On This Day
1797 – Sir Ralph Abercromby attacks San Juan, Puerto Rico, in what would be one of the largest invasions of the Spanish territories in the Americas.
The Battle of San Juan was an ill-fated British assault in 1797 on the Spanish colonial port city of San Juan in Puerto Rico during the 1796–1808 Anglo-Spanish War. The attack was carried out facing the historic town of Miramar.
Background
Spain aligned itself with France by signing the Second Treaty of San Ildefonso in 1796. Britain then targeted both countries’ Caribbean colonies. Admiral Sir Henry Harvey’s fleet picked up Sir Ralph Abercromby’s army in Barbados. Together, they captured Trinidad from the Spanish, before heading for San Juan.[2][3]
Battle
On 17 April 1797, Lieutenant-General Sir Ralph Abercromby’s fleet of 68 vessels appeared offshore Puerto Rico with a force of 7000, which included German auxiliaries and French émigrés. Two of his frigates then blocked San Juan harbor.[2][3]
The governor, Field Marshal Don Ramón de Castro y Gutiérrez, had already mobilized his 4000 militia and 200 Spanish garrison troops which, combined with 300 French privateers, 2000 armed peasantry, and paroled prisoners, brought his troop strength up to almost equal that of the British. He also had 376 cannon, 35 mortars, 4 howitzers and 3 swivel guns.[2][3]
Abercromby landed 3000 troops on 18 April and took control of Cangrejos. Castro moved his forces to Escambrón and the Spanish First Line of Defense.[2][3]
On 21 April, the British started a 7-day artillery duel with the Spanish forts of San Gerónimo and San Antonio, located at the Boquerón Inlet. At the same time, further Spanish forces put pressure on the British positions, the Spanish recaptured Martín Peña Bridge, while militia led by Sergeant Francisco Díaz raided behind British lines, bringing back prisoners. Then, on the 29th and 30th, the Spanish crossed the Boquerón Inlet, and forced the British to pull back.[2][3]
Aftermath
On 1 May, the Spanish learned the British were gone, leaving behind arms, stores and ammunition.[2][3]
Born On This Day
1799 – Eliza Acton, English food writer and poet (d. 1859)[5]
Eliza Acton (17 April 1799 – 13 February 1859) was an English food writer and poet who produced one of Britain’s first cookery books aimed at the domestic reader, Modern Cookery for Private Families. The book introduced the now-universal practice of listing ingredients and giving suggested cooking times for each recipe. It included the first recipes in English for Brussels sprouts and for spaghetti. It also contains the first recipe for what Acton called “Christmas pudding”; the dish was normally called plum pudding, recipes for which had appeared previously, although Acton was the first to put the name and recipe together.
Acton was born in 1799 in Sussex. She was raised in Suffolk where she ran a girls’ boarding school before spending time in France. On her return to England in 1826 she published a collection of poetry and released her cookery book in 1845, aimed at middle class families. Written in an engaging prose, the book was well received by reviewers. It was reprinted within the year and several editions followed until 1918, when Longman, the book’s publisher, took the decision not to reprint. In 1857 Acton published The English Bread-Book for Domestic Use, a more academic and studious work than Modern Cookery. The work consisted of a history of bread-making in England, a study of European methods of baking and numerous recipes.
In the later years of its publication, Modern Cookery was eclipsed by the success of Isabella Beeton’s bestselling Mrs Beeton’s Book of Household Management (1861), which included several recipes plagiarised from Acton’s work. Although Modern Cookery was not reprinted in full until 1994, the book has been admired by English cooks in the second part of the 20th century, and influenced many of them, including Elizabeth David, Jane Grigson, Delia Smith and Rick Stein.
FYI
NASA: Astronomy Picture of the Day
By Dean Kuipers , Lauri Kranz, Outside: The Ultimate Beginner’s Guide to Houseplant Care Take your gardening indoors with houseplants. Use these tips to place them in proper sunlight, water them correctly, and feed them so they survive and thrive.
