Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 1).djvu/708

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COANACATZIN
COBB

Patagonia " (New York, 1880) : " Life in Hawaii " (1882) ; and a multitude of articles in the " Ameri- can Journal of Science," the " Missionary Herald," and otlier journals. — His son, Titus Munson, phy- sician, b. in Hilo, Hawaiian islands, 27 Sept., 1830, was educated at home and in the royal school and the Punahou academy at Honolulu, where he was prepared for college. Coming to the United States in 1856, he spent a year at Yale, but went subsequently to Williams, where he was graduated in 1859. He studied medicine at the New York college of physicians and surgeons, and took his degree in 1861. Dr. Coan afterward served two years in the city hospitals, and more than two years in the U. S. navy, under Admiral Farragut, as assistant surgeon, 1863-'5, being present at the battle of Mobile Bay. Resigning from the naval service in December, 1865, he resumed his residence in New York, which has been his home ever since. Dr. Coan first became known as a writer by his essays in the " Galaxy " (1869-77). He has con- tributed many literary, critical, and technical pa- pers, and poems, to various periodicals, and has })ublished in book-form " Ounces of Prevention " (New York, 1885) ; a " Universal Gazetteer " (a sup- plement to " Webster's Dictionary," 1885) ; and he edited "Topics of the Time" (6 vols.. New York, 1883). Dr. Coan has written much on the subject of mineral springs, to which he has given special study during repeated visits to Europe.


COANACATZIN (co-an-a-cat-tseen'), twelfth king of Texcoco, Mexico (thirteenth king, according to some authorities), flourished in the early part of the 16th century. He succeeded his brother, Caca- matzin, on the throne in 1521, but ruled only for a short time, being in dispute with his brother Ixtlixochitl. The latter was aided by the con- queror Cortes, and effected the deposition of Coana- catzin in the course of the same year.


COBB, Carlos, merchant, b. in Athens, Vt., 28 Feb., 1815 ; d. in Tarrytown, N. Y., 16 Sept.. 1877. He was admitted to the bar in Rochester. N. Y., where he practised law for several years. Becom- ing interested in geology, he made a large collec- tion of fos^ls, some of which he gave to Yale col- lege, and others to the Metropolitan museum. In 1845-'6 he was geologist to a party commissioned by the Canadian government to survey the north- ern shore of Lake Superior, and his report was published in connection with that of the commis- sion. He entered the produce comniission business in Buffalo, N. Y., in 1847, and in 1859-'60 prepared a pro-rata tax bill, which was defeated in the legis- lature. He removed to New York in 1862, when he became a member of the produce exchange, and was the first chairman of its committee on grain. Many reforms were instituted in the exchange by his efforts. Mr. Cobb was a inan of fine presence and dignified bearing, a genial and delightful com- panion. Though a democrat in politics, he invest- ed his fortune in government bonds in the darkest days of the war.


COBB, David, soldier, b. in Attleborough, Mass., 14 Sei3t., 1748; d. in Taunton, Mass., 17 April, 1839. He was graduated at Harvard in 1766, studied medicine in Boston, and practised at Taunton. Mass.. for many years. He was secretary of the Bristol county convention of 1774, and in 1775 was a delegate to the provincial congress. He served in New Jersey and Rhode Island in 1777-8 as lieutenant-colonel of Heniy Jackson's regiment, was for several years an aide-de-camp of Washington, and at the close of the war was colo- nel and brevet brigadier-general. Washington intrusted to him the duty of entertaining the French officers, and of negotiating with Sir Guy Carleton for the evacuation of New York. He was also an intimate friend of Gen. Greene and Gen. Knox. Afterward he became major-general of militia, and judge of the Bristol county court of common pleas. During Shays's rebellion he declared that he "would sit as a judge, or die as a general," and by his energy several times pro- tected his court when it was menaced by armed insurgents, and prevented bloodshed. He was elected to congress as a federalist, serving from 2 Dec, 1793, till 3 March, 1795, and in 1796 became a land agent and farmer in Oldsborough. Me. He was elected to the Massachusetts senate from the eastern district of Maine, in 1802 was president of that body, was elected to the council in 1808, and became lieutenant-governor in 1809. He was a member of the board of military defence in 1812, and chief justice of the Hancock county court of common pleas, and returned to Taunton in 1817.


COBB, George Thomas, congressman, b. in Morristown, N. J., 8 Oct., 1813; d. 6 Aug., 1870. He was employed in the iron-works at Dover, N. J., and, subsequently establishing himself in the iron business, rapidly made a fortune, from which he gave generously to both public and private ob- jects. The Evergreen cemetery in Morristown was one of his gifts to his native town, and he also gave $15,000 for a school-house, and $75,000 for a church. Mr. Cobb was elected to congress as a Democrat in 1860, and first sat in the extra session, called by President Lincoln in July, 1861, to provide means for suppressing the rebellion. Mr. Cobb at once gave the administration his hearty support, and his course offended many of his Democratic friends at home. The next nomi- nating convention of his district passed resolutions condemning the war. Mr. Cobb refused a renomi- nation, and Andrew J, Rogers succeeded him. Mr. Cobb finally separated from the Democracy, and in 1865 was elected by the Republicans of Mor- ris county as state senator, and was re-elected in 1868. In 1869 he lost the republican nomination for U. S. senator by three votes. He was killed in an accident on the Chesapeake and Ohio railroad.


COBB, Howell, soldier, b. in Granville, N. C, about 1770 ; d. in Georgia in 1820. He became a planter in Georgia, served in the army as ensign and captain from 1793 till 1806, and was in con- gress for three successive terms, serving from 1807 till 1812, when he resigned to accept a captain's commission in the army. He served through the war of 1813, resigned on the declaration of peace, and lived on his plantation till his death. '


COBB, Howell, lawyer, b. in Savannah, Ga., in 1795. After serving an apprenticeship to a printer, he engaged in teaching in Perry, Houston county, till, in 1827, he was admitted to the bar and also became a preacher in the Methodist church. In 1830 he was a state senator, and soon afterward he established the " Cherokee Gazette," the first paper printed in the Cherokee district after it came under the jurisdiction of the state. He was a presi- dential elector in 1836, and cast his vote for Hugli L. White. At his instance the Georgia cotton- planters formed a corporate body for improving the cidture of that staple. He published a work on legal forms (1845); "Penal Code of Georgia" (Macon, 1850) ; and a work on the African race.


COBB, Howell, statesman, b. in Cherry Hill, Jefferson co., Ga., 7 Sept., 1815 ; d. in New York city, 9 Oct., 1868. He was graduated at Franklin college, Athens, in 1834, studied law, was admitted to the bar in 1836, and chosen an elector on the Van Buren ticket the same year. He was