Events January–March January 9 – British Prime Minister William Pitt the Younger introduces an income tax of two shillings to the pound, to raise funds for Great Britain's war effort in the French Revolutionary Wars. January 17 – Maltese patriot Dun Mikiel Xerri, along with a number of other patriots, is executed. January 21 – The Parthenopean Republic is established in Naples by French General Jean Étienne Championnet; King Ferdinand I of the Two Sicilies flees. February 9 – Quasi-War: In the single-ship action of USS Constellation vs L'Insurgente in the Caribbean, the American ship is the victor. February 28 – French Revolutionary Wars: Action of 28 February 1799 – British Royal Navy frigate HMS Sybille defeats the French frigate Forte, off the mouth of the Hooghly River in the Bay of Bengal, but both captains are killed. March 1 – Federalist James Ross becomes President pro tempore of the United States Senate. March 4 – The Russo-Ottoman siege of Corfu ends with the surrender of the French garrison, bringing an end to the first period of French rule in the Ionian Islands. March 7 – Siege of Jaffa: Napoleon captures Jaffa, Palestine, and his troops proceed to kill more than 2,000 Albanian captives. March 14 — The public premiere of Haydn’s oratorio The Creation takes place at the Burgtheater in Vienna. March 21 - Victory of Archduke Charles and the Austrian army over the French army of Jean-Baptiste Jourdan at the Battle of Ostrach. March 25 - Victory of Archduke Charles and the Austrian army over the French army of Jean-Baptiste Jourdan at the Battle of Stockach (1799), a key crossroads at the western end of Lake Constance. March 29 – New York passes a law aimed at gradually abolishing slavery in the state. April-June April 16 – French Revolutionary Wars: At the Battle of Mount Tabor severely outnumbered French forces repulse an Ottoman attack. April 27 – French Revolutionary Wars: The Battle of Cassano takes place outside of Milan, as Russian and Austrian troops commanded by General Alexander Suvorov rout the French Army under the command of General Jean Moreau. April 28 - Two French diplomats to the Second Congress of Rastatt are killed and another badly injured by Austrian cavalry, as they tried to leave the town. An inquiry was held, which blamed French emigres. May 4 – Battle of Seringapatam: Tipu Sultan is defeated and killed