Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume IV.djvu/220

 212 CERRO GORDO CERVANTES SAAVEDRA CERRO GORDO, a mountain pass in Mexico, 40 m. N. W. of Vera Cruz, on the national high- way to the city of Mexico, where a victory was gained by the Americans under Gen. Scott, over the Mexicans under Santa Anna, April 18, 1847. The entire American force in action and reserved was 8,500; the Mexican was estimated at more than 12,000. The action lasted from sunrise till 2 P. M., and resulted in the capture of 6 Mexican generals, 3,000 men, 4,500 stand of arms, 43 pieces of artillery, 7 standards, trains of stores, and Santa Anna's private baggage and money chest. The Mexi- can loss in killed and wounded was computed at from 1,000 to 1,200; the American loss was 63 killed and 368 wounded. Gen. Scott pa- roled his prisoners, destroyed their stores, ex- cepting one field train, and the next day ad- vanced to Jalapa. CERRO GORDO, a N. county of Iowa, inter- sected by Shell Rock river and Lime creek, and drained by Beaverdam creek; area, 652 sq. m. ; pop. in 1870, 4,722. Clear lake is in the county. Peat is found and building stone is quarried. The McGregor and Missouri River railro'ad passes through it. The chief produc- tions in 1870 were 138,592 bushels of wheat, 97,930 of Indian corn, 136,556 of oats, and 8,119 tons of hay. There were 1,515 horses, 1,435 milch cows, 1,977 other cattle, 1,914 sheep, and 1,542 swine. Capital, Mason City. CERTALDO, a town of Italy, in the province and 15 m. S. W. of Florence, on the right bank of the river Elsa ; pop. of the commune about 6,000. It was the place of residence and death of Boccaccio, who was buried here in the church of St. Michael and St. James. His sepulchre formerly stood in the centre of the church, and a more conspicuous monument was erected to him in 1503. His remains were removed in 1783, from a false interpretation of a law against burials in churches, and they were scattered and lost. His house, built of brick, with a small tower, was repaired in 1823 by the marchioness Lenzoni Medici, one of his descendants, and the fragments of stone which had covered his grave were collected by her in 1826, and placed in the house, with an in- scription by the poet Giordani. A monument is to be erected to him by the authorities of Certaldo on Dec. 21, 1875, the fifth centenary of his death. CERTIORARI (Lat. certus fieri, to be made more certain, to be certified), a writ used for the purpose of removing the record in a par- ticular case, whether civil or criminal, from an inferior to a superior tribunal, either as an auxiliary process to enable complete effect to be given to some other process, or as a distinct mode of appeal. In American practice it is usually employed to review the proceedings of courts not of record, and of municipal cor- porations in certain cases, and the determina- tions of special tribunals, commissioners, and other officers exercising judicial powers which affect the citizen in his rights or his property, and acting in a summary way, or in a course different from that of the common law. CERUTTI, Joseph Antolne Joachim, a French author, born in Turin, June 13, 1738, died in Paris, Feb. 3, 1792. He became a member of the society of Jesus and a professor in its col- lege at Lyons, where some of his essays were at first ascribed to Jean Jacques Rousseau. In 1762 he published Apologie de Vinxtitut des Jesuites, and he resided after that period in Paris, and afterward at the country seat of the duchess of Brancas, near Nancy, devoted to literature and enjoying an income of 11,000 francs, chiefly through the influence of King Stanislas. In 1788 he published Memoire pour le peuple franfais, which became very popu- lar ; and he was employed by Mirabeau in preparing his speeches, and subsequently de- livered his funeral oration. He also published a weekly journal entitled Feuille villageoise, and was elected to the legislative assembly, but died soon afterward. The rue Laffitte was called after him till the restoration. His poem Letjardim de Betz was published in 1792, and a selection of his (Euvreg diverses in 1793, the latter including his poem on chess. CERVANTES SAAVEDRA, Miguel de, a Spanish author, born at Alcala de Henares, Oct. 9, 1547, died April 23, 1616. His father was descended from an ancient Galician family, and his mother was a gentlewoman of refinement. Cervantes received the first rudiments of edu- cation from Lope de Hoyos, who published collections of poetry, to which his pupil, who early displayed a talent for poetical compo- sition, contributed. One of these contribu- tions, a pastoral poem entitled Filena, ob- tained some reputation, and attracted the at- tention of Cardinal Acquaviva, who in 1569 invited the young poet to accompany him to Rome. But the monotony of ecclesiastical life was little calculated to please Cervantes, and he joined in 1571 the armament commanded by Don John of Austria against the Turks. In the battle of Lepanto (Oct. 7, 1671) he re- ceived a wound, which deprived him of the use of his left hand and arm for the rest of his life ; but he remained in active service till 1575, when, on his way from Italy to Spain, the galley in which he sailed was captured by Algerine corsairs. He was in their power till 1580, when his relatives and friends purchased his freedom. The whole romantic account of his captivity is found in the story of "The Captive " (" Don Quixote," part i.). He was treated with great cruelty by the Algerines, but his cheerfulness and philosophy excited the admiration of his fellow prisoners. He re- turned to Madrid in his 34th year, and here his literary career properly begins. The first work which he now produced was the pastoral romance Galatea, said to have been written in honor of his mistress, which showed a decided progress upon his Filena. In 1584 he married, and now had more than ever to resort to his pen to supply the wants of his family, and for