1760. Nicholas d'Assas, a French officer, killed at Klosterkamp. On going out to examine the posts, he was captured, and threatened with immediate death if he alarmed his regiment. Without a moment's hesitation he summoned all his strength, and exclaimed "Onward Auverne! here is the enemy!" The threat was immediately executed, but the patriot had gained his object; the attack was unsuccessful. A pension of 1,000 livres was decreed to his family forever.
1767. Burchard Christopher Munich, a German officer in the service of Russia, died. He was promoted by Peter I and Anne; banished by Elizabeth to Siberia, and recalled by Peter II, after an absence of 20 years, when he appeared at court in the same sheepskin dress which he had worn in his exile.
1774. Robert Ferguson, an excellent Scottish poet, died at the age of 24 in a lunatic asylum.
1778. Pondicherry, after a gallant resistance by the French, surrendered to the British.
1779. The fortress of St. Fernando de Omoa, in the bay of Honduras, taken by the British by assault. In the fort was found 250 quintals of quicksilver, and on board the vessels 3,000,000 piasters.
1780. The town of Royalton, Vt., was attacked by a party of 300 Indians of various tribes from Canada, and many of the houses burnt.
1781. A sortie consisting of 360 men under Col. Abercrombie, at Yorktown, forced two American batteries and spiked 11 cannon; but the guards from the trenches immediately repulsed them and restored the cannon. In the afternoon the Americans opened several batteries in their second parallel; and in the whole line of batteries nearly 100 pieces of heavy ordnance were now mounted. The works of the besieged were in no condition to sustain the fire which might be expected next day.
1783. The inhabitants of Canada were surprised by a very extraordinary phenomenon. About 2 o'clock P. M., an unusual darkness, equal it is said to the darkest night, took place. Its approach was instantaneous. This continued about 40 minutes, when there was a short interval of light, but soon was succeeded by darkness, horrible as before, though not of so long duration. The whole is said to have continued upwards of an hour, and to have extended, more or less, throughout the province.
1793. The French convention constituted death only an eternal sleep! It was afterwards restored, however, to its original condition!
1793. Marie Antoinette, queen of France, and sister of the emperor of Austria, guillotined. She was tried and condemned at 4 o'clock in the morning, dragged to the scaffold in an open tumbril, amid the scoffs and insults of the populace, and beheaded at the age of 38.