1616. John Somers, an English statesman, died. He was a patriot of the noblest and most extensive views, and justly celebrated as a man of learning, eloquent and refined.
1665. The great plague of this and the subsequent year broke out at St. Giles, London.
1726. Jeremy Collier, an English divine, died. In 1698 he made an attempt to reform the stage, which engaged him in a controversy, and exposed him to the satire of the wits of the day; but after a ten years' struggle he accomplished his object, and actually produced an amendment.
1734. John Baptist Morvan de Bellegarde, a French Jesuit, died. He was
expelled from the order at Nantes, for being a Cartesian.
1777. Danbury, Conn., burnt, and the military stores destroyed, by a detachment of 2,000 British under Tyron. The place was guarded by 100 soldiers, who retired to await reinforcements. Eighteen houses, 800 barrels of flour, 800 barrels of pork and beef, 2,000 bushels of grain, and 1,700 tents were destroyed. The enemy were pursued and annoyed by a few hundred of the citizens under Wooster and Arnold; the former was killed.
1783. Eyre Coots, a celebrated commander of the East India Company's forces, died. He gained great renown by his victories over Hyder Ally; in one of which, near Porto Novo, with 10,000 men he defeated Hyder's army of 150,000.
1794. The Vendeans under Charette defeated by the French.
1794. Battle of Prisches; Austrians defeated by the French.
1794. Grand attack of the French upon the allies, from Trevers to the sea.