Rare Historical Photos: Stunning photos of Pam Grier in the 1970s
Rare Historical Photos: Vintage photos offer a glimpse into the bygone era of drive-in restaurants, 1920s-1950s
Rare Historical Photos: The chaos and beauty of Greyhound buses captured by Esther Bubley, 1943
Rare Historical Photos: The curious business of spirit photography that was spooky and controversial, 1860-1875
The Marginalian (once Brain Pickings): We Are Made of Music, We Are Made of Time: Violinist Natalie Hodges on the Poetic Science of Sound and Feeling
By Lisa Kaminski, Taste of Home: Dolly Parton Just Launched Her Own Line of Cake Mix, So We’ll Be Baking 9 to 5
By Ashley Abramson, The Kitchn: Dolly Parton Pairs Her Mac & Cheese with an Unexpected Side and I Have Never Been More Impressed in My Life
BirdTricks Kids!
Ideas
By Birdz of a Feather: How to Fix Your Printer and Keep It Out of Landfill!
By bryans workshop: Corner Cabinet Makeover
Recipes
By Naomi Tomky, The Kitchn: This “Twisted Bacon” Technique Is the Secret to Perfect Bacon
Clean Eating: Pink Waffles (Gluten-Free Option)
By cookwewill: Braised Beef Shoulder With Carrots
By LaviBakeHouse: Vegan Roasted Cauliflower Soup and Cheesy Garlic Rolls
By Lauren Miyashiro, Delish: This Is How Temperature, Butter, And Sugar Affect Your Brownies
Homemade on a Weeknight: Italian Sub Pinwheels
Just the Recipe: Paste the URL to any recipe, click submit, and it’ll return literally JUST the recipe- no ads, no life story of the writer, no nothing EXCEPT the recipe.
DamnDelicious
RecipeTinEats
- Nutella Stuffed Cookies November 22, 2024Nutella Stuffed Cookies. Yes, they are as naughty and indulgent as they look. But so much easier to make than you think! No electric beater, just a wooden spoon. That moment when the melty Nutella floods in your mouth…. send help! Nutella Stuffed Cookies This is no ordinary cookie. This is a cookie that is... […]Nagi
- New Orleans Chicken Wings November 19, 2024Why settle for plain chicken wings when you can have bold, spicy, New Orleans sass?! Tossed in Creole seasoning and garlic butter then baked until golden, the smell alone will make you drool. Easy enough for dinner, excellent for parties. Get in my belly! New Orleans Chicken Wings Today’s recipe is inspired by New Orleans... […]Nagi
wikimedia
- Wikimedia Commons picture of the day for November 23 November 23, 2024Picture of the day Rainbow yarn for knitting displayed in front of a needlework shop in Graz, Austria
- Wikimedia Commons picture of the day for November 22 November 22, 2024Picture of the day Sanderling (Calidris alba) looking for food on the beach of Westkapelle, Netherlands
E-book Deals:
The Book Junction: Where Readers Go To Discover Great New Fiction!
Mystery & Thriller Most Wanted
Book Blogs & Websites:
Welcome to the Stump the Bookseller blog!
Stump the Bookseller is a service offered by Loganberry Books to reconnect people to the books they love but can’t quite remember. In brief (for more detailed information see our About page), people can post their memories here, and the hivemind goes to work. After all, the collective mind of bibliophiles, readers, parents and librarians around the world is much better than just a few of us thinking. Together with these wonderful Stumper Magicians, we have a nearly 50% success rate in finding these long lost but treasured books. The more concrete the book description, the better the success rate, of course. It is a labor of love to keep it going, and there is a modest fee. Please see the How To page to find price information and details on how to submit your Book Stumper and payment.
Thanks to everyone involved to keep this forum going: our blogging team, the well-read Stumper Magicians, the many referrals, and of course to everyone who fondly remembers the wonder of books from their childhood and wants to share or revisit that wonder. Isn’t it amazing, the magic of a book?