1666. Battle of Pentland hills, in which the persecuted covenanters were defeated by the king's troops.
1707. Fitz John Winthrop, governor of Connecticut, died. He was distinguished for his knowledge in philosophy and his skill in politics, and took a conspicuous part in the affairs of the colonies, both in peace and war.
1710. The British general Stanhope surprised at Briheuga, and compelled to surrender to the Spaniards with 2,000 men.
1714. Several persons tried for insulting the dissenters and breaking their windows at Bristol. This seemed to be an omen of the dawn of a more liberal day.
1754. Abraham Demoivre, a noted French mathematician, died. His abilities were so highly admired by the Royal society of London that they judged him a fit person to decide the famous contest between Newton and Leibnitz.
1778. General Washington broke up his camp and marched to Middlebrook, to go into winter quarters. The British expedition against Georgia, under colonel Campbell, 2,500 troops, sailed from Sandy Hook on the same day, escorted by a squadron under sir Hyde Parker.
1779. Thomas, lord Lyttleton, a statesman of some merit, died in his 36th year. It is storied of him, that three days previous to his death a ghost admonished him that it would happen.
1781. Sortie from the garrison of
Gibraltar, at 2 P. M., under Gen. Ross. They took and destroyed two mortar and three heavy cannon batteries, blew up several Spanish magazines, and returned before daylight with the loss of 4 killed, having destroyed property estimated at three millions.
1788. Thomas Harmer died; an eminent English dissenting divine, and critical writer on Biblical literature.