Henry III, emperor of Germany, died. After making war against Poland, Hungary and Bohemia, he passed into Italy, expelled three popes, and was crowned by a fourth.
1540. Elias Eobanus died; an elegant German scholar and good poet.
1555. Edward Watton, an English physician, died. He took his decree at Padua and practiced with great success in London. He is said to have been the first who paid particular attention to natural history.
1571. Claude d'Espence, an eloquent French ecclesiastic, died.
1582. The Gregorian, or new style,
commenced in Spain, Portugal and part of Italy, this day being accounted the 15th.
1675. Springfield, Mass., attacked by the Indians. The Springfield Indians had so resolutely resisted the persuasions of Philip to join his exterminating expeditions, that the inhabitants felt the greatest security. They were not aware of any defection, till news was received from Windsor that 300 of Philip's Indians were concealed in their fort. The timely arrival of forces from the neighboring towns alone saved the village from entire destruction.
1690. Sir William Phipps arrived before Quebec with a British force. He summoned the place on the following day, but the French governor, count Frontenac, refused to surrender; the fleet being dispersed in a storm, the expedition failed in consequence.
1710. An expedition of British and provincials appeared before Port Royal, in Canada, with 5 frigates and a bomb ketch. The force being equal to its reduction, Subcrease, the French governor, only waited the compliment of a few shot and shells as a decent pretence for surrender, when the place fell into new hands, and was called Annapolis in honor of the queen.
1733. Zenger's Weekly Journal (2d paper at New York), was issued.
1740. John Philip Baratier, a German youth of most extraordinary genius, died at the age of 20. At the age of 4, besides his native language, he spoke French and Latin; at 6 Greek; at 8 Hebrew. He acquired also various branches of learning, and prepared a large work on Egyptian antiquities.
1759. Battle of St. Francis, an Indian village on the St. Lawrence, in lower Canada. Innumerable expeditions had been fitted out from this place to massacre and plunder the English settlements in New England, and the village was enriched by the scalps taken at those times. Major Rogers, an intrepid soldier, with 200 rangers, was despatched by general Amherst from Crown point to destroy the place. After a fatiguing march of twenty-one days he came upon the village when the savages were holding a dance, and made a grand assault at break of day, after their own manner. The Indians were taken so unexpectedly that little resistance could be made.
1763. Augustus III, king of Poland, died.
1768. Great hurricane at Havana, destroyed 96 public edifices, and 4,048 houses; 1,000 inhabitants perished almost instantaneously.
1789. The estates general of France met at Versailles. This was indisputably the first day of the revolution, although the object of the meeting was to prevent such a catastrophe.
1803. The Constitution and Nautilus anchored in the bay of Tangiers, within half a mile of the circular battery, and amused the emperor of Morocco with the sound of their guns. This procured the release of the American consul, who had been confined to his house, guarded by two sentinels; and also the discharge of the American brig Hannah, of Salem, which had been wrongfully seized at Mogadore.
1804. A British squadron under Com. Moore attacked and captured Spanish ships La Medee 42 guns, La Fama 36 guns, and La Clara 36 guns; a frigate of 36 guns, La Marcedes, blew up, on board of which were several families returning to Spain, 280 men, and $811,000. On board the captured ships were found, besides a very valuable cargo of merchandise, 2,538,885 dollars, 3,593 bars tin, and 774 pigs copper.
1805. Charles Cornwallis, governor-general of India, died. Although overthrown at Yorktown, his character for courage, prudence and sagacity was unaffected, and he was afterwards sent as civil and military governor to Ireland.
1813. Battle of the Thames; the combined British and Indian forces under Proctor and Tecumseh, defeated by the Americans under general Harrison. On this occasion the celebrated Tecumseh was slain, as was believed in a personal rencounter with colonel R. M. Johnson; the latter received five wounds in this battle. American loss 7 killed, 22 wounded.
1813. Action on lake Ontario between the American fleet under commodore Chauncey, and the British squadron; five schooners of the latter were captured, and one sloop burnt.
1821. Claudius John Rich, a learned English orientalist, died at Shiraz, in Persia, a victim to his ardor in the pursuit of science. He wrote Memoirs of Ancient Babylon, whose ruins he explored with indefatigable industry. His manuscripts, coins and gems were purchased by government, and are deposited in the British Museum.
1825. Bernard Germain Stephen de Lacepede, a French naturalist, died. He was unmolested during the reign of terror, and Bonaparte heaped honors upon him. He holds a high station among modern naturalists.
1835. Hortense Eugenie, duchess of St. Leu and ex-queen of Holland, died. She was the daughter of Josephine by her first husband, and married Louis Bonaparte.
1839. Destructive fire in Philadelphia,
destroyed 52 buildings; said to have been the greatest fire ever known in Philadelphia.
1839. A fire at Aikin, S. C., destroyed 36 houses and stores, forming the whole business portion of the village.
1847. The first election of officers in Liberia, under the new constitution, took place. Gov. Roberts was chosen president of the republic.
1853. Mahlon Dickerson, a New Jersey statesman, died, aged 83. He filled a great variety of public offices with distinguished ability.
1855. William Henry Percy, a British rear admiral, died at London, aged 67.
1855. Thomas Livingston Mitchell, surveyor-general of New South Wales, died, aged 63. He surveyed the battle fields of the Peninsular war, in which he served, and was knighted in 1839 for his discoveries and surveys.
1855. Two asteroids, being the 36th and 37th, were discovered, one by Luther, at Bilk, the other by Goldsmith, in Prussia.