STOCKTON
STOCKTON
" Welcome mighty chief, once more! " and vari-
ous periodical contributions. Richard Stockton
published An Expedient for the Settleineiit of
American Disputes, addressed to Lord Dart-
month (Dec.l2, 1774). He died at " Morven," the
family estate, near Princeton, N. J., Feb. 2y, 1781.
STOCKTON, Richard, senator, was born at '•Morven," near Princetuii. N.J., April 17, 17GI; son of Richard (1730-1781) and Annis (Boudinot) Stockton. He was graduated from the College of New Jersey, A.B., 1779, A.M.. 1782; studied law under liis uncle. Dr. Elias Boudinot (q.v.); was admitted to the bar in 1784. and commenced practice in Princeton. He was a presidential elector on the Wasliington and Adams ticket in 1792; was elected by the Federalists, U.S. senator from New Jersey, to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Frederick Frelinghuj'sen, serv- ing from 1796 to 1799, when he declined re-elec- tion; was again presidential elector in 1801, on the Adams and Pinckney ticket, and member of the state leislature, 1813-15, during which term he carried on a memorable debate with Charles J. IngersoU on free-trade and sailors' rights. In 1827 he was appointed a commissioner for set- tling the boundarv-line between New York and New Jersey, the learned argument included in the report of the commission being the produc- tion of his pen. He was a trustee of the College of New Jersey, 1791-1828, and received the hon- orary degree of LL.D. from Queen's (now Rut- gers) college. New Brunswick. N.J., in 1815, and from Union college. Schenectady, N.Y., in 1816. He die<l in Princeton. N.J.. March 7, 1828.
STOCKTON, Robert Field, naval officer, was born in Princeton, N.J., Aug. 20, 1795; son of Richard Stockton, .senator (q.v.). He matricu- lated at the College of New Jersey, but was not graduated; entered the U.S. army as midshiji- man, Sept. 1, 1811; cruised in the flagship Presi- dent, Atlantic home squadron, Com. John Rodg- ers. in 1812. winning the soubriquet of "fighting Bob "; served as aide to the secretary of the navy at Washington, D.C., and having again joined Commodore Rodgers, participated in the defence of Baltimore, Md., June, 1814, being promoted lieutenant for his gallantry, Sept. 9, 1814. Dur- ing the war with the Barbarj' powers, he served first as junior lieutenant on the Guerriere, Com- modore Decatur's flagship, and subsequently as 1st lieutenant on the schooner .S/J?7/?re, taking part in the capture of the Algerine frigate Mishonri, June 17. 1815, and of the brig Estedio, a, {evr days following. In 1816 he again cruised the Mediter- ranean as 7th lieutenant on the Wasliington, Commodore Chauncey's squadron; was promoted 2d lieutenant and subsequently 1st lieutenant of the Erie, rfturning to the United States in 1821; was transferred soon after to the command of the
schooner Alligator, and under the auspices of the
American Colonization society, visited the west
coast of Africa, where, in 1822, he founded a col-
ony at Cape Mesurado, which became in 1847 the
republic of Liberia. He subsequently captured
the Portuguese letter-of-manpie Marrianna
Flora, and the French slaver Jeune Eugenie; was
ordered to the West Indies to check the depre-
dations of tiie pirates, and surveyed the southern
coast, 1823-24, during which time he was mar-
ried to Maria, daughter of John Potter, of
Charleston, S.C. He obtained leave of absence
from 1826-38, and made his home in Princeton,
N.J., where he established a newspaper, to which
he contributed editorials, stating that his supi>(>rt
of President Adams would be based upon the hit-
ter's "good behavior in office," an independent
political attitude which he continued to maintain
throughout Ids career. He was a delegate to the
Democratic state convention of 1826, in which he
took an active part; was the founder and first
president of the New Jersey Colonization society,
and chief promoter of the Delaware and Raritan
canal, visiting Europe to obtain a loan for its
completion. He served as executive officer of
the flagship Ohio, Mediterranean squadron, Com.
Isaac Hull, Dec. 8, 1838-39, bearing official de-
spatches to Great Britain, where he investigated
the improvements in naval architecture; was
promoted post-captain, 1839; supported Gen.
William Henry Harrison for the Presidency in
1840, and declined the portfolio of the navy of-
fered him by President Tyler in 1841. He was
one of the first commanders to apply steam to
naval purposes, building, in 1842-44, the famous
sloop-of-war Princeton, of which he was placed
in command. On the trial trip down the Potomac
river, Feb. 28, 1844, through the accidental ex-
plosion of one of the guns, opposite Mt. Vernon,
Abel P. Upshur, secretary of state, Thomas W.
Gilmer, secretarj' of the navy, and David Gardi-
ner, father-in-law of President Tyler, were killed,
as well as several of the crew, while Com-
modore Stockton and others were severely in-
jured. Later in the same year he was appointed
to carry the annexation resolutions to the govern-
ment of Texas, and sailed in the Princeton; was
promoted commander-in-chief of the Pacific
squadron, October, 1845, and sailed in the frigate
Congress with Mr. Ten E^'ck, commissioner, from
Norfolk, Va., around Cape Horn, to tlieSandwicli
Islands, and finally to Monterey, Cal., of which
place Com. John D. Sloat, U.S.N. , had taken
possession, July 7, 1846. On July 23, 1846, Com-
modore Stockton was given command by proc-
lamation, of the entire American force on the
Pacific coast, and in co-operation with Col. John
C. Fremont, capture<l Los Angeles. Aug. 13. 1846:
established a civil government for the state, ap-
