1826. Koller, an Austrian general, died. He accompanied Napoleon, where he had to protect him against the rabble infuriated by priests and ultras, which was done by an exchange of garments. He left a valuable collection of antiques.
1835. Isaac Pococke died; one of the most successful dramatic writers of his day.
1835. Massacre at Para in Brazil by the Indians. The attack commenced on the 14th. The United States consul barely escaped with his life. It is supposed that the slaughter must have been immense, and a more complete sack of any city probably never took place.
1850. Charles Dyer, a midshipman in the United States navy, was drowned at Pensacola, in nobly attempting to save the crew of a vessel in distress. Alexander Hale, assistant engineer in the service and a graduate of Yale college, lost his life also in the same cause.
1855. Henry Lawson, an English astronomer, died at Bath, aged 81.
AUGUST 24.
79. First eruption on record of Vesuvius, which overwhelmed the towns of Herculaneum and Pompeii, and destroyed the martyr of nature. The younger Pliny, the nephew of that greater man, has described the terrific catastrophe in two letters to Tacitus.
93. Cneius Julius Agricola, a celebrated Roman general, died. He was governor in Great Britain, and by doubling the northern point of Scotland, first discovered it to be an island. (Sept. 1st?)
410. Alaric, at the head of the Goths, entered Rome at midnight, and gave up the town to be pillaged for six days, but with orders to his soldiers to be sparing of blood, to respect the honor of the women, and not to burn the buildings dedicated to religion. A part of the city was burnt, and many ancient works of art destroyed. The treasures of the city collected from all parts of the world fell a prey to the barbarians, and the once proud mistress of the world experienced a severe retribution for the sufferings which her heroes had caused to so many cities, countries and nations